Movie review - "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" (2004) **

The first Bridget was a lovely surprise, with some risks (at the time)ultimately working out brilliantly - Renee Zellweger pulled off the lead even though she wasn't Kate Winslet, Colin Firth transferred his Darcy act to the big screen, and most of all Hugh Grant re-invented himself asan on screen cad. This one seems going through the motions. It repeats segments from the first film - most irritatingly another fight between Grant and Firth (here very poorly motivated), shenanigans involving mum and dad, and the use of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" at the end as Bridget is rushing to Colin Firth. There is a major improvement in the novel by bringing back Hugh Grant's character. But Bridget is a lot less likeable. In the first film you got the impression she actually like Firth - but here it's as though she only likes him because (a) he's a boyfriend and (b) he's a human rights barrister so she can brag about him. And when he doesn't propose straight away she goes into a ridiculous sulk. Zegger's botox doesn't help. Indeed, Bridget is such a prat here that you don't believe Grant mooning over her, or Firth, or Jacinda Barrett. (Though she does have a funny moment when she winds up in Thai prison and gets all the girls singing).