Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016) User Reviews (98)

Disappointing; Only for die hard fans of the original series

[RubyMowzRulez · 5/10 · 11 July 2016]

As a huge fan of Ab Fab I was looking forward to this a lot. What's more, I wasn't worried about the quality of the writing, as the special Olympic episodes merely a few years ago stood up to the original shows quality. I wouldn't say my expectations were particularly high nonetheless, I didn't expect anything groundbreaking, merely something in the range of The Last Stand or Gay. Alas, the film doesn't quite live up to any of that.

Overall, it ends up just being a homage to the original series. The majority of the screen time is stuffed with "LOOK! CELEBRITY CAMEO! YEAH WE GOT THEM!" or "HEY REMEMBER THAT ONE JOKE FROM THAT ONE EPISODE? HERES A REFERENCE TO THAT!" I came out of the theatre disappointed and just craving to go home and re-watch the original show.

Honestly, I think a huge part of it's weakness is it totally drops the strengths of the original series. Some of the original series funniest moments were it's overly dramatic monologues, laden with smart insults and often traded between Patsy/Saffy or Edina/Saffy. There isn't really any of that here.

If you are a huge fan like myself, I'd still recommend seeing it. I think, like me, you may end up disappointed, unless you are such a die hard fan you are blinded by the weaker writing quality, but it's still worth a watch to judge for yourself, and the film still has a couple moments worth seeing. It's not very long either, or at least doesn't feel too long, so at least you won't feel like you've wasted your time.

Either way, it's obvious this film is largely the result of a bet between Saunders and Dawn French. It lacks the soul of the original series, and while it isn't awful, it's just not good either.

Bonkers, but great for fans of the TV show

[laurenb-03294 · 5/10 · 11 July 2016]

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.

What happened?

[mjsreg · 5/10 · 28 November 2016]

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.

About what you expect

[estreet-eva · 5/10 · 6 March 2017]

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.

Fabulously entertaining

[Gordon-11 · 2 July 2016]

This film tells the story of two high profile publicists in London, who are on the run because they accidentally pushed Kate Moss into River Thames during a red carpet party.

"Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie" is purely silly but it's entertaining and glamorous. It is fun to watch the numerous cameos, and Joan Collins who is in the film for only two seconds but receives a credit! Kate Moss and Emma Bunton are both great to watch, I think how Kate lost track of time is hilarious. The locations are full of fabulousness, especially that house they live in with a huge indoor swimming pool next to the lounge!

It's a great way to spend time thinking about nothing and have a laugh.

Better Than What I Thought

[jack-davy · 7/10 · 2 July 2016]

Just seeing this duo lights up my eyes and I was so worried the film version just wouldn't cut it... Think Mrs Browns Boys, or Sex And The City.

I'd compare it to SpiceWorld The Movie (ridiculousness, OTT, and NUMEROUS cameos) mixed with a UK Version of The Hangover (Drunken mess, lots of alcohol and sticky situations).

I saw a review where they said the funniness wanes when the cast head to France but this was actually my favourite part. Good ending too.

Only drawback...It all went pear-shaped a bit too quickly.. they could have dragged it out just a LITTLE longer and the 'happy ending' just seemed to come together very quickly!

WORST PART : WHY DID THEY RE-DO THE FAMOUS THEME TUNE WITH KYLIE EFFING MINOGUE! not happy about that!! :(

Absolutely Awful Daaarling!!I I was looking forward to this too :(

[benj-20839 · 1/10 · 3 July 2016]

I was really hoping this would be as funny and clever as the TV series, unfortunately it was torture to sit through, i so wanted to get up and leave and tbh i wouldn't have missed a thing if i did as it didn't get any better. It was an even keel of rubbish.

I can't believe the BBC were behind this embarrassing movie, i guess they saw £pound signs first, which is fair enough but PLEASE make a bit of effort at least! And i couldn't believe when the credits rolled to reveal that Jennifer Saunders wrote the screenplay.

I remember Keith Lemon:The Film getting panned by the critics and public, this is easily as bad or worse!

