Of all the criticisms of \Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason,"" the most obvious is also the most fundamental. Why make the movie in the first place? The 2001 romantic comedy ""Bridget Jones' Diary"" functioned perfectly fine as a standalone film, and a sequel was wholly unnecessary. Of course, where there's money to be earned, there's a film to be made. Make no mistake about it-that is the only explanation of the existence of ""Edge of Reason.""
""Reason"" opens shortly after the original film's ending. After spending the first film getting the socially awkward and overweight Bridget (Renee Zellweger) together with dream boyfriend Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), the sequel immediately goes about the task of driving them apart. Of course, this is a complicated task. The filmmakers naturally want to ensure both characters remain loved by the audience. As a result, their breakup is from start to finish entirely unrealistic. The movie never recovers, bouncing into diversions and contrivances. While this does provide an opening to bring back the simultaneously charming and sleazy Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), none of these diversions prove particularly interesting-only campy. By the time Jones is arrested for drug smuggling and ends up in a Thai prison, no one can be surprised that she sets out to put together a performance of Madonna's ""Like a Virgin"" with her fellow inmates.
In the sequel, the insecurities and social ineptitude of Jones reach new heights. There's a certain amount of delicate and careful craftsmanship required to make a character both bumbling and likeable-a thin line walked well in the original. In ""Reason,"" Bridget is no longer cute and lovable in any sense. The material pushes the character over the edge into the realm of the irritating and irrational. Neuroses and imperfections can be adorable when they seem small and cute. ""Reason"" blows Jones' flaws up beyond any acceptable measure, and by the end of the film, you can't help but hope that Mark realizes what a mess she is so he can cut his losses.
Zellweger's performance is disappointing, to say the least. In the first film, Bridget seemed real and human. In ""Reason,"" Zellweger plays it just over the top, making Bridget a caricature instead of a person. Meanwhile, Firth's performance as Mark Darcy lacks any distinguishing characteristics; he has the role down well, and does nothing remarkably new, good or bad. Grant's revival of Daniel is easily the best part of the film, and for the half-hour he's on screen, ""Reason"" almost seems worth watching.
Director Beeban Kidron and screenwriter Andrew Davies based the movie on Helen Fielding's second Jones novel, so it's difficult to tell exactly who's to blame-maybe they all are. If the film had attempted to expand on the first story instead of reusing the best parts, ""Reason"" could have justified its own existence. As it stands, the film just plays like an excuse to get Zellweger, Firth and Grant back on the screen to reprise their characters one more time.
