The Grand Finale’ Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Grand?
Partial poster for “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.”
Focus Features
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the end of the Downton Abbey film and television saga, opens in theaters this weekend.
Directed by Simon Curtis and written by Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday. The official summary for the film reads, “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the cinematic return of the global phenomenon, follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s.
“When Mary (Michelle Dockery) finds herself at the center of a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble, the entire household grapples with the threat of social disgrace. The Crawleys must embrace change as the staff prepares for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future.”
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale also stars a massive ensemble cast, including Simon Russell Beale, Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Paul Giamatti, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol, Alessandro Nivola, Dominic West, Penelope Wilton, Arty Froushan, Joely Richardson, Paul Copley and Douglas Reith.
As of Thursday, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale has earned an 88% “fresh” rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 59 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, “Soothing as a cup of tea while providing a satisfying amount of closure, The Grand Finale is a worthy sendoff for Downton Abbey.”
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale also earned a 98% “fresh” score on RT’s Popcornmeter based on 100-plus verified user ratings. The RT audience summary is still pending.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’?
Jocelyn Novek of The Associated Press is among the top critics on RT who gives Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale a fresh rating, writing in her review summary, “This final movie will give loyal Downton fans what they want: a satisfying bit of closure and the sense that the future, though a bit scary, may look kindly on Downton Abbey as long as Mary is in charge.”
James Dyer of Empire Magazine also gives the film a “fresh” review on RT, writing, “[Julian] Fellowes’ dewy-eyed swansong isn’t likely to make many Film Of The Year lists, but it still does Downton proud, closing the book on his Faragian utopia of stiff upper lips and British brio in a way that would do Cousin Violet proud.”
Moira MacDonald of the Seattle Times also praises Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, writing on RT, “[Julian] Fellowes, who touchingly dedicates the film ‘in loving memory of Dame Maggie Smith’ treats us to a nicely sentimental final sequence that reminds us of all of Downton’s beautiful ghosts, and certainly feels like a goodbye.”
David Fear of Rolling Stone is among the top critics on RT who gives Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale a “rotten” rating, writing in his review summary, “Extremely little actually happens in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale — certainly not enough to justify a third feature. It barely even feels like a TV episode with benefits.”
Tara Brady of the Irish Times isn’t a fan of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, either, writing in her RT review, “Thomas the Tank Engine trains are written with more subtlety than Simon Russell Beale’s flummoxed aristocrat, Sir Hector Moreland. Pointless subplots are explained and re-explained by actors who are never on screen long enough to make an impression.”
Kevin Maher of The Times in the UK also knocks Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, writing in his RT review summary, “The film … directed by Simon Curtis, climaxes with a scene that is simultaneously grossly saccharine and deeply cynical, and is effectively a roll call of everyone unlucky enough to be cast in a long-running creepy class fantasy.”
Rated PG, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale plays in Thursday previews before opening Friday in theaters nationwide.