By: Lara Santoro

June 2005

DVD Features Video: 2.40:1 Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1,  French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 An alternate beginning and more of Bridget’s comic mishap’s in never before seen deleted scenes! Who do you fancy? Mark or Daniel? Find out in the “Who’s Your Man?” Quiz. What happens when a big lawyer and a big liar face-off for Bridget’s affections? A comic look inside “The Big Fight” reveals all! Mark and Bridget forever? Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth discuss the ups, downs and wobbly bits of their relationship! A hilarious interview from serious journalist Bridget Jones and actor Colin Firth Theatrical release: 11/08/2004 DVD released on 3/22/2005 by Universal Studios Running time of 108 minutes Starring: Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Renee Zellweger Director: Beeban Kidron Plot: Not that Bridget’s counting, but it’s been six wonderful weeks, four fabulous days and seven precious hours with one flawless boyfriend, Mark Darcy. But when mischievous and devilishly charming Daniel Cleaver arrives on the scene claiming to be a reformed man, can Bridget find a way to make true love last forever?

What would be a Bridget Jones story without her getting into trouble with charming and handsome Daniel Cleaver, a sad Mark Darcy who is in pain when he can’t win his love, or two insane old parents who aren’t the main characters of the movie but could have a script written just for them? And of course all this happens and more great surprises in the sequel which keep it very entertaining and fast moving. The second movie is different from the first in that the directors are different and for that there are obvious elements that stick out. But the direction and screenplay is very well done and makes the movie strong enough to stand alone without having any previous Bridget Jones knowledge.

Bridget Jones’ Diary the Edge of Reason is another laugh out loud film with that famous dry sense of British humor. It varies in several ways from the first which will give true BJ fans interesting opinions. I went into watching the movie expecting it to be similar to the book, but it disappointed me at how much different it became. Without giving anything away, there were several hysterical scenes in the book’s sequel that I would have loved to have seen acted out, and they were totally eliminated creating a totally different plot and story for Bridget. What the director and characters pulled off was still haha funny but not as laugh out loud as reading the book. Compared to the first movie, they had chosen to have the handwriting to emphasis the “diary” illusion. So the “diary” part of the famous Bridget Jones was quite left out which was disappointing, but replaced with voiceovers that weren’t really up to par.

There is a definite theme to this movie which the director talks about in her commentary, and that is what happens when you don’t trust someone. And throughout the plot, all the trials and tribulations happen because there is one person, i.e. Bridget, who doesn’t trust one of the other characters. The director’s commentary is definitely worth watching and Beeban Kidron does a pretty good job of filling in questions as to why something might have happened.

The DVD is not really packed with extra footage, outtakes, or lots of interviews. The director’s commentary is good and watching the movie again with the voice over is very interesting. I would definitely recommend BJ fans to buy it – not just to have it in the collection, with the first movie & books, but just to have them keep in mind that it is nothing like the second book. Otherwise, it’s a good rental.

Reviewer’s Opinion: RENT IT!!