Is the Downton Abbey Movie any good???

Well, I had well-intentioned plans of watching the new Downton Abbey movie the DAY that it came out in theaters, but darn it if life didn’t get in the way. So I am a couple of weeks behind schedule. BUT the only thing that matters is…WAS the DOWNTON ABBEY MOVIE ANY GOOD?? Let me just put it this way…if you loved the shows…GO SEE THE MOVIE!!

Just so that we are all on the same page, you must know a bit about me. I believe there are only two types of people in this world…those who are mildly obsessed with Downton Abbey…and those people who I do not care to associate with. Haha…so that may have a SMALL impact on my opinions here…just sayin’. Like millions of other fans, I was ALL IN for this show when it was on PBS. I was camped in front of the t.v. waiting for that telltale theme song JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. And let’s just be clear, when the series ended and I could not get my dose of Downton on a regular basis, I had some pretty sad moments. It was like not being able to see an old friend who you REALLY need to catch up with. My point is…I would have gone to see this movie EVEN if it had been a 15-minute blooper reel of Downtown outtakes. I would have paid $12 to watch ANY combination of the original characters do stand-up, or tap dancing, or play Twister for that matter. This movie could have been 20 minutes or 8 hours and I STILL would have shown up with a $9 bag of popcorn and a smile. Long story short, this was not a tough sell for me. I was GOING to watch this movie (most likely multiple times) regardless of the premise.

THAT being said, I REALLY enjoyed being back in the lives of my favorite Downton friends. All of the major characters were present and accounted for and EVERYBODY picked up in the story RIGHT where they had left off. And HALLELUJAH, I was glad to see that there were no WEIRD storyline twists or character change-ups!!! If you have seen ANY footage regarding the new movie, then you know the family AND staff are preparing for a visit from the King and Queen at Downton Abbey…so perfectly British. And in TRUE Downton Abbey fashion, there are upsets and turmoil, both UP-stairs AND down, LOTS of wit and sass from Grandmama Violet, and PLENTY of sweet romantic moments. How did the writers know that by adding in a British monarch or two, they would lure me in EVEN more???

So there is no beating around the bush here…I loved the movie. But there were DEFINITELY some aspects I loved more than others. The clothes…I was completely OBSESSED with the period outfits in the film. Especially Mary’s gowns which were, of course, top-notch. And speaking of Mary, her haircut was perfection (as is Anna’s). I love that Mary is still keeping with the times even though she has become more serious and is responsible for MUCH of what happens at Downton. I was also SOOOO happy that Tom Branson had his own storyline again. He has always been one of my favorite family members and I have been waiting for his story to pop back up. And of course, it would NOT have been a Downton success if Violet and Isobel did not have some great zingers between them…I think they may have even UPPED their game since the television shows:)

All in all, I was not disappointed. WELLLL…that is not entirely true. I was VERY disappointed when it ended. Two hours went by MUCH too quickly FOR SURE!! BUT without a FIRM ending to the family’s story, I am happy to believe there will be ANOTHER Downton movie in my future (cue fireworks and happy British music). And you better believe that I will be there, Milk Duds in hand, ready to catch up again with my old friends at Downton.

Have you seen the movie yet?? Are you a fan?? Do you need me to explain to you ALL of the wonderful qualities of the show and force you to attempt to jump on the bandwagon?? Let’s chat soon!!! Jessica