BRIDGET JONES'S BABY (2016)

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director:  Sharon Maguire
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Patrick Dempsey, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Shirley Henderson, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Sally Phillips, Sarah Solemani
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Rating: NC16 (Some Coarse Language and Nudity)
Released By: UIP 
Official Website: http://www.bridgetjonesmovie.com/?redirect=off

Opening Day: 15 September 2016

Synopsis: Oscar® winners Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth are joined by Patrick Dempsey for the next chapter of the world’s favorite singleton in Bridget Jones’s Baby. Directed by Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones’s Diary), the new film in the beloved comedy series based on creator Helen Fielding’s heroine finds Bridget unexpectedly expecting. After breaking up with Mark Darcy (Firth), Bridget Jones’s (Zellweger) “happily ever after” hasn’t quite gone according to plan. Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job as top news producer and surround herself with old friends and new. For once, Bridget has everything completely under control. What could possibly go wrong? Then her love life takes a turn and Bridget meets a dashing American named Jack (Dempsey), the suitor who is everything Mr. Darcy is not. In an unlikely twist she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch...she can only be fifty percent sure of the identity of her baby’s father.

Movie Review:

12 years after the previous movie, Bridget Jones (portrayed by Renée Zellweger) is single (again) and celebrating her 43rd birthday alone. To make things worse, in comes a hipster boss at work who seems set on firing everyone who is not a poser. So what better way to turn Jones’ love life around, and coincidentally, try to become a hipster, than to attend an alcohol-fuelled hippie music festival? That said, alcohol and desperation doth not make good decisions, as Jones falls into bed (quite literally) with Jack Quant (Patrick Dempsey) and later, old flame Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), resulting in her getting pregnant without knowing who the father is.

Despite the rather clichéd premise, Bridget Jones’ Baby is rather enjoyable. Or so the theatre audience, mostly made up of twenty-, thirty- and forty-something women, thought anyway, if their bouts of laughter were anything to go by. And it was not hard to understand why – Bridget Jones, representing the moderately successful everyday working woman, vied for by two insanely good-looking and wealthy men who seem genuinely interested in her – vicarious living anyone?

Storyline-wise, although the movie did not offer many surprises (or at all), it was entertaining enough to see how Jones grappled with her pregnancy, while trying to break the news to her family and going for pre-parenting classes with the two potential fathers of her child. Ironically, the only sub-plot that was possibly inserted to provide a break from the main story was the weakest. The parts on Jones’ new boss from hell neither contributed much towards the plot nor character development, and probably should have not be included in the first place. Afterall, there was only so much whining and making fun of workplace hipsters that can be done before it gets old.

What lifted the movie from being entirely forgettable was Renée Zellweger’s portrayal of the titular character. Reprising her role after 12 years, Zellweger slipped back into Bridget Jones’ shoes with ease, easily garnering much sympathy and support with her forever alone, indecisive and inappropriate self. With such a protagonist, needless to say the two supporting male characters paled in comparison, playing their roles of free-spirited and charming technopreneur, and spiffy upper-class lawyer to a T, but nothing more. The only other standout role would be Emma Thompson’s Dr Rawling – Jones’ sarcastic but kind gynaecologist. In fact, Dr Rawling felt like the only sane character in the entire movie, and providing much-needed breaks from Jones’ ridiculous antics.

Much like Bridget, the movie was occasionally awkward and funny, and this made the protagonist endearing and sprawned the third movie of the series, I guess. While the movie might not be the most memorable one out there, it was enjoyable and funny enough to be a good weekend time filler.

Movie Rating:

(Mostly funny and sometimes awkward, the movie is watchable even if you are not a Bridget Jones fan)

Review by Goh Yan Hui