The main event in the life of every aristocrat is the reception of the reigning monarch in the ancestral home. However, in a series of exquisite receptions and social ceremonies, one of the inhabitants of the luxurious mansion prepares an attempt on the king’s life.
4k movies reviews
The full-length film “Downton Abbey” is a beautiful but essentially unnecessary sequel to the iconic series.
The intrinsic quality does not cheat it this time either. The quality of the production, the sets, the costumes, the acting is traditionally at a high level, and the opening music, as before, creates an atmosphere of pleasant anticipation.
The movie is intended exclusively for fans of the series, and for those who remember both the characters and the events quite well, because there are simply no leads, introductions, or explanations. A viewer unfamiliar with the TV source will not understand a thing, but, let’s face it, the series is not intended for outsiders. It is a reunion of old friends after a slightly prolonged separation.
On the whole, the movie is more about atmosphere than events. That beauty and solemnity, along with the coziness and positive charisma of most of the characters, evoke simple but pleasant emotions from the viewer. We rejoice in their small victories, worry a little for them in moments of difficulty, laugh at the jokes, and admire the conservative grandeur of the old manor.
The events themselves, however, are somewhat local in nature, and even the arrival of the monarchs on the Grantham estate serves more as an occasion for the general flywheel of events than as the center of what is going on. Drawing its narrative style directly from the series, the film devotes screen time to almost every character, giving them a few lines, brief adventures, and largely insignificant actions. Unlike a full-fledged, stand-alone movie, we will not see the development of the characters, their metamorphosis as the story progresses, after all, as there is no such climax here either. Perhaps if the plot had concentrated around a few main characters, giving them more space for action, the overall narrative would have only benefited.
You get the feeling throughout the movie that it’s just another episode like the Christmas specials at the end of the show’s seasons. The movie ends in exactly the same state of affairs as it begins, except for a few exceptions, which only underscores the rule. At this rate, if the box office proves successful, another sequel could be waiting for us in a few years.
In the end, it has all the best things we love about “Downton Abbey” as a series, but it clearly lacks what makes it a full-length feature film.
Nevertheless, there is a chance for devoted fans to revisit a little bit of the old home in England.
Info Blu-ray
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265 (70.0 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
English: Dolby TrueHD with Dolby Atmos 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
German: Dolby TrueHD with Dolby Atmos 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: DTS 5.1
Subtitles
English SDH, German, Italian.
