Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this more than once? Nah.
Score: 4.0/5
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 123 minutes (~2 hours)
“Bridget Jones’s Baby” is a romantic comedy that’s the third in the “Bridget Jones” franchise, making it a trilogy! It sees the title character getting pregnant but not knowing who the baby’s father is. It stars Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones), Colin Firth (Mark Darcy), Patrick Dempsey (Jack Qwant), Emma Thompson (Dr Rawlings) with a cameo by Ed Sheeran and photos of Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). It is rated NC-16.
“Bridget Jones’s Baby” bucks the trend of terrible third movies in a trilogy by being, well, pretty good! It’s a hilarious film that has been way too long in the making (the last film, “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason”, came out in 2004) that manages to add new life to familiar characters, while still keeping the parts that everyone loves. It even has a nostalgic montage of previous films that show us just how far the characters have come (and aged) (boy have they aged).
Highlights
Character-driven humour
The funnies in the film come from the misaligned expectations and the constant comedy of errors that everyone faces, thanks in part to the fact that we’ve come to know and love these characters so well. Even if this is the first time you’re watching a Bridget Jones movie, you’ll soon be familiar with the neuroses of Bridget (Renee Zellweger) and the reticence of Darcy (Colin Firth), as well as the quirks and foibles of all their friends. The wordplay and Britishness of the actors also contribute to the hilarity of this joke-a-minute movie.
Bridget Jones is as endearing as ever
Yes, Bridget might be clumsy and silly but she means well and tries her best. In her flaws we see ourselves, and in gently poking fun at her (in some cases, it’s more like a sledgehammer)”Bridget Jones’s Baby” encourages us to laugh at ourselves, too. Bridget still has all the charisma and eagerness she had 10 years ago, albeit in a slimmer, tigether package.
Dr Rawlings is a riot
Dr Rawlings (Emma Thompson) finds herself thrust in Bridget’s conundrum and makes no effort to hide her exasperation and irritation with the situation. Her annoyance is a great source of humour for us, simply because she tries so hard to keep her disbelief from showing (and failing terribly). She would facepalm if she could (she doesn’t though, sadly), but in the end she shows that completely empathises with Bridget’s situation, and is on her side when it comes to the baby.
Sense of nostalgia and familiarity
The characters have progressed since their last appearance, growing up along with the audience. Yet they’re still the same Brits that we just can’t get enough of. We feel so comfortable with these characters that it feels like we’re back with friends again, and “Bridget Jones’s Baby” doesn’t overplay the nostalgia card, rendering it truly genuine.
Letdowns
The baby’s paternity is not a mystery
If the paternity were between Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and Mark Darcy, there might still be some tension since they’re both viable candidates for Bridget’s heart (and other parts of her body), but Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey) only appears halfway throughout the film. Logically there can only be one outcome that would make a satisfying story, right?
“Bridget Jones’s Baby” is a nostalgic comedy of errors.
“Bridget Jones’s Baby” opens in cinemas:
– 15 September 2016 (Singapore)
– 29 September 2016 (Malaysia)
– 14 September 2016 (Philippines)
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