The first two seasons of Downton Abbey were fantastic--because there was a meaningful story going on. I won't get into what it was to avoid spoilers, but whenever I recommend the series its always due to those first two seasons.
The later seasons are varying degrees of bad. Yes, the cinematography, setting, costumes and music are consistently well-done throughout the series, but the stories and their pacing are a complete fail.
The same problem exists with the movie. There are too many storylines. And none of them are particularly interesting because they're shallow--there's no build up, no emotional engagement with any of it. The writer's should have picked one thing and stuck with it. As a result the movie feels like I'm watching a very long trailer--and a very boring one at that.
The later seasons are varying degrees of bad. Yes, the cinematography, setting, costumes and music are consistently well-done throughout the series, but the stories and their pacing are a complete fail.
The same problem exists with the movie. There are too many storylines. And none of them are particularly interesting because they're shallow--there's no build up, no emotional engagement with any of it. The writer's should have picked one thing and stuck with it. As a result the movie feels like I'm watching a very long trailer--and a very boring one at that.