Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

Name: Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Released: July 22, 2016
Duration: 91 min
Rating: 59
Cast: Jane Horrocks, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha

2016

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Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Ratings

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4.8

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4.8	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Ratings

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Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

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Movie Details & Credits

Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: July 22, 2016 | R

Starring: Jane Horrocks, Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha

Summary: Edina and Patsy are still oozing glitz and glamor, living the high life they are accustomed to; shopping, drinking and clubbing their way around London's trendiest hot-spots. Blamed for a major incident at an uber fashionable launch party, they become entangled in a media storm and are relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi. FleeingEdina and Patsy are still oozing glitz and glamor, living the high life they are accustomed to; shopping, drinking and clubbing their way around London's trendiest hot-spots. Blamed for a major incident at an uber fashionable launch party, they become entangled in a media storm and are relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi. Fleeing penniless to the glamorous playground of the super-rich, the French Riviera, they hatch a plan to make their escape permanent and live the high life forever more!… Expand

Director: Mandie Fletcher

Genre(s): Comedy, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 91 min

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Critic Reviews

IndieWire Jude Dry

Jul 25, 2016

"Absolutely Fabulous” captures the irreverent fun of the series using an appropriately absurd plot device and does not read like a tired excuse to put the characters back in a room together. Read full review

Katie Rife

Jul 20, 2016

Overall Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is as shallow as a puddle of Dom Pérignon spilled on the bow of a luxury yacht. That’s the joke, you see. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Nick Allen

Jul 22, 2016

It's more fulfilling to the soul than appetite, but the indulgence — if not the brief escape — is an inestimable perk. Read full review

Connie Ogle

Jul 7, 2016

Absolutely Fabulous works best consumed bite-sized; there’s not enough here to warrant a full-length movie. Too much feels like padding. Read full review

Kate Stables

Jul 4, 2016

It’s Carry On Up The Catwalk with TV’s favourite fashionistas. The perfect girl’s night out for the Mamma Mia crowd. Read full review

The Playlist Gregory Ellwood

Jul 21, 2016

For all the film’s faults, Saunders and Lumley still bring an addictive energy to the screen that finds you wanting more. Read full review

Mike Scott

Jul 22, 2016

The problem is that there's nothing of substance to hold together those occasionally fun moments of often-grotesque absurdity. Read full review

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User Reviews

adrenilinmatt

May 7, 2019

Just like the series, cant understand all the hate. This is lighthearted fun and you people are trying to judge it like its trying to be high art. The movie is very like the tv show, all of our favorite characters return, how can you dislike this? Saffys rant is hilarious and our twoJust like the series, cant understand all the hate. This is lighthearted fun and you people are trying to judge it like its trying to be high art. The movie is very like the tv show, all of our favorite characters return, how can you dislike this? Saffys rant is hilarious and our two favorite idiots are as good as ever. What's not to love? Absolutely fabulous.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

marcmyworks

Jul 26, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honest to god this film made me laugh out loud. A lot of the laughs are inside jokes for die-hard fans and though most of the film sparkles there are scenes placed there solely for the sake of celebrity cameos. I did enjoy the movie however the ending did feel a little rushed and not enough drama took place. Lets hope its not the end for Patsy and Eddie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TVJerry

Jul 25, 2016

The decadent duo (Jennifer Saunders & Joanna Lumley) pick up right where the TV show left off: still staggering thru life glamorous and wasted. Edina's scheme to woo Kate Moss as a client ends in disaster and an escape to the French Riviera. If you're a fan of the movie you'll appreciateThe decadent duo (Jennifer Saunders & Joanna Lumley) pick up right where the TV show left off: still staggering thru life glamorous and wasted. Edina's scheme to woo Kate Moss as a client ends in disaster and an escape to the French Riviera. If you're a fan of the movie you'll appreciate that most things are exactly the same: the family is back, their habits haven't changed and the humor ranges from clever to broad to absurd. There are dozens of cameos, but if you're not up on English pop culture many may go unappreciated. The costumes are wonderfully over the top. Other than a parade of celebs, nothing about the big screen version is stepped up…just more semi-outrageous antics from the women who made it fun to be degenerate.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 28, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I found this film more obnoxious, certainly in the first half, than funny. The plot was pretty weak but then I assumed that would be the case. It improved in terms of comedy in the 2nd half of the film but frankly by that point, it was lucky I hadn't given up watching it. The first half seemed to be trying a bit too much to be seen to be really up to date in terms of IT girl culture, fashion, popular culture and the like. Of course its not to be taken at all seriously but it just seemed a bit too over the top and barely watchable for too long for my liking. The Absolutely Fabulous characters always were characters your not supposed to especially feel sorry for, well suprisingly(!) this is very much still the case. I think if the plot pace had been a bit slicker, a bit faster so to speak, it may have been better.

