Romcom’s favourite diary-writing, potty-mouthed, klutz is back after eight years. Quite a bit has changed in Bridget Jones’ (Renée Zellweger) life since we last saw her but, in many ways, she’s still the same twat she’s always been. BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY reunites most of the cast from the franchise’s three previous outings but this time it’s directed by Michael Morris, whose 2023 film, TO LESLIE, got a lot of Oscar-related publicity for all the wrong reasons.

When we last left Bridget, she had gotten back together with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) who, we all learned, was the father of her child. We also all learned that her old love interest, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), wasn’t dead after all. It’s now eight years later and Bridget is well entrenched in domestic life having given up her job as a TV news show producer to raise her and Mark’s two, yes two, children, Billy and Mabel. Mark, though, is no longer in the picture and it’s been four years since Bridget has had a snog. Her friends, Shazzer (Sally Phillips) and Tom (James Callis), as well as Daniel and her gynecologist Dr. Rawlings (Emma Thompson), who seems to be an unwilling GP for the Darcy family now, all tell her that it’s time to get back on that horse. Bridget is unsure if she’s got it in her but her fortunes take a quick turn for the better when she meets two eligible men – Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor, VENOM: THE LAST DANCE), Billy’s somewhat officious science teacher who is about her age, and Roxster (Leo Woodall, TV’s THE WHITE LOTUS), a hunky, 29-year-old graduate student. What’s a 51-year-old woman-child to do but go for it?

I’m of two minds with this film. On the one hand, the performances are all decent, which shouldn’t be too surprising as this is the main cast’s fourth film together. On the other hand, though, it’s the main cast’s fourth film together and BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY comes off as a parody of itself. All the things that irked me about the second and third films are still there – Bridget’s pursed lips and squint, the ridiculous way she runs as if her knickers are wrapped around her ankles, and the needle drop soundtrack that is far too on-the-nose for its own good, to name just three. Thank goodness for Hugh Grant, who has the film’s best lines and knows what to do with them. The movie gets so much funnier whenever he’s on screen. The rest of the time it’s mildly entertaining at best. That being said, though, I did prefer it to the third film.

BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT YOU opened in Hong Kong yesterday (February 13th). It starts streaming today on Peacock in markets where available. If you’re a romantic and you’re looking for a safe film to watch with your loved one this Valentine’s Day, you could do worse than this film but just know that it’s really not a great film.

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