The celebrity cameo's in this movie were embarrassing to watch and they will surely regret there decisions to be in this once they see it for themselves. And the non "celebrity" actors/actresses involved seemed as if they were pulled off the street, very amateur and over the top, like Edina's granddaughter Lola for example.

The movie felt sooo cheap considering the glamour involved with the characters. Patsy and Edina did the best they could to wring laughs from every situation but it just didn't work...i just can't believe Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley went through with this without some sort of clearer plan to make it a fun movie at least even if it wasn't as laugh-out-loud, i mean there TV shows were all well made! It felt like it was trying to be a American comedy movie in its form but it came across more like those cheap and nasty cash-in American spoof movies like Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, etc., which you would probably get more laughs from tbh.

In an audience of about 30 people there was only a few slight giggles from a couple of people throughout the whole film which isn't really enough to qualify as a comedy success sorry to say. I watched Central Intelligence last week and that had the same audience reaction BUT it was a fun movie and i left with a smile on my face so i gave that an average 6/10, just for the fun factor.

I liked the Absolutely Fabulous trailer so all i can say is if you like the trailer then just be prepared for that to be the best thing about this whole project.

1/10

I Loved It...but the Bubble Burst!

[WarrenPiecz · 6/10 · 25 December 2016]

It started very slowly, and at first I was really worried that this was nothing but a cash grab...after they "killed" Kate Moss, though, it really took off! In lieu of a "review", I've got bullet points:

*Stella McCartney was totally hilarious, but only if you know your Beatles

*It saddens me to say, but the least funny person in this film is...BUBBLE??? Let me put it this way - in "AF:tM", she is the equivalent of Jack Black in "Tropic Thunder"

*Saffy's tirade is hysterically funny...but only if you watched the series

*I recognized Barry Humphries in his 2 seconds as Dame Edna, but NOT as Charles...I didn't realize it until the credits

*I LOVED the homage to "Some Like it Hot"!!

only for fans

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 4 April 2017]

Eddy (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) are still the same. Marshall is getting transgender surgery and cutting off the house payments. Lola is staying with her mother Saffy at the house. Of course, mother and Bubble are still around. Eddy's book deal falls through. She's desperate to get Kate Moss as a client but ends up pushing her into the Thames. With Kate Moss feared dead, Patsy loses her job and the girls escape to the south of France with Lola. Patsy is looking to marry rich Charlie from the old days.

Expanding a TV show into a theatrical movie is not always an easy task. The laugh track is gone. Even the old kitchen is gone. Like Entourage, this tries to fill up the empty spaces with cameos. Some are fine like Stella McCartney, Lulu, and Baby Spice who are all veterans of the show. Kate Moss is a good MacGuffin. However, the big screen is simply too big for the show. The best moments are the sharp jabs from the show's regulars. Eddy and Patsy fighting with Saffy is comfort food. Instead of trying to go bigger, it really should concentrate on the characters and their relationships.

Lots of fun.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 17 July 2016]

Now I think it's fair to say there isn't exactly a phenomenal success rate transforming sitcoms into movies, with the Office looming, it looks like a new trend. The main question I guess, does An Fab the movie hit the spot? The answer is yes to some extent, as a die hard fan it's helped fill the void since the last run ended. I imagine the world of PR is about getting celebritied up, and that's exactly how the film felt. More A Listers then you could shake a stick at, including the beautiful Kate Moss, as well as the usual series favourites, laughed at seeing the characters i guess for the memories they conjured up, such as the nurse, Marshall and Bo. Patsy and Edina provided the usual laughs and chaos, and the group of friends I saw it with all concurred, laughs for fun and sentimentality.

A film I very much looked forward to hugely and enjoyed, but please team bring us another TV series. One word on Joanna Lumley's figure, wow!!!

Not so Fabulous

[SpoilerAlertReviews · 4/10 · 3 July 2016]

Eddie and Patsy returns, the super smash hit comedy TV directed British TV comedy director, Mandie Fletcher who directed a few of the 47 episodes spanning twenty years, a few of Desmond's, some Blackadder, loads of Brush Strokes and most recently, a couple of Miranda's.

Comedy extraordinaire Jennifer Saunders writes her first screenplay off the back of a £100,000 bet with partner in crime Dawn French, but apparently at page 35, the rest just reads "blah blah blah..." Actually showing her comedy brilliance. I do wonder if Frenchie paid up.

