Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Renée Zellweger - Bridget Jones
Colin Firth - Mark Darcy
Hugh Grant - Daniel Cleaver
Neil Pearson - Richard Finch
James Faulkner - Uncle Geoffrey
Jim Broadbent - Colin Jones

Beeban Kidron's sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason pales slightly when compared to its predecessor and regurgitates much of the original’s material. Thus we're given yet more witticisms of the lovely yet insecure Bridget and contrived foreign excursions to Thailand, where she ends up in a Bangkok prison on trumped-up charges. It's the least interesting aspect of the film and becomes bogged down in tedious slapstick. Zellweger is still immensely charming and plausible and has a definite chemistry with Firth, but its Hugh Grant’s exquisitely groomed cad that provides many of the better comedic moments – unfortunately he’s absent for long periods.

The story picks up four weeks after the first film, and already Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) is becoming uncomfortable in her relationship with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Bridget’s petty jealousies are starting to get the best of her, chief among these is her suspicions about Mark's long-legged intern Rebecca (Jacinda Barrett), who, on top of being gorgeous, has a knack for doing everything right. The entire situation leads to a break-up, and to make matters worse Bridget's former boss, womanizing heartthrob Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), sails into view. Ms. Jones careens from embarrassing situation to romantic misunderstanding, still managing to muddle through.