Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

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.

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.

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!

This film is lighthearted, funny and crazy from beginning to end. If you were a fan of the TV show, I think you're more likely to enjoy it because you would understand the silliness and not expect it to be amazing. This film shows the return of Patsy, Edina and Saffy, along with some new characters and many celebrity cameos.

One of the new characters we see in the film is Edina's granddaughter; Lola. Lola appears frequently throughout but fails to engage the audience. The character is weak and I think shouldn't appear as often as she does in the film.

From the very beginning of this film we notice there are many celebrity cameos in this film, 60 in total. Many of these celebrities only appear for a minute each, but some of them are not needed at all as they only say a word or two. Despite this, many of the other celebrity appearances are very amusing and bring a smile to our faces. For example, Rebel Wilson, Lulu etc.

Overall, this film is crazy, amusing and doesn't fail to make you smile. It is definitely aimed at people who were fans of the TV show, as it brings a sense of nostalgia and reuses some of the classic jokes used in the show. The story line is bonkers, but that's what we expect from Patsy and Edina. Some characters definitely shouldn't have been included as they don't add anything to the film and appear to be used to fill time. If you weren't a fan of the show, I'd give this one a miss.