When audiences last saw Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger), she was sans pants on the snowy streets of London, kissing her (finally realized) one true love, Mr. Mark Darcy. After loads of mishaps, misery and giant panties, Bridget is back and still in love.
Funny how the second movie begins just four short weeks after the first left off, while Bridget and Mark are blissfully falling for each other, yet it’s warm enough for Bridget to wear unflattering camisoles and short dresses. An unfortunate lack of continuity pervades “Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason,” and although this is just one mistake in a string that makes “Edge” weaker than its predecessor, it is still a funny, smart and enjoyable movie.
The story begins with Bridget basking in the happiness of her new relationship, but as everyone who knows Bridget can guess, it quickly turns sour as her insecurities get out of control. Enter Rebecca– the beautiful, skinny new intern at Darcy’s law firm, with legs up to her chest. Bridget’s jealousy, which predictably gets the best of her, swiftly threatens her new paradise with Mark.
The return of Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) is another perk of this movie, although I do believe the “R” rating is easily because of the things that come out of his mouth alone. And although Cleaver’s character is not found in the book version of “Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason” by Helen Fielding, he is an essential and necessary character to move this film along. Without Cleaver, there would be little conflict and no “villain” — plus, his rude and vulgar, yet witty speech is really funny. Besides, it never hurts to see Grant on the big screen.
Zellweger is once again perfect as the adorably imperfect Bridget, whom audiences grew to know and love three years ago when the first and wonderful “Bridget Jones’s Diary” entered the world. But Bridget is a bit different this time around; she lacks some of the cynicism and bitterness that made her so hilarious in the first movie, and the essential depressed and slightly desperate Bridget who puffed like a chimney and drank like a fish is nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, the typical accident-prone and nothing-goes-her-way Bridget is still around and as amusing as ever. “Edge” displays a new, adorably in love and optimistic side of Bridget, but this change doesn’t necessarily give her character more depth.
Colin Firth reprises his role as the stiff, boring and flat Mark Darcy. The first movie made viewers question what Bridget saw in this guy, and the second one doesn’t to answer the question any further. One can’t help rooting for Bridget and Mark as a couple. It’s obvious that she loves him, and an audience member can feel that and wants it to work out for her sake.
Her parents, played by Jim Broadbent and Gemma Jones, are back but with less story line this time around. Unfortunately, the wonderful situations and hilarious interactions between the parents that take place in the book don’t appear in the movie. Thankfully, her mum is still quirky and ridiculous and her father’s character is less hopeless in this movie.
“Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason” comes to theaters with well-loved characters and a wonderfully comedic story line. Jealousy, breakups, spying, magic mushrooms and an all-women Thai prison are found among good friends, great wine and fabulous shagging. And this movie is coming to theaters earlier than anticipated due to tremendous response to the early press and advanced screenings. “Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason” hits theaters Nov. 12 (v.g).

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