I enjoyed the TV series very much, and had very few criticisms of the show (with the glaring exception that Mr. Bates apparently has the ability to wish people dead - he wished his estranged wife would die, and on the very day that he goes to have it out with her, she immediately takes rat poison to commit suicide; and then he wishes his new wife's rapist was dead, and on the very day that he plans to go and murder the man, the man is murdered by another heretofore unknown character - that was all a bit too much for me to suspend my disbelief). It was a rather simple show that telegraphed it's plot points, but then fulfilled the promise rather than pull a switch to be too clever. If a man and a woman had a conversation together, whether friendly or heated, you could expect that they would eventually be married to one another. If anyone got too happy, then some tragedy was sure to strike them low (poor Edith had a raincloud perpetually poised over her head). Yet in the end, just as Lord Grantham would predict, things would all work out. Happy endings all around for everyone. The TV series did a wonderful job of resolving everyone's issues and leaving everyone with a happy ending. One of the better television finales.
Therefore, the subsequent movies were superfluous. They were actually just lengthy episodes of the TV show. Neither was a stand-alone movie. If you were unfamiliar with the series, the movies would be incomprehensible, because so much is dependent on upon the character development that occurred prior to the movie during the television series. Since I had just recently watched the entire series, I was anxious to take a peek at what had become of these characters that I had spent so much time with. And I discovered: nothing had changed. There was absolutely nothing to catch up on. When you meet up with an old friend, you spend some time sharing with one another what has been going on during the interval. However, in the world of Downton Abbey, you just pick up as though no time has passed at all and carry on with a new adventure.
The new adventure for this episode (I mean, movie) is that Violet has "suddenly" (as in sixty years ago) come into possession of a grand villa in the French Riviera. She gives a vague explanation for how it came to her, but it only serves as the starting point for the intrigue that follows. This is the main plot point of the movie, and there are far fewer sub-plots in this movie than in the first one, which I applaud and was one of the reasons I gave this movie a rating of 7 and only gave the first movie a rating of 6.
Some of the family and staff go on this grand adventure to France. However, as to who goes and who stays behind is a mystery that not even the characters can solve. I loved Robert's line upon meeting his host and explaining that they have brought their own butler, "but for the life of me, I don't know why". Carson is not even their actual employee anymore, yet they can press him into service upon any whim. It wasn't even his beloved Mary that prompted his return to buttling, because Mary stayed behind (along with Carson's wife). Further, how many times during the TV show did the issue of traveling without a valet come up? Traveling without a valet seemed to be the mark of an aristocrat that was on hard times. However, does Mr. Bates travel with Lord Grantham? Nope, they bring their retired butler instead. Huh?!
Then there is the absence of Violet and Sibby from the entourage. Violet is the actual owner of the villa, but having been there once before (sixty years ago), she has seen it's beauty and has no need to re-visit. Her absence could certainly be excused due to her declining health (although there is little mention of that until the final act). Sibby, on the other hand, who is to inherit this grand estate to put her on equal footing with her cousins, is mentioned several times ("I wish Sibby could have been here."), but she was inexplicably left behind. Dad and step-mom (Tom and Lucy) get to have a lush vacation at Sibby's fabulous new villa, but Sibby herself must sit this one out. Humpf!
The major sub-plot is enduring a film crew that invades Downton Abbey so that the family can score some scratch to fix the leaky roof. That would be an okay plot line, except then they go and do a direct theft of the plot point from "Singin' In The Rain". There must have been some statute of limitations that ran out in 2022 that allowed movies to steal a significant plot point from such a great old film, because "Babylon" (also out in 2022) did the exact same thing: portraying a beautiful silent movie actress as having an irritating voice that must be dubbed for the newly-developed talkies. The blatant rip-off made me deduct points from my rating.
