Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason [DVD] [2004] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I loved the film Bridget Jones's Diary. It was funny and romantic and the characters, especially Bridget and Mark, were so loveable. I bought the book after watching the film and actually liked the film better, which is a rare thing.

Of course, I had to buy the second book, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and I adored it. Especially the interview, it really had me laughing out loud.

Because of the first film, I had high expectations of the sequel... but ended up rather disappointed. It hardly follows the storyline I so enjoyed and it is not very funny.

This would be alright if the storyline would have been difficult to turn into a movie but really, apart from the interview, I can't see any reason for the drastic changes they made. Perhaps they had to give Hugh Grant a bigger part in the movie (his character only has a small role in the book).

Don't get me wrong - the film is not awful. It's simply okay. Bridget is still her loveable self and Mark is still charming, she still gets herself into all sorts of situations. Just, it could have been so much more...

Bridget is working in "Sit Up Britain" and is continuously finding herself in ridiculous situations, which do not portray her in a very flattering light, but boosts rating. As happened in the previous movie, we get to listen to her comments on the events that she is going through; comments that are usually pretty funny, but sometimes turn out to be a bit corny.

You probably are asking yourself by now, what about Daniel (Grant)? Well, he has a TV show in the same network as Bridget, and even though she does not even want to hear about him anymore, their paths cross when they have to work together on one of the shows. And this happens right when she is thinking about marriage with Mark, but the encounter situation things a bit. And the fact that Mark is working with a very attractive woman does not help in the least.

The movie keeps the main characteristics of the winning formula used for the first one, and yes...you will get to see another fight between Daniel and Mark, so do not worry. But some things are funnier the first time around, and that is true in this case too. The creators did add a little variety though, with a little travel that allows for a change of settings, but it is still not enough to compensate for the repeated humor.

The cast does a very good job, especially Zellweger, who is perfect for the role and shows a clear ability for portraying a character that constantly makes a fool of herself. The soundtrack is eclectic and fits the movie well, including songs ranging from Barry White to Madonna. Finally, I need to comment on the option of watching the movie with the quiz option, since it is an annoying feature that keeps stopping the film to ask the questions. And on top of that, it has such silly options as answers that my wife decided to quit it and stick with the "normal" version of the movie. - 3.5 stars