After taking a nose dive off the Edge of Reason, Bridget Jones is back to what made her so likable in the first place. Bridget Jones’s Baby is surprisingly hilarious, inviting, & devilishly cheeky. Originally, expectations were pushed way down; however this sharp Brit rom-com succeeds on every level. After twelve years, Renee Zellweger triumphantly returns to the role that made her a leading lady.
Our downtrodden heroine hasn’t changed much when we catch up with her. The movie opens with her sitting alone in her loft with one candle in a cupcake to celebrate her birthday. The one that got away, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), has moved on and Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver isn’t returning anytime soon. You’ll see what I mean. For Bridget, when it rains, it pours. Don’t get too distraught over her situation though, she’s excited about the future.
For example, she meets a dating site mogul named Jack Qwant (too handsome and overly nice Patrick Dempsey) as he rescues her from a mud pit at a hip music festival. They get cleaned up only to get down and dirty in his tent later. Bridget’s popularity keeps rising with the arrival of Mr. Darcy. He isn’t out of her life just yet. Who saw that coming? After a drunken night, they get reacquainted and make up for lost time. Problem is, sex is scarce for Miss Jones and, as fate would have it, expired rubbers is all she had to work with with both gentlemen.
See why it’s called Bridget Jones’s Baby now?
Judging by the unanimous decision by numerous pregnancy tests, Bridget is expecting but fifty-fifty on who the father is. The good news is there’s no bad option here with Mark or Jack. In typical Bridget Jones fashion, the fracas isn’t between her and the guys, it’s all internal. Her and her child’s happiness await on a gratified outcome. No pressure.
Director Sharon Maguire is back behind the camera after doing the original, and it’s easy to see her comfort with these characters and their journey. There’s intelligence in the crass, clumsiness, charm and romance of Bridget Jones’s twirling world. Flashbacks take us back to Jones and Darcy’s complicated, never-ending yearning for one another, witnessing the loving bond between Zellweger and Firth. And there’s always room for some Emma Thompson brashness.
Bridget Jones’s Baby bounces back in a first-rate sequel, recapturing that spoon full of smutty sweetness that goes down rather smoothly.
Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork
