Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)

I saw the first Bridget Jones movie and thought it was around average. My Mum loved it, and when the DVD for Bridget Jones:The Edge Of Reason came out on DVD, she went i bought it right away. So, without much hope or agenda, I decided to watch it.

This film is absolutely AWFUL. The story bares no resemblance to the book, and the story was unbelievable. Poor acting all around. Why didn't they get the director from the first film back? She was marginally better.

Do yourself a favor, and just read the book, which is actually witty and well-written.

Fmovies: Oh the expectations are high and the studio is bumping up the release date but what about the film? In the case of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, it was inevitable that the freshness and sheer pleasure of a funny, heartfelt love story of Bridget Jones's Diary, would be a hard act to top much less follow. While entertaining in its own way and filled with enough charm and wit to keep things moving and interesting, it is a step down for the Helen Fielding heroine. No Oscar nominations are forthcoming this time.

Not a couple months have passed as our favorite British journalist (played with gusto by Renee Zellweger) is dating her dream beau, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth returns as a noble steed). Slowly, our Bridget notices a young female clinging to her man on a regular basis, and with life full of its insecurities, doubts and suspicions are thus born. Enter handsome Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant is as dashing as ever) who wants to rekindle an earlier romance with Bridget who wonders if he has mended his philandering ways. That pretty well sums up the main storyline. There are a few other minor story threads such as Bridget's parents getting remarried, but they are few and far between.

Zellweger is always appealing even as an overweight, accident-prone romantic. Fans may be a bit startled to see her appearance after a few years of terrific performances in slimmed down roles. Firth, who was handpicked by author Fielding, duplicates his steady, straightlaced lawyer while Grant spices the sexual scenery with his bad boy ways. You will recognize returning supporting characters from before including James Broadbent as Bridget's dad, a role that is minimal at best.

While the screenplay has some nice bits of dialogue and one-liners, the whole thing just doesn't come together as a satisfying whole. There are no real surprises here in the story even though it contains a couple of mild shocks in plot line. The direction is not as crisp as before-this time Beeban Kidron(Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar) takes the helm in not quite inspired fashion. Where is original director, Sharon Maguire? Maybe frequent scribe Richard Curtis would have been perfect. Just one of his story lines in Love Actually is as good as or better than anything in Edge of Reason.

Perhaps the biggest problem with this film is that it is a chore to find anything truly engaging or to feel any sympathy and concern for Zellweger's character. In addition, there was an absence of really funny situations without seeming to be contrived. Maybe that's being picky, but that's the level of satisfaction Bridget Jones's original incarnation has engendered.

It seems that, now, even romantic comedies have gone the way of cookie-cutter action flicks in their being too formulaic.

Spare yourself watching this movie. The gist is this: the new Bridget Jones is a blubbery, stupid, awkward woman. She goes on various trips and social outings, never failing to fall down, make stupid comments, spill things on people, put her makeup on wrong, etc etc ad nassssseum. Think slapstick comedy. Think the Curly from the 3 stooges, getting bonked on the head for the 212th time. It gets old fast.

In the first movie, I think a lot of girls could sympathize with her flub-ups and awkwardness because Bridget was also witty and intelligent, in spite of her shortcomings. Only this time around she's pretty much just a waste of space.

Oh, by the way, there isn't actually any plot development for the movie. Just endless scenes of Bridget making a fool of herself.

They always say sequels are worse than the original movie, but I've never seen one so much abysmally worse than the first.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason fmovies. not particularly faithful to the book (but what film ever is) BJD2 is still a great film, with stuff to make you laugh, and stuff to make you cry all rolled into one. The added bonus of the second BJD is of course, the increased screen time of Colin Firth. The close ups of Mark Darcy's face are enough to sell the film on their own. He looks happy/sad/confused/amused/pained all at once, result; a hilarious mix of ridiculousness and good looks all for the price of one.

certain bits have been missed out, which is a shame, as they would have been really funny, and other things have been changed, such as the character of Rebecca. It does lessen the overall affect of the story, but still, as a stand alone film, i'd rate it 10/10.