All the key characters are there, Press Gang's Julia Sawalha, inflatable wearing Jane Horrocks' Bubble, June Whitfield actually turning 90 during filming and Kathy Burke reprises her role as the outrageously demanding Magda. Singer superstar Lulu, Spice Girl Emma Bunton, Peep Show's Robert Webb and Glee's Chris Colfer joins the cast.

Joanna Lumley still looks incredible for 70 (sorry JL!) but 70! Wow! Her Patsy character has always been my favourite and she seems to gets the most laughs. Saunders reprises her Edina without fault and I sometimes find it hard to remember what she's like in real life, expecting her to be Eddie full time.

The film introduces a young Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness this possibly being her acting debut which unfortunately shows. She's not bad but isn't convincing. Little else is known about her and I wonder how she got the part of Saffy's daughter.

There's plenty of product placement and branding, cameos galore, more cameos than actually extras and cast I think, many of them from the fashion world that I don't particular acknowledge, oh! Stella McCarthy. Who I do know is Joan Collins, Graham Norton, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Jerry Hall and even Dame Edna and a Timmy Mallet plus many more! Having such a long list of regal cameos proves it's for the older fans as I doubt many of these silver stars would be recognised by a younger generation. Then again, there's some sweeties for the kids, Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaid Aussie star Rebel Wilson, who's a massive fan of AF and begged to be in the film before hitting her own stardom; and of course Game of Thrones' Brienne of Tarth, the mighty Gwendoline Christie.

As expected, it has a silly story and a funny script. Eddie, hitting an all time low, runs out of money, kills Kate Moss and earns the hatred of the fashion world. Resulting in the duo to elope to the French Riviera. Quite a lot happens in the long 90 minute run time and is a little, all over the place, even for a comedy.

Nothing much of a soundtrack, and I was expecting more but it does suit the TV series. Just shame as many of these TV-to-film seem to take advantage and give themselves a decent soundtrack album. Didn't even notice anything of Jake Monaco's score.

Just wasn't funny enough, but maybe that's just me as a couple of people in the packed out audience just couldn't stop laughing. It's starts on a roll and then loses traction. I think my one time laugh-out-loud moment was Saffy's short but beautiful cursing rant and Patsy's reaction. Joanna Lumley was absolutely fabulous darling!

Running Time: 4 The Cast: 8 Performance: 6 Direction: 6 Story: 5 Script: 3 Creativity: 4 Soundtrack: 4 Job Description: 3 The Extra Bonus Points: 0

43% 4/10

Quite simply absolutely fabulous!

[mad_mandonna · 8/10 · 1 July 2016]

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!

It's only really bad if you paid $12 to see it in the theater

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 22 August 2017]

"Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie" from 2016 stars Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley - who else - and the rest of the cast from the TV show.

Edwina (Saunders) is accused of pushing Kate Moss into the river, and probably killing her, during a party. Then Edwina and Patsy are afraid they've killed Bubble (Jane Horrocks) in yet another drowning, so they decide to leave the country. There is already a nationwide search for Edwina for Kate Moss' murder. They go to Cannes, taking Saffy's daughter Lola with them because she has credit cards. Patsy's plan is to look up a wealthy beau (Barry Humphries) from years ago and convince him to get married. Things take a decided left turn.

There are many funny things in this movie - it's really for fans of the show, and if you're British it's even better, because many of the guest stars are famous in Britain and not here.

If I'd paid $12 to see this, I would have been mighty disappointed, so I can understand the bad reviews. The cast is terrific, it was wonderful to see them all again, and Edwina's speech at the end is priceless. The guest stars don't add much, and as a feature film, it doesn't make it.

This is a slightly longer TV episode with lots of guest stars thrown in, and that's about it.

Absolutely Rubbish

[jb07-660-944395 · 1/10 · 15 August 2016]

If Edina and Patsy had come up with a get rich quick scheme which allowed them to do basically nothing, and have a free trip to Cannes, then I'm guessing they would have written a movie like this.

Absolutely no thought or labor went into the writing of the script, which relies heavily on the appearances of famous people throughout the movie to try and make it interesting.

