REVIEW: Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

Kate Moss is CHANGING HER PR! 

After Dad's Army (previously reviewed on this site) the next uber popular TV series to get the movie revival treatment is Jennifer Saunder's classic British sit-com, Absolutely Fabulous. For the fans of the show it's more of the same, but for everyone else that's where it stays.

The movie starts with Edina Monsoon living the high life in London in a posh house resplendent with a swimming pool and swanky décor. However, she falls on hard times when her sources of revenue dry up and now needs some money desperately. When eternal best friend Patsy arrives to cause her usual chaos, comedy ensues. Older and less wiser, the infamous duo hatch a plan when Patsy finds out supermodel Kate Moss needs a new PR person. Believing she is right for the job, Eddie goes to the do and tries to speak with Kate. As usual chaos ensues and she knocks Kate off the ledge she was sat on and into the Thames below. After a frantic search Kate is nowhere to be seen, and believing her dead, Eddie has the finger pointed at her for what happened. Cue a movie that involves escaping to a foreign country (France actually) as these two go on the run.

The story is simple and the movie is peppered with the great and the good from both the fashion industry and British TV - and nearly every scene has a cameo in it. It's great to see Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones Brianne/Capt. Phasma from Star Wars) as her original talent at being a model (even someone shouts out that there's Brianne from GoT!) and other people besides.

Absolutely Fabulous was a great innovative TV show in the 1990's and I watch many of the episodes. This movie is just like an elongated episode with a bigger budget but the similar premises and characters. Although it is generally amusing, there weren't many laugh out loud moments and I felt that some of it was a bit too daft. It seemed like something Jennifer Saunders had to do - and it felt like she just got all of her famous friends together to have a laugh without anything too deep or meaning full. The best parts are where Patsy (Joanna Lumley) leads everyone astray and you are never sure what she will do next.

Overall, it is mildly amusing and has some great cameos, but the TV series is much better.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is out at all good cinemas now

POPSCORE: 5.5/10

What am I talking about? Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie movie
Where can I find out more? http://www.absolutelyfabulousthemovie.co.uk/
If you liked this try: Absolutely Fabulous (TV Series), Bridesmaids, anything by Reeves & Mortimer

Anything else?

Dawn French appears on a TV show in the film, and she used to work with Jennifer Saunders as comedy duo French & Saunders.
Rebel Wilson (Fat Amy from Pitch Perfect) plays an air hostess in the movie - and is absolutely hilarious.

REVIEW: Divergent Series: Allegiant

With the whole Young Adult (YA) dystopia trend in full swing now, The Divergent Series : Allegiant is coming hot on the heels of the Hunger Games conclusion. Based on the third book in the Divergent trilogy; this movie has not only been changed from the book but also, as would be expected, been chopped into two parts. However not diluting the whole shebang into parts one and two, the clever boffins at the studio have instead decided to call it the Divergent Series and give part two it's own title too. So for the readers of the book - well they are confused. As for the people who just watch the movies - they think it'll just be like a Twilight style quadrilogy. Thing is... Is it any good?

It's a good sign that all the original cast return to continue on with the franchise. Shailene Woodley reprises her role as Tris, looking as cute as ever. Theo James is the brooding Four, who really doesn't have that much to do this time around except get frustrated and be eye candy for the girls. Some whippersnapper takes over the Eric type role and Miles Teller is back as mouthy Peter. Backing up the rest is Naomi Watts as Fours mom and Tris's brother Caleb who is about as as much of a liability as a 1980's Dr Who assistant. The newcomers include one Jeff Daniels as the solo named David who gets to dress Tris up in white and spend a lot of time talking with her.

Now I must say I'm a massive fan of the books. It's been a long time since it's taken for me to really get emotionally involved with a series of books like this. I love Tris and Four (as characters and as a couple) and I love Veronica Roth's writing (and the books as a whole). The story overall is fantastic and therefore I was excited to be seeing this on the big screen. However; although, now settled into their roles and the actors do a grand job, the film isn't really that good. 

I don't know whether this is down to my expectations from the book or what but it seems like there's a lot of talking and a lot of running about. To me, it suffers from that which other "part ones" that have gone before it - in that the source is one book; one story and they want to two part it. But the actual source only probably stretches for about a movie and a half. You want the big reveal in part two so part one has to be stretched out to accommodate movie length. So, like Harry Potter, Twilight and especially Hunger Games, the part one contains much needless filler and waffle to pad it out ready for the next one. Strangely the movie just ends with no sort of pointer to say they will be making another one. 

For those that have read the books - you will have seen most of it in this movie but the changes mean that if there was such a sequel coming next year, we won't have a clue what they will be doing unless they pretty much recycle this story (if they are following the book timeline). 

Overall the cast do a decent job but this movie just doesn't quite get there. It tries but fails. Probably the worst one so far but here's hoping it picks up in the next, and final, instalment. As a Divergent fan I'm hoping this is the case.

Divergent Series: Allegiant is out now.

POPSCORE: 6/10