Bridget Jones's Baby Review

Sep 7

Preview

R: Language, Sex References and Some Nudity

Universal Pictures, StudioCanal, Miramax Films, Working Title

1 hr and 58 Minutes

Cast: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Sally Phillips, James Callis, Sarah Solemani, with Jessica Hynes, and Emma Thompson

REVIEW: I own the first Bridget Jones Diary novel but never read it. I knew of the films, but never watched them. Until the night before my screening for which I watched the first two Bridget Jones films in one viewing (which I would get around to reviewing in a new upcoming section Rendy Never Saw What?!). So upon walking into this sequel set 12 years after Edge of Reason. I was praying that this isn’t one of those sequels that does the same exact thing as its previous film. I was praying this wouldn’t be another Edge of Reason. I mean you bought back Colin Firth, original film director Sharon Maguire, and most of all Renée Zellweger (because we missed her so much in movies).

Approaching 40, Bridget Jones is struggling with the trials of life, not the least of which is her break up with her love Mark Darcy. Pushing forward and working to find fulfillment in other aspects of her life seems to do wonders until her love life comes back from the dead when she meets a dashing and handsome American named Jack (Patrick Dempsey). Things couldn't be better, until Bridget discovers that she is pregnant. Now, the befuddled mum-to-be, her loyal entourage of friends and eccentric co-workers, and her amused yet no-nonsense gynecologist, must work out if the proud father is Mark or Jack.

THE GOOD: Right from the very beginning, we hear All By Myself playing seeing Bridget Jones where we had her in the first film. Alone, on her birthday and already my sister and I started to groan. But then she says “fuck off. Let’s try something new.” Right after shutting that song off, she plays and lip syncs to Jump Around by House of Pain. That opening scene was metaphorically telling the audience, “We’re not going to be Edge of Reason. We’re going to try something new. You’ve waited this long!” And by God Bridget Jones’s Baby is a sequel thats a fresh of breath air from beginning to end.

Everything that made the original film great is inherited here. Mostly it inherits its charm and sharp humor. In a new modern age time, Bridget is more of a respected woman whose job status has been ranked up, she doesn’t take shit from anyone and gladly speaks whatever is on her mind, and she’s a more of a relatable character. Where in Edge of Reason she was being a very clingy and hung up girlfriend that separated her from the audience, Baby takes Jones and puts her in situations that people can relate down to the simple “all of my friends are busy and I have nobody to hang out with” dilemma. The return to Jones’s charm is back in the most lovable form and thats thank to Zellweger’s performance. For each Bridget Jones film she is able nab herself a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in the Musical or Comedy category and hopefully she could nab another one and in fact win it. Her return to her role isn’t only a brilliant return for a long absence but a form of proof that we need more Renée Zellweger in film.

Firth is still lovable as Darcy with the same British charm that he inherited from the first two films. Though it takes a while for an explanation why he and Bridget broke up since Edge of Reason. Well more than a while. It takes nearly 40 minutes into the film for the explanation onto why they broke up. Newcomer to the franchise Patrick Dempsey is great as well, because he has a different character that can challenge Darcy in ways much more emotional than Hugh Grant ever did as Daniel Cleaver. There are sequences where each moment turns into a pissing contest between the two and bless that it never ended with a fight.

All the schticks from the first two films are gone from Bridget’s booty falling onto a camera, to a big fight amongst the two love interests. Its great because it gives space to a lot of new jokes to tell and most of them are hysterical. Not chuckle worthy, but gut splitting, laughing your ass off, hysterical. This is one of two films this month that made me laugh extremely hard I started to receive chest pains. By God the film incorporates a celebrity cameo that is not only cool, but in fact extremely funny. Nowadays when we see a cameo its OH THIS PERSON IS HERE (Zoolander 2). But with this, the cameo is a well written joke that reflects how Bridget aged from the world.

Most of the film’s best humor comes from Emma Thompson who steals every scene any chance she gets as Bridget’s gynecologist who is basically the audience’s avatar as to questioning what the fuck is going on. Its also funny that she is one of the three screenwriters for this film besides Dan Mazer and Bridget Jones book author Helen Fielding. Actually Thompson was hired to do some rewrites to the already written script and somehow like Simon Pegg with Star Trek Beyond, she managed to write herself the best material. Never let your actors who screenwrites do your rewrites, they’ll make themselves the shining star of the film.

THE BAD: Though Bridget Jones’s Baby is one of the most best of the whole franchise, it is also one of the longest. This film is two hours long where it doesn’t need to be. There are scenes where Bridget asks everybody she knows “what should I do?” with each character giving a different speech which turns into the same speech which turns into a longer film.

Here’s a problem I’ve always had with Bridget herself. As much she’s adorable and lovable and someone we could relate to, she is very bumbling. She falls a lot, get herself into wacky situations, and usually causes it especially at her job. She is the female Greg Heffley in a lot of ways.There so many sequences where its just one gag taken forever where she is not doing a good job at her job. But it isn’t until somebody calls her out on her bullshit and you as the audience goes YEAH FINALLY WAITED THREE MOVIES FOR THIS!

LAST STATEMENT: Bridget Jones’s Baby takes all the tropes from its predecessor and throws it in the trash by delivering a new story with new funny jokes gags while maintaining its well talented and charming cast, humor and reason why love both Bridget Jones and the amazing actress that portrays her. Welcome back Renée, we missed you.

Rating: 4/5 | 87%