Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason

The reasoning behind this sequel is obvious after the huge success of 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary, and the makers aren't taking any risks by deviating from the winning formula. Viewers might even suspect the projectionist of screening the first film by mistake, for the sequel again opens with gormless but lovable Bridget (Renée Zellweger) arriving for a Christmas family reunion. Except now she is no longer single, having hooked dishy but taciturn lawyer Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). It's not long, however, before they're squabbling over such personal foibles as Mark's habit of folding his boxer shorts before going to bed, so Bridget heads off to Thailand to compile a travel programme with handsome cad Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). The characterisations are once more excellent, so it's unfortunate that the scriptwriters (including Richard Curtis and the book's author, Helen Fielding) felt it necessary to revisit jokes from the original, and even expect laughs every time a character falls over or gets wet. Bridget Jones - as a character and first film - maintained a fine balance between the amusing and the tiresome. The sequel tilts this balance too far at times but, if you can ignore the many similarities, you may still laugh your socks off.