I tried watching the show once, but couldn't get into it for some reason. I decided to see this movie and now I'm HOOKED!
The movie picks up a year after the season 6 finale in 1927 when the King & Queen of England come to visit Downton Abbey.
The Crawleys must make haste to get the house ready, but of course things don't go smoothly. The Royals require their own staff to serve them. Of course the staff at Downton is NOT happy and so the fun ensues. Also tagging along is the Queen's lady in waiting who happens to be a cousin of the Crawleys and long-time enemy of Grandma Violet (Maggie Smith).
If you liked the series you'll love the movie. But if you are like me and took the film as a stand-alone you will like it so much you will want to watch the series.
Now for the bad thing about the movie: pacing. I went into it expecting it to be slow storytelling, but a few times things happened in great speed then it slowed back down. I wasn't expecting that as the show is so detail-oriented. The movie felt like 3 hours when it was only 2. A TON happens in a short amount of time, which I love.
All and all worth watching. The cinematography, costumes, makeup, and sets are AMAZING! Maggie Smith will win a Supporting Actress Academy Award. The movie will dominate nominations next year. WOW!!!!
Looking forward to a sequel.