There is a brief glimmer of entertainment when Barry Humphries makes little more than a cameo, but apart from that, this movie would rate lower than their worst ever T.V. episode.

In a way I feel like I've been sucked in to giving Patsy and Edina my hard earned money just to watch them do nothing in return. Is this the true form of art imitating life?

Bland, but amusing.

[kamikaze-4 · 5/10 · 29 December 2016]

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.

Not that great

[bbewnylorac · 6/10 · 7 August 2016]

I loved the Ab Fab TV series. I still love it. But I didn't find this movie that funny. I could take it or leave it. It's not bad. The celebrity appearances are great. My favourites include Barry Humphries as an old, obscenely rich, sleazy former lover of Patsy's from the 1970s who she discovers is still picking up the gold digging young ladies in the south of France. And Jean-Paul Gaultier looks gleeful with his little role as a scavenger combing London river banks with a metal detector and re-selling on e-Bay the designer wares he finds. Rebel Wilson is funny as a campy airline hostess, and model Kate Moss also gives an affectionately satirical turn as, well, herself. Joanna Lumley as washed out magazine editor Patsy Stone is still very funny. The problem, perhaps, is that other main characters, especially Saffy (Julia Sawalha) and her mother, Eddie (Jennifer Saunders), haven't changed. Saffy does have a love interest, but she soon reverts to the irritatingly prim daughter she's always been. Although I did love the scene when she goes to a drag club to find Eddie's stylist -- it's quite touching. Eddie's secretary Bubble (Jane Horrocks) at least gets a more sinister edge to her character, but Eddie's mother (June Whitfield) gets lines that are too scatty and meaningless. I think fans will love this movie, but otherwise it's not a classic.

absolutely awful

[m_a-62756 · 1/10 · 26 August 2016]

I did not hear a laugh throughout the movie theater. I only stayed for 30mins I felt I could be having more laughs at our local ambulance depot went home depressed from spending $32.00 (2 of us) this is a real shocker of a movie. it just ain't funny and you cringe because you are so embarrassed for them. Maybe they desperately need the money, and thought we will jump on the ole gravy train we are all typecast anyhow. should of wrapped it up at the end of series one when at least it was funny,its kinda sad to see such a mass of brilliant English talent plus a pile of money be wasted on this pathetic vehicle. really if I were any of them I would be so embarrassed and so they should be. it really is absolutely awful

Has its moments but very hit and miss

[grantss · 6/10 · 23 June 2017]

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.

Absolutely Atrocious

[g_burns-457-890206 · 1/10 · 2 July 2016]

So, how can I put this?

This movie was just awful. I mean, I laughed once. ONCE. And that was more because of the laugh from the guy sitting in the theater, seriously...I loved that guys laugh.

Anyway this whole thing was pure nonsense. Terrible plot, terrible forced "jokes", cameos from tired B-list and Z-list celebrities everywhere to fill time, regurgitated tripe that's already been done in the TV show a million times...

I might also add that I had a nap for 15mins before the final scene.

Just don't bother "dahling"!

Quite funny

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 23 May 2018]

Our two protagonists are still struggling to maintain an actively dissolute lifestyle on an increasingly minimal budget when a major opportunity raises its head. And then it all goes horribly wrong...

For the benefit of our US and worldwide friends, Absolutely Fabulous (or AbFab, as it became known) was a BBC sitcom which ran for 41 episodes from 1992, though with some lengthy gaps between series. Written by Jennifer Saunders, she also played Edina Monsoon, an amoral and self-centred PR representative, mostly accompanied by Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley), an equally self-centred and perpetually drunk and drugged ex-model.

I'll offer up a confession: I watched very little of AbFab on TV as I didn't care for the main characters and consequently didn't find the series very funny. I wasn't particularly looking forward to the movie, which I saw in a fairly full cinema with a mature audience. Who laughed a lot. As did I.

Jennifer Saunders has broadened the appeal of the series by taking it out of the small TV studio locations: the final third of the film takes place in the South of France. Eddie and Patsy remain motivated solely by greed and selfishness (and Julia Sawalha as Eddie's daughter Saffy plays her conscience, as usual), but there is sufficient material here to make it clear that their lifestyle doesn't actually enhance their quality of life, and that Eddie may occasionally glimpse that this is the case.

