MickyG333

6.3 stars.

It's the story of several bands of travelers that venture to the Galapagos Islands to start a fresh life. It all takes place in the 1930s. These people are ultimately unsuccessful in forming a cohesive and peaceful society and everything turns sour.

I recall several films from the 80s and 90s that 'Eden' reminds me of. I can't name many of them, perhaps a few, like 'The Island of Dr. Moreau' remake of 1996. It's interesting how the narrative of Dr. Moreau and 'Eden' share so many similarities. Other similar movies were: 'The Mission' (1986) 'Christopher Columbus: The Discovery', 'Amistad', 'The Scarlet Letter'. One disaster I truly disdain is '1492: Conquest of Paradise'. What a horrible film, and yet it received high praise from all around. Something was so wrong there, and 'Eden' reminds me of the same style of script and direction.

I don't really know where the line begins with a great film and ends with a disappointing one in these particular situations, but there are obviously truly GREAT films of the genre, which I need not mention. It's often a fine line between awesome and disappointing. The cinematography is usually indistinguishable, the acting is imperceptibly different, but the flow and dialogue are coma-inducing.

As with 1492, 'Eden' has a stellar cast of great actors, all of which should be capable of uplifting the viewers' experience. But something is broken in this film. Ron Howard directed a plethora of excellent films, but 'Eden' is not one.

8.0 stars.

This is a very emotional film about a man who lost everything. Now he's lost more and must come to terms with raising his nephew alone. He has nothing to live for, and yet everything to live for. It's quite an experience watching 'Manchester by the Sea'.

I didn't cry, it's not a tear-jerker sort (except a couple of scenes), it's more along the lines of depressing and hopeless. In spite of the profound sadness, this film is so very meaningful and engaging and powerful.

I think I learned a few things about life and I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to see this touching and heartbreaking movie. I highly suggest you watch this, because it's an extremely well-written story full of depth and genuine portrayals of loss and family.

8.2 stars.

This movie is a grand affair, because we get to see the best of all our beloved staff, and they are all in good form. Unfortunately, this story doesn't provide much depth for any particular character, just brushes the surface for all of them. In that respect, it feels a bit shallow, but that's fine, what did we expect? The audience wants to see all our favorite people, but 'Downton Abbey' probably needed to be 4 hours long to fully satisfy (and that's too long).

I rated the TV series 9.5 stars, because as a whole for a show, it's one of my all time favorites. My rating system for movies is somewhat different. 'Downton Abbey' the film is just like a two-part episode of the series. The difference is imperceptible, therefore it's a great movie, but not out-of-this-world great. Could it have been better? I doubt it.

I saw every episode, some of them twice, and without a doubt it's difficult to differentiate this from any good episode of the original series. And since it's not really distinguishable, I'll give it the rating it deserves. If you like the series, you will like the movie, it's as simple as that. Will you absolutely adore the movie, probably not; but I feel it fits as an extension of the last season. It's a bit in the future, not very far, and the story is bold enough to allow for the royal family to visit the Abbey. On the other hand, the production is somewhat safe. I prefer it that way, for now, but I hope they took some liberties with the sequel. And of course, the finale film was recently released, so I'm looking forward to seeing it ASAP. Enjoy!