Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)

[baumer]

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[filmlover]

This really surpassed my early expectations, happily. While it can't quite hold a candle to the delightful (and rightfully considered a classic) Diary, this is certainly an enormous improvement over the mediocre Edge of Reason. The whole movie has an easygoing charm that's hard to resist, and it's also impressive how they were able to bring everyone (minus Hugh Grant, although the scene explaining his absence is hilarious) who was in the previous movies back for this one. Renee Zellweger (welcome back, we missed you!) has lost none of the character's charm over the years, and I had the biggest smile on my face when she first appeared. Colin Firth is terrific as always, while Patrick Dempsey is also solid as The Other Guy who is actually much more likable than most characters of the sort typically are. Emma Thompson is also a riot in her handful of scenes. B+

[Webslinger]

I never knew that I really wanted to return to the world of Bridget Jones (I didn't think of bothering with the first sequel after watching the original a few years ago), so Bridget Jones's Baby comes as pleasant and welcome surprise. It's definitely a retread of familiar territory and it drags its feet through a too-long running time that scrapes past the two-hour mark, but it's so charming that I couldn't help but enjoy myself. Renee Zellweger steps back into the title role without missing a beat, still embodying the title character's lovable awkwardness despite the marked change in physical appearance. Colin Firth is also still fun to watch as the love interest, and Patrick Dempsey has his moments despite the script's uncertainty over whether to make him a sweeter complication or make him the American answer to Hugh Grant's character from the earlier films.

 

B

[Blankments]

Bridget Jones's Baby is quietly brilliant. A re-invigoration of the rom-com formula in the modern era, what's old is new and wonderfully so. By combining the now seemingly antiquated traditional structure of a romcom with a hallmark of the genre released fifteen years ago, it is nostalgic cinematic comfort food at its finest, anchored by strong performances by Zellweger and Firth. Dempsey's addition to the cast is welcome, as a much more appealing alternative to Mr. Darcy than Daniel Cleaver ever was. The wacky world of Bridget Jones has never been more enjoyable, and even the schmaltzy bits are appreciated. Bridget Jones's Baby is a charming time at the cinema, and a reminder that romcoms (or in this case, pregcoms I suppose) should've never gone out of style. B

[DAJK]

Pretty great, even though I haven't seen the other films. Couldn't stop laughing in many scenes.