But, oddly enough, I still liked this version of The Edge of Reason.

It's hard to put my finger on why -- because I'm not quite sure why some of the book's original plot lines were ommitted, and because I thought the Rebecca subplot was gratuitous -- but I did like it.

The first book was not-so-loosely based on Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." The first movie left a lot of that in, and even included a lot of "inside jokes" for those of us who are familiar with that delightful book and the filmed version starring Colin Firth as Fitzwilliam Darcy. "The Edge of Reason" was not-so-loosely based on another Jane Austen novel, "Persuasion," but any overt Austen references are completely wiped out here.

The character of Giles Benwick is based on an Austen character named Benwick who has recently lost his fiancée, but that is the only Austen reference from the book left. It's a shame, too, because I liked that particular subplot in both Austen's "Persuasion" and Fielding's "Edge of Reason."

Given that I've complained about several aspects of this film, I'm still rather surprised that I liked it. Could it be because Bridget is still Everywoman and because Mark Darcy is still the Perfect Man (and probably because he's still played by the ever-dishy Colin Firth)?

Who knows. All I do know is that it was cute, it was funny and it was entertaining. You can't ask for much else.

Having now seen The Edge of Reason (for the first time), I am prepared to spend a moment responding to the inevitable criticism (inevitable because I've already read hints of them on the boards and in some reviews). WARNING, MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD....

1) They didn't stick close enough to the book. *** Ah, isn't this the mother of all complaints? In fact, many other complaints are just a variation on it. But here goes. First, there is no way they could have put in everything from the book (and most complaints are about parts that were omitted), because the movie would be way too long. Second, most things in the movie actually were from the book, or a variation on a scene from the book (e.g. Bridget's parents' wedding, in lieu of Jude and Vile Richard's wedding). And what's so bad about some new stories for Bridget? It's just more Bridget to love (not unlike her wobbly bits).

2) Yes, but what about the interview with Colin Firth? *** Haven't we heard this before? Obviously they left it out because Colin Firth was already in the movie as Mark Darcy. Also the book The Edge of Reason was written when Pride and Prejudice was slightly newer on video in the UK and was part of the contemporary pop culture of the day. (Although, I admit it still has a very strong fan base!) There are other cultural reference in the book, Edge of Reason, that just couldn't be put into the film without dating it (e.g., the death of Princess Diana). (P.S., Pride and Prejudice fans should listen very carefully to Bridget's comments to Shazzer when returning from Thailand.)

3) Why'd they bring back Daniel Cleaver? He wasn't even in the book! *** Aha, but you're wrong there! First, there's Bridget and Daniel's phone conversation about where Germany is located. Then some time later, Bridget accepts a dinner date with Daniel, and even buys condoms "just in case." He comes to Bridget's flat and makes a pass at her before Bridget comes to her senses and throws him out.

Granted, they expanded Daniel's role quite a bit for the film, but I happen to love his sleazy charm. He is funny, funny, funny, and Hugh Grant is perfect in the role. (Look for a little jab at Hugh Grant in the Thailand scenes.)

4) So many scenes seem to be a rehash (or should I say retread) of similar scenes in the first movie. *** There are indeed events which are similar to things that happened in Bridget Jones's Diary. But they are not presented as something new and unique - instead they are an opportunity to look back nostalgically and compare how Bridget's life has changed. (If you haven't seen first movie - heaven forbid - they can be new and unique.) For example, the silly Christmas jumper that Mark Darcy wore at the first turkey curry buffet has a whole new significance this year.

5) What, another Darcy/Cleaver fight? *** Oh come on, you love it! (I did expect Pat Benatar's "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" to break out at any time, and was quite disappointed that they didn't choose it as background!) The fight is fantastic, and totally in context with this movie - there is a good reason for it.

6) Bridget already had her happy ending in the first film, why do we need another? *** Aside from the fact that Helen Fielding wrote a second book? The end of Bridget Jones's Diary said "the beginning..."; not a promise of a sequel, but a reminder that life doesn't end with a kiss in the snow. This is the story of how a lo