One of the more slightly amusing scenes is set on a budget airline when the 2 main characters board, waiting to travel to France. Rebel Wilson appears as a DNB (do nothing b***), welcoming everyone on board, where she says 'welcome to budget airways - where our only tossers are our baggage handlers' and 'there's no first class, just first arse in every seat' - comedy Gold, I'm sure you'll agree(!) well I thought it was mildly amusing.

While the first half of the film is somewhat louder and faster (not so much in terms of plot pace but in terms of environment/scenarios, with music and the like), its a bit calmer once set in France and I found it more entertaining, although it by no means was amazing, just a bit less in your face, less desperately (trying too hard) to impress. As you can probably imagine, it features quite a large amount of cheese. If you've seen the TV series then you'll have a rough idea what to expect, although i wouldn't say this film is better than the TV series.

A bit later on in the film and I noticed it features strong colourful lighting in the scenes set in France, making it look like a bit of a comic book - its all a bit exaggerated but then I suppose thats 'Ab Fab' for you, as its known as.

Would I recommend it?. Its slightly amusing, so if it comes on TV then it may be worth a watch but only if your a big fan of the show and/or cast but for the most part. There are some fairly funny moments but their spread quite wide apart and you have to sit through a sadly bland and not entertaining first half of the film to get to the more amusing moments, so overall I wouldn't recommend you go out of your way to see it, no. Its somewhere between poor to ok-ish.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AlanCabezas

Jul 31, 2016

First let me say that Jennifer Saunders is a brilliant actor and comedian. She is a brilliant comic writer. Which is why it is so sad to see her talents not realized in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie. There was such an urgency to include too much that there were so many missed opportunitiesFirst let me say that Jennifer Saunders is a brilliant actor and comedian. She is a brilliant comic writer. Which is why it is so sad to see her talents not realized in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie. There was such an urgency to include too much that there were so many missed opportunities for the film to have any real meaning. Gloria Bing could have lost Kate Moss as a client and Eddy and Gloria could have had a battle of butt kissing that would have been hilarious. On the plane, they could have thought they had first class tickets, sat down in FC, be treated llike royalty until it is discovered they are on the wrong plane and are forced to fly a low cost carrier and sit with whinny kids, a person with BO, etc. They could have employed their Little Britain friends to do the Come Fly With Me characters.There should have been a confrontation between Safron and Patsy. The police chasing Patsy and Eddy should have been drawn out and comical. Leaving Safron's daughter at the hotel to work as a maid should have been as meaningful as when Patsy sold Saffy in Morocco. They should have been detained at the airport for Patsy's suspicious items and had her inspected to where she enjoys it. A bomb threat at the airport or a fire alarm provides their escape or something from the airport. The one Patsy was going to marry should have been drawn out. Patsy gets to go to bed with him and dies in the middle of love making or something, spoiling their plans. She steals what she can from the house and makes a get away. When she marries the richest woman, she has to put a strap-on and doesn't know how to use. A comical scene could happen when she uses other items - a banana, a shoe, something funny. Before leaving for France, "Tickets, money, passport" was missing. Again, failed opportunities. I love AbFab and Jenifer Saunders which is why I was so disappointed with the movie. Too many failed opportunities.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JyroJyro

Aug 30, 2017

I'm genuinely surprised this film made it past the editing studio. Forced jokes, shallow characters and cringe worthy acting from the ageing cast. 'Absolutely' awful.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

foxgrove

Jul 22, 2016

A belated spin off from the beloved TV series spawned in the early 90’s that ran out of steam long before the concluding series. This charmless and unfunny re-incarnation falls far short of the high standards initially set by the early TV instalments and doesn’t even reach the level of a lowA belated spin off from the beloved TV series spawned in the early 90’s that ran out of steam long before the concluding series. This charmless and unfunny re-incarnation falls far short of the high standards initially set by the early TV instalments and doesn’t even reach the level of a low brow ‘Carry On’ film. The story is almost non-existent and scenes with potential are not allowed to develop beyond a punchline or funny joke, most of which fail miserably anyhow. Slapstick is the order of the day and the results are pathetic. Characters, like Bubble and Saffron, who were irritating anyway are just downright annoying here. Equally the positive roster of guest stars including Joan Collins, Christopher Biggins Barry Humphries and Lulu have all seen better parts and, indeed, better days. Thank god for Joanna Lumley who even with such dismal material still manages to make meals out of less than witty throw aways. Sadly, though, even she has to keep the choke out to prevent her motor from stalling. Ultimately, like the refrigerators discovered to be empty of champagne, this big screen misfire lacks any fizz.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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