1339. Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason

Starring: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant

Director: Beeban Kidron

Running Time: 107 mins

Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason is a British film and the sequel to Bridget Jones’ Diary. After finally finding love with Mark Darcy, Bridget Jones suddenly becomes frustrated and uncomfortable in her new relationship, leading her to take a bizarre trip abroad.

The first Bridget Jones’ popularity still remains a mystery to me. The second didn’t get as much praise, and there’s no reason for it to have done, but I think that this is just a smidge better than the first film, or at least a lot less painful. It may start off in the same irritating fashion, but it evolves into an eventually harmless romantic comedy (with a couple of good laughs here and there), which meant that I wasn’t beating my head with a hammer all the way through this time out.

However, that’s not to say that The Edge Of Reason is a good film, because it’s not. Whilst I say it’s more bearable than the previous film, the first hour or so is pretty much identical to Bridget Jones’ Diary. Putting Bridget in a relationship at the beginning doesn’t actually change anything, as the film quickly finds a way to get her back to her clumsy and supposedly hilarious antics.

But that’s the one thing that I just can’t bear about this franchise. A cheesy chick flick it may be, but the one thing that makes it so insufferable at times is how much of an idiot Bridget Jones is. There’s being cute and clumsy, and then there’s just plain stupid, and when you know that going into a second film with her, it makes every set-up and punchline absolutely infuriating to watch.

So, if you’re watching The Edge Of Reason for some good laughs, I’d suggest you fast forward to the last twenty minutes, where something funny actually happens. Basically, my main issues with this film are exactly the same as the original, but I’m more disappointed with the first half for not really trying to do anything different.

However, the last act is a surprisingly different story. Halfway through, Bridget ends up going to Thailand on a trip for reasons that I won’t spoil, and inevitably gets into all sorts of bother. However, there’s a moment when the film stops trying to make her a clumsy, ‘what am I like’ character, and just goes for some proper, funny comedy.

It doesn’t always work, but the last act of this movie was unexpectedly, but undeniably enjoyable. There’s one central joke to the finale that had me in stitches, and the ending, while cheesy and predictable, was built up in a simple and light-hearted enough way to make me crack a smile (even though I resisted).

Overall, Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason commits so many of the same mistakes as the first film. It’s a lazy, unfunny and irritating mess for the majority, but there is a moment near the end when it suddenly steps back and allows you to have a little bit of fun, and that’s why I’m giving it a 5.9.