Bridget Jones is Mad About the Boy but critics are not altogether crazy in love with the fourth instalment of the series, with mixed reviews meeting the latest film.
The hapless London singleton of Helen Fielding’s novels is back in the Michael Morris-directed film, which is released in UK cinemas on Valentine’s Day.
Renée Zellweger, who plays Bridget for one last time, has hit back after some raised qualms that the character is “toxic” and exists in a misogynistic culture.
“I don't find it toxic, in my opinion. I love Bridget Jones. I've always loved Bridget Jones, and I love her more with every reunion,” she told The Sun.
Fans who have been following the avant-diarist since the initial 2001 outing, and the prior columns and books, will enjoy the Easter eggs hidden within the two-hour fourth film.
But for all the references and hints, is Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy any good?
Well, it depends who you ask.
What have reviews said about Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
The Standard: Two stars
The Standard’s Nick Curtis was not a fan, giving our review two stars. “All the old cast is back together, with some lubricious young blood pumped in,” he said with reference to Leo Woodall playing Jones’s much younger love interest Roxster. He added that the latest is further proof of how the series had “decreased in sophistication and wit”.
The Guardian: Two stars
Similarly disappointed was the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw, who said Mad About the Boy was devoid of the wit showed in the first three films. “With the exception of Grant and Thompson, really all of the actors are phoning (or rather voice-noting) it in,” he said. His two-star review added: “Zellweger looks as if she’s thinking about something else and Woodall has none of the charm and believable humanity he has showed us before.”
The Times: Four stars
Chief film critic Kevin Maher says that it’s “Hugh Grant, returning as the ageing, inveterate ladies’ man Daniel Cleaver, who steals the show”. In a more positive review, he gives four stars and states: “It dovetails neatly into its most poignant theme: time devours all. But with gags.”
Empire: Four stars
Laura Venning also gave the film four stars, calling it “a sweet, surprisingly mature story of an imperfect woman letting herself fall in love all over again”. She also praised Grant’s performance and the references to previous films.
The Telegraph: Five stars
And finally, Robbie Collin in the Telegraph gave Bridget the full five stars. “Like Bridget’s own love life, the London-set romantic comedy has been in hibernation for a decade-plus,” he writes. “What an unexpected joy to see both revived in such style.”
