Bridget Jones - Am Rande des Wahnsinns

'Bridget Jones's Diary' was an immensely enjoyable film. It had a lot going for it, and succeeded on almost every level. It didn't cover much new ground and didn't break any conventions, but it was warm, charming, hugely funny and sometimes poignant, with a great cast.

When hearing that there was a sequel, there were mixed feelings. Admittedly, did question the point of it and was worried as to whether it would be as good considering the general reputation of sequels (though there are a lot of exceptions that are as good and nearly better). On the other hand, was more than willing to give 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' the benefit of the doubt, considering the same people were on board, cast and crew, who did such a great job in 'Bridget Jones's' Diary.

My feelings after 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' were that of real disappointment. It is not as terrible as many have said and there are far worse sequels around, at least it has things that salvage it from being worse, but what worked so well in 'Bridget Jones's' Diary' didn't here. Always try and judge sequels on their own terms and try not to compare, but it is hard not to when there is such a significant drop in quality, of which 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' is a big step down.

There are redeeming qualities. 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' is attractive visually in a film that doesn't require epic sweeping cinematography or opulence, but still manages to be beautifully shot, cohesively edited and have striking locations. There are a few amusing moments, but they are too far and between.

Regarding the cast, they do do well with what they are given, although their material is nowhere near as good they are hardly slumming it and do try to be true to how they were previously. Renee Zellwegger's performance is not as good here, but her accent is still game and she does try to bring out the funny, adorably awkward and sympathetic sides of her character when the material allows it. Hugh Grant still plays his caddish character with smarmy charm, while Colin Firth is understated and likable in a role tailor-made for him, practically as if it was written with him in mind.

However, Bridget is far too much of a parody and a butt of the joke here, making it, for all of Zellwegger's good efforts, difficult to feel sorry for or feel pity towards her. The jokes are too recycled and more of the same, with more contrivance and ridiculous silliness than fun or sparkle, and a lot of the script is very weak with lines this time round that makes one cringe. Whereas there was a perfect balance before of the extremely funny and the slightly tiresome this balance goes way too far in the latter.

Story is just as problematic, the situations are much more contrived and reek of predictability without any freshness or charm. It's more tedious than bright and breezy, and fails as a comedy, drama and romance. The comedy is too far and between and feels too much of before without any of the things that worked so well in 'Bridget Jones's' Diary'. The drama is too sentimentalised and lacks any poignancy and the romantic parts are severely lacking in warmth.

Despite it not being the case, being the same director as the previous film except then it was hard to believe it was a debut, you'd think that it was the opposite here because the direction actually felt inexperienced. The music doesn't work here, too randomly placed, the songs not as well chosen and inferior in quality and actually feeling annoying.

Overall, disappointing and a big step down but not without its redeeming merits. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Having seen the first version, I was looking forward to a good laugh. However this movie really failed to live up to it. Actually perhaps the movie cannot be blamed for it since the storyline itself is quite ridiculous, There was no reason for the Darcy- Bridget split in the first place. Nor the absurd antics with Hugh Grant (the prostitute was in pretty poor taste). The mid-life crisis which is so refreshing in the first movie sounds boring and repetitive.

Renee Zelwegger, looks haggard and unattractive. Also she seems to be overly neurotic - a trait that begins to grate on the nerves. Darcy is passable. Only Hugh Grant shines - he plays the role of the scoundrel with aplomb.

The only high point of the movie is the reprise of the Firth-Grant fisticuff. It is as ludicrous as the first - perhaps even better.

Sometimes sequels to a very good movie do not work as well, and this one unfortunately is one that does not work as well as its original. One person in our party watching this movie in fact called it "painful".

The original Bridget Jones Diary worked very well, at least in my opinion. It worked well not only because of a good story line, great casting and great acting, but the script and direction made the film also both witty and fun. In a sequel, often we are promised just part of that formula – the basic story line and a similar cast. Yes, this film does have a similar story line and a similar cast, but the script and the direction fall far short of the original. Hence instead of a witty fast paced fun movie where we laugh along with Bridget Jones, we have a slow moving non-funny movie that mostly seems to laugh at Bridget Jones and not with her.

The movie seems to lack the new elements that would make a sequel like this interesting. Instead it seems to fall back and simply exaggerate some of the elements of the first movie. It is "Over the Top" as one in Britain might say. Unfortunately this exaggeration tends to make things less funny and not funnier. In the first movie businessman Hugh Grant is mostly a businessman but is occasionally selfish and occasionally sexually selfish. In the second movie he spends less time as a businessman and more time just seeming out for himself. In the first movie, Bridget sometimes has low self-confidence. In the second movie, she almost always has low self-confidence. In the second movie, the Colin Firth character seems to try to be even more nerdy than in the first movie. In the first movie Bridget is plump. In the second movie, she is plumper. Now, I could afford to lose a few pound myself, but hopefully you get the idea. The second movie exaggerates the first trying for more laughs. But on the path it loses itself and is much less witty and funny.

Now, one cannot blame the actresses and actors for this. I felt that Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, and Colin Firth did their usual great jobs. For that reason alone, this movie may be well worth watching for you. It was because of the actresses and actors that I wished to see it. To make the movie great, however, it needed a script and direction to match.

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.

BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON (2004) ** Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Jacinda Barrett, Gemma Jones, Jim Broadbent. Zellweger reprises her role as the titular neurotic British journalist in a fairly charmless sequel picking up from her hook-up with the divinely prim Mark Darcy (Firth) and making a shambles of their relationship. The film fails in making its heroine go through one shamelessly awful slapstick induced comedy of errors eliciting very little humor that isn't particularly mean-spirited or ham-fisted no thanks to director Beeban Kidron who seems to relish in demeaning the bachelorette to no end.

And can we PLEASE have a moratorium on using Barry White's 'You're My First, My Last, My Everything' to underscore a character's actions!