The very minor sub-plot of Cora's illness was not worth having at all. She is thought to be dying of cancer and then, nope, wrong diagnosis - happy ending. The only thing this sub-plot allowed was a tirade by Robert in which he, at first, appears to be angry with Cora for dying and then they profess their deep love for one another. Eh, could have skipped it.
The best part of the movie, unfortunately, was the death scene of the Dowager Countess. Played for both laughs and tears. Maggie Smith was excellent in every scene she was ever in during the entirety of the television series and the two subsequent movies. Hopefully, having laid the great lady to rest, they will let the entire cast rest in peace, as well.
Therefore, the subsequent movies were superfluous. They were actually just lengthy episodes of the TV show. Neither was a stand-alone movie. If you were unfamiliar with the series, the movies would be incomprehensible, because so much is dependent on upon the character development that occurred prior to the movie during the television series. Since I had just recently watched the entire series, I was anxious to take a peek at what had become of these characters that I had spent so much time with. And I discovered: nothing had changed. There was absolutely nothing to catch up on. When you meet up with an old friend, you spend some time sharing with one another what has been going on during the interval. However, in the world of Downton Abbey, you just pick up as though no time has passed at all and carry on with a new adventure.
The new adventure for this episode (I mean, movie) is that Violet has "suddenly" (as in sixty years ago) come into possession of a grand villa in the French Riviera. She gives a vague explanation for how it came to her, but it only serves as the starting point for the intrigue that follows. This is the main plot point of the movie, and there are far fewer sub-plots in this movie than in the first one, which I applaud and was one of the reasons I gave this movie a rating of 7 and only gave the first movie a rating of 6.
Some of the family and staff go on this grand adventure to France. However, as to who goes and who stays behind is a mystery that not even the characters can solve. I loved Robert's line upon meeting his host and explaining that they have brought their own butler, "but for the life of me, I don't know why". Carson is not even their actual employee anymore, yet they can press him into service upon any whim. It wasn't even his beloved Mary that prompted his return to buttling, because Mary stayed behind (along with Carson's wife). Further, how many times during the TV show did the issue of traveling without a valet come up? Traveling without a valet seemed to be the mark of an aristocrat that was on hard times. However, does Mr. Bates travel with Lord Grantham? Nope, they bring their retired butler instead. Huh?!
Then there is the absence of Violet and Sibby from the entourage. Violet is the actual owner of the villa, but having been there once before (sixty years ago), she has seen it's beauty and has no need to re-visit. Her absence could certainly be excused due to her declining health (although there is little mention of that until the final act). Sibby, on the other hand, who is to inherit this grand estate to put her on equal footing with her cousins, is mentioned several times ("I wish Sibby could have been here."), but she was inexplicably left behind. Dad and step-mom (Tom and Lucy) get to have a lush vacation at Sibby's fabulous new villa, but Sibby herself must sit this one out. Humpf!
The major sub-plot is enduring a film crew that invades Downton Abbey so that the family can score some scratch to fix the leaky roof. That would be an okay plot line, except then they go and do a direct theft of the plot point from "Singin' In The Rain". There must have been some statute of limitations that ran out in 2022 that allowed movies to steal a significant plot point from such a great old film, because "Babylon" (also out in 2022) did the exact same thing: portraying a beautiful silent movie actress as having an irritating voice that must be dubbed for the newly-developed talkies. The blatant rip-off made me deduct points from my rating.
The very minor sub-plot of Cora's illness was not worth having at all. She is thought to be dying of cancer and then, nope, wrong diagnosis - happy ending. The only thing this sub-plot allowed was a tirade by Robert in which he, at first, appears to be angry with Cora for dying and then they profess their deep love for one another. Eh, could have skipped it.
The best part of the movie, unfortunately, was the death scene of the Dowager Countess. Played for both laughs and tears. Maggie Smith was excellent in every scene she was ever in during the entirety of the television series and the two subsequent movies. Hopefully, having laid the great lady to rest, they will let the entire cast rest in peace, as well.