Absolutely Fabulous: Der Film

A movie produced on the same material 25 years after the heyday of a television show will take a toll on quality. At the time, the Dawn French / Joana Lumley show traded on its subversive material and outrageous performances. Since then the world has moved dramatically toward the outpost the two established for themselves putting the show's aesthetic somewhere in the middle of the culture. So relying on the same shock value jokes from the early 90's results in the film's now mildly eye-raising but still mostly funny lines. All of the standbys from the original appear: Eddie gives her daughter poor parenting advice, her daughter lectures her to be more conservative, Lumley pulls out her "Pat Stone" routine at one point, she blacks out, etc., etc., etc. Vintage stuff if a little worn. The softness of the script benefits from a very long list of cameos although American audiences will miss many of the local British faces who didn't quite become global names. In short, like "Zoolander 2", AbFab the movie relies more on nostalgia than good writing but for hardcore fans that may be enough.

I was looking forward to seeing this after watching the brilliant TV series years ago. I thought it would be a golden opportunity to being the characters up to date and make something really special.

However, I spent the entirety of the film waiting for it to pick up and gain the pace we are used to which made the TV series so brilliant. It felt as though the script had been stretched out to fill the allocated time.

There is nothing wrong with the acting, and all the favourite characters are in the film - but also (and probably to the film's detriment) are hoards of minor celebrities and wannabes who serve little function in the story. It seemed as though anyone who was remotely connected to the clique of luvvy land was included for no reason at all.

Another thing which I think played a role in the lack lustre end product was that Jennifer Saunder's played down Edina's character - which lacked the punch and sparkle of her original portrayal.

Overall it was an OK kind of film, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again. You would be better off and get more entertainment value from watching replays of the original series.

I'm from someone who is a massive fan of the TV series, the film didn't disappoint. No it's not particularly original, nor is it the best comedy Saunders herself has written, but this film is so feel good you can't help but grin, giggle and laugh-out-loud throughout.

The film is brisk and whips by very quickly. Though the story is often disjointed, it's not where the film goes it's what happens while you're there. Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders are just a joy to watch and there's a ton of fan service as practically everyone who has ever been in the show makes an appearance here.

I came out of the cinema grinning ear to ear, which oddly not all comedies manage to do. It was like going for meal with an old friend that always makes you laugh.

If you weren't a fan of the show steer well clear - this is not a film for you. To those that did enjoy the show it's a must see. No it's not going to win any awards (though Joanna Lumley is such a terrific comedy actress), nor is it going to challenge the convention of comedy, but it is going to make you happy. Isn't that comedy was created for?

Absolutely Fabulous Sweetie Darling!

If you are a fan of the first three of the six seasons of Absolutely fabulous like I was, you might be,disappointed in this long awaited movie. This movie seems to have been written by the writers of seasons 4-6. Writers of Seasons 4-6 seemed to believe saying "Sweetie Darling" would get laughs, and they were wrong! This movie seems to be an unedited/uncensored two part episode from season 6 that somehow was a turned into a theatrical release. Just like seasons 4-6, this move was bland but amusing. Footnote: Get a load of a certain British starlet from 1950s on up who was doing cameos near the end.. She should put together an info-mercial on the Botox she used. You would never believe that's her at eighty plus of age.

Several years on from when we last saw Patsy and Eddy, Patsy is still in her fashion critic role but Eddie's fortunes have waned. Her list of PR clients is limited and low-key and her memoirs are not going to get published. While attempting to gain Kate Moss as a client, Eddie accidentally pushes her into the River Thames. Moss does not reappear and Eddie becomes a murder suspect, and Public Enemy Number 1. To escape the publicity Eddie and Patsy head for Nice.

Being a fan of the TV series I did not have great expectations for this movie. TV-to-movie conversions seldom work and in this case the TV series finished four years previously and was pretty much done long before that.

In the end, I was right about the conversion aspect - there's not enough material to sustain a feature film and the movie is festooned with silly scenes to pad out the time. The characters haven't aged well, and Joanna Lumley's script has not really adapted to their aging, seeming to still be based in the 90s in terms of character traits. Saffy / Julia Sawalha and Bubble / Jane Horrocks are particularly hard done by in this regard.

This said, its not all bad. There is a great swipe at the pretentiousness of the fashion industry and the superficiality of the media. There are also a few very funny moments. While the main characters feel like they're misplaced in time, and are living off old glories, some of the secondary characters make up for this. Kathy Burke as Magda is particularly entertaining.

Ultimately quite uneven with just enough good bits to make it likable.