Director: Sharon Maguire
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson, Neil Pearson, Kate O'Flynn, Darren Boyd, Jessica Hynes, Enzo Cilenti, Nick Mohammed, Celia Imrie, Ed Sheeran.
Bridget Jones's Diary director Sharon Maguire returns to the helm to bring us the third instalment of the thirty-something singleton. Though it's not based on the third book from author/creator Helen Fielding and appears to be an inbetweener to the novel Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy. Fielding did, however write the screenplay with Ali G writer Dan Mazer and Emma Thompson, but minus the usual Love Actually, Richard Curtis.
Renée Zellweger reprises her most famous role but with her recent adjustments, which are hard not to notice, she looks more like Kim Basinger than the bubbly, chubby-cheeked Bridget we're familiar with. Though, we can't have anyone else play her, now can we? And it has been twelve years since Edge of Reason was released.
Now, Colin Firth's Mark Darcy is very much part of the story as the trailer suggests, but there's no Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver, who appears to have departed entirely and a new contender enters the love triangle in the form of match-maker mathematician Jack Qwant who's possibly a bigger threat than Cleaver, being a better man, played by Patrick Dempsey.
It's no secret that Bridget become pregnant and is unsure which of the two is the father which leads to awkward scenarios and the obvious comedy that comes in typical Bridget Jones packaging, loaded with crude innuendos and witty script-writing. I find the story a little far fetched and unrealistic, even for a Jeremy Kyle show this seems quite messed up and it stays that way throughout.
All the familiar characters are there apart from the obvious and it's all very familiar territory without the introductions. As with the previous, a good variety soundtrack accompanies and BritCom composer Craig Armstrong does his romantic score. Ella Henderson's Track 'Still Falling For You' is a great track.
Something that unfortunately grates on me is the portrayal of my home London, whilst actually representing the city really well, its geographical incorrect, and does so for dramatical reasons, for the sake of plot, which I do understand but it still annoys me. Many would totally miss this but to people like myself, unrealistically trekking eight miles so you can cross a pretty bridge is irritating. I'm sure people from New York or L.A. or any other other city would get vexed seeing their home misrepresented.
Parts of the film appeared to be poorly edited, possibly rushed post-production and had to make do, but isn't totally noticeable so to ruin the film entirely. It's exactly what fans might expect but it becomes predictable where it tries not to be and I find this one the least funny and romantically emotional out of the three. It's above average entertaining but really for the die-hard Bridget fans.
Running Time: 7
The Cast: 8
Performance: 7
Direction: 7
Story: 6
Script: 8
Creativity: 6
Soundtrack: 7
Job Description: 5
The Extra Bonus Point: 0
61% 6/10
