Fackham Hall

Screened at Regal Cinemas, Rancho Mirage, California I know of Downton Abbey, like most, but have never seen a minute of it. Not that it hasn't appealed to me. Even when I was in high school, there were a few Merchant Ivory films I enjoyed, especially Remains of the Day, which I really need to revisit as its been over 30 years since that viewing.

I just wasn't sure if this was going to be for me, if I would be in on the joke enough to enjoy it. But the trailer had me chuckling and I got the sense that it was like seeing Airplane! as a kid, in that I hadn't seen any of the Airport films to that point, and yet no matter one's age, it's without question one of the best comedy films ever, if not the best. I hoped the same would be the case here, and as it turns out the $12 bet (ticket price) paid off, in that no, you don't need to know Downton at all to at least find it entertaining. I wouldn't be surprised in the least that if you do know the show, you may enjoy it quite a bit more.

What I can safely say, objectively and by facts alone, is I laughed more in the first five minutes of this film than I did the entirety of the recent reboot of The Naked Gun. For sure, it started off very strong, only to run out of gas as it went along, but for whatever reason I expected that to happen, and thus it didn't bother me all that much or ruin my enjoyment. Especially since it still had strong moments throughout, despite the eventual degradation. Some jokes and gags really hit, some don't. But unlike my fear of this being the next low-rent straight-to-VOD type of comedy, this is far from it.

Good, funny entertainment that successfully helps pass the time. No complaints here. Recommended.