There is a decent story here - based on silliness admittedly, but it works - with some solid laughs: verbal, as well as some good knockabout humour. And there are a host of celebrity cameos from fashion and showbiz, ranging from blink and you'll miss 'em to rather more extended cameos (Lulu as herself, amusingly, delivers all her dialogue in broad Glaswegian).

I enjoyed this rather more than I expected to, although I expect that it will not travel terribly well.

Absolutely watchable, but not all that fabulous (for AbFab first timers, anyway!)

[nathannicolarobertscouk · 5/10 · 6 July 2016]

Don't get me wrong, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is watchable, and in places, enjoyable film. You cannot argue that is is entertaining but a film perhaps suited to a made-for- television release opposed to a theatrical run (similar to last year's The Lady in The Van, although I look back on that film feeling that I was too harsh in my judgement and I have warmed to it on successive viewings). I'm sure it will please fans seeing Edina and Patsy back together but I'm unsure whether it was needed or executed to the best of its ability, knowing the talent involved, if not the series or characters. Maybe this would be better on television, in the form of a few specials, as it doesn't quite warrant a cinema visit to the non-fans (but hey, we should always try and support our British Film industry so I won't promote my opinion too loudly).

Please check out my full review of the film, and be sure to let me know what you thought of the movie!

FULL REVIEW: http://goo.gl/qFXYrQ

Ignore the reviews - It's brilliant

[TE07304 · 8/10 · 30 May 2023]

I must say, I'm perplexed by the negative reviews of this film. As a longtime major fan of the television series, I was reluctant to watch the film because I didn't want to cringe with disappointment. But once I finally decided to watch it, I LOVED it and immediately watched it again (plus a few times since).

Film critics are entitled to their own opinions, of course, but I think some viewers didn't really "get it." First of all, the film is a brilliant pastiche of several classic films, ranging from the obvious (James Bond; Some Like It Hot; Thelma and Louise) to the more subtle. (For example, Jennifer Saunders flips a famous quote from the Empire Strikes Back by having Saffy say, "I love you," to which Lola replies, "Thanks.")

Second, the film is full of jokes that I personally find hilarious, such as referring to a publishing company as "Random Penguin" (ostensibly a merger of Random House and Penguin); having Jean-Paul Gaultier discover Kate Moss while dumpster-diving on the beach with a metal detector; Rebel Wilson as a brassy flight attendant on Budget Airlines (pronounced boo-JAY); and Llewella Gideon's return as Edina's insulting beautician.

Third, the film's production value is very high. The cinematography is beautiful, and many of the costumes are stunning (particularly Edina's and Bubbles' outfits in the final scene). The soundtrack is wonderful, from Nancy Sinatra to a glam version of "Wheels on Fire" by Kylie Minogue.

I don't know what viewers were expecting; Jennifer Saunders would probably describe her own writing as instinctive as "just having a good time," but in fact it is sophisticated, exquisitely subtle, and postmodern in its intertextuality and moments of surrealism. Perhaps it isn't dumbed-down enough for today's dulled viewership -- but this reviewer thinks it's Absolutely Fabulous.

AbSad

[Unknownian · 2 April 2017]

I own every DVD of every AbFab show, and I still enjoy them today as I did when they were on BBC. I wish I could rate this a 10, but I am being extremely generous rating it a 6.

What went wrong: Jennifer Saunders wrote a weak script devoid of the essence that made the show what it was in the 90s. It actually started out pretty good. It opens at a fashion catwalk show, and the stumbling duo make a funny entrance. The film kept up that tone until Kate Moss lands in the water.

Then, it's like we are watching another movie. Saunders reverts to a strong story-line, and the movie begins to go south from there on. The original show was never so much about the story as it was about the interaction between the cast members, the situations they found themselves in, (like in the Courtroom after being busted for something usually relating to drugs) as well as the slapstick antics pulled off by the fidgety, head shaking Saunders and the tramp, her pal Lumley; both were on a 24 hour buzz from the 70s, consuming every drug in the universe 24/7 to the point where walking was a full time job I felt Lumley seemed to 'try too hard' in this film, to the point of appearing nasty.

