Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie [2016] brings Eddie (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley), from the hit TV series of the same name, back together for an adventure bigger and better than ever. After accidentally killing Kate Moss at a party and causing a media maelstrom, the two ladies must go on the run from the law.
Sweetie, Darling: Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie brings back all of the much-loved characters from the TV series. Along with the lovable, untameable Eddie and Patsy, comes Eddie’s long-suffering daughter, Saffy (Julia Sawalha), Eddie’s ditsy mother (June Whitfield) and Eddie’s useless assistant Bubble (Jane Horrocks). They’re all familiar faces for fans of the show, and it’s good to see them all back together, along with the fresh face of Saffy’s daughter Lola, (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) who was still a baby at the TV series’ end. The joy of this movie comes from seeing all of the familiar faces back on screen and preparing for the ridiculous shenanigans that must inevitably ensue.
Name Dropping: The movie also brings a whole host of familiar faces to the screen in an entirely different way. The name dropping is extreme, with cameos from Kate Moss, Gwendolyn Christie (of Game of Thrones glory) and Jon Hamm, being just the tip of the iceberg. While it starts off fun, recognizing all of the names and faces, it soon gets old. It begins to feel less like a movie and more like a night on the red carpet.
Absolutely Ridiculous: The comedy of Absolutely Fabulous has always been in the celebration of the silly. It’s ridiculous and it’s supposed to be, but the transition from TV to cinema has not been a pretty one. The fun and the comedy that works so well in a 45-minute episode doesn’t translate well to a full-length feature, and the movie just seems to venture into more and more ridiculous scenarios, while becoming less and less amusing. Don’t get me wrong, the shenanigans of these fabulous ladies can still be wildly funny, but it’s far better in small doses.
While Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie certainly packs in a few laughs,
it doesn’t quite live up to the standard set by the TV series.