My main problem with the film is the fact that the two lead characters were heartless and cruel. They think they may have drowned Bubble while using her to find Kate moss in the Thames River. They drag her along on a rope, submerged in the river. After the rope brakes, Patsy says "Don't worry about it, they'll never trace it back to us". Edna agrees and smiles with no remorse as to the possible death of her friend and secretary. This attitude plays through the entire movie, especially with Patsy appearing completely heartless. If you can't like your lead characters, you can't like the movie. Being crazy is one thing, being heartless, and nasty is another.

Of course we can't ever forget about Bubble (Edna's PA). I haven't decided whether she was under utilized in this installment, or out to lunch. Either way, it was disappointing to me, because she was one of my favorite characters on the TV show. She's in the movie, but her role just wasn't as as funny or unique as it was in the series.

I also thought Saunders overdid the Botox. She was almost expressionless and appeared to be plastic with little of her former energy. When she fell out of her car as she did a thousand times in the TV show, we laughed. Now, it looked like it hurt, and it seemed difficult for her to do. Perhaps she was actually too fat at this point in her life, to comfortably play her fat self character Edna.

The direction by Mandie Fletcher was embarrassing to watch. The script played out so convoluted, and disjointed, it might have been directed by Barnum and Bailey. However, the HD cinematography was spectacular, colorful, and beautiful to watch; the wardrobe was glorious, and so were locations chosen for the film.

Also on the plus side, it was great to see the old gang back together again, and a special shout out to June Whitfield, who at 92 years of age, gave the best performance of the lot, and had lost none of her character's essence. Her performance, along with Julia Sawalha's surprising singing abilities, were bonus surprises that I truly enjoyed.

I really hate to see AbFab go out like this, but you reap what you sew, and Saunders fell a bit short of being a master seamstress in this attempt at a modern day AbFab. However, I'm still glad she made the film. The visuals were enough to save it.

I will always love them, but this movie wasn't necessary.

[koen_smit · 7/10 · 3 September 2016]

I am a big fan of the series, often peed my pants laughing because of the quality comedy of the two leads and everyone around them. So with that in mind I was a bit scared to go watch the movie, as we have been served movies-from-TV-shows and they are seldom a good addition to the archive. If you haven't seen the series, don't bother watching the movie, you will not understand it if you don't already know the characters.

Of course there are a lot of jokes and some reference to the series and Edina and Patsy are still absolutely fabulous. We get served a lot of characters from the series and things go extremely south rather quickly, like the series. Some slapstick from Patsy made me laugh out really loud in the cinema.

Because it's a movie everything is bigger: the sets are bigger, the story is bigger (is Kate Moss really dead?), the cast is bigger etc. About the latter: at a certain moment you are just waiting for the next cameo, it gets distracting. And there are quite some continuity mistakes, that always distracts me too.

What seems to be the problem is by making everything bigger, they seem to have forgotten what the strongest part of the series was: the dialogues or monologues with the bitchy remarks back and forth. I missed that. There are some, but not enough, it feels like they had to make way for yet another fabulous set or for the faster pace of the story. Pity.

All in all, I will always love them, but this movie wasn't necessary. For their effort and for the opportunity to get a bit more Absolutely Fabulous, 7 out of 10. But I'm being really kind.

Absolutely Rubbish

[cindersj · 1/10 · 6 July 2016]

This is the worst movie I have seen in a long time. There is no plot. The characters smoke, drink and drug take all the way through whilst supposedly finding ways of making money to continue in their shallow existence. There is no wit or humour, just cringe worthy moments. Perhaps if you had a few glasses of wine before you go it would improve your enjoyment.

I don't usually comment on movies I've been to see but I was so amazed that someone would actually fund this pile of rubbish I felt I had to warn others.

I actually felt quite insulted that the powers that be thought they could churn this rubbish out and women would feel entertained! I used to quite enjoy Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley in the other projects they have been involved in but it has really put me off them. Was their judgement so skewed that they actually thought this move would be entertaining!!

The only saving grace is the scenery in the South of France which was beautiful.