Bridget Jones 2:Edge Of Reason

[jamie]

I saw this film today and I really did like it. Lots of the cringe-making moments I spotted before they happened but it was great.

Sally Phillips, she of Smack the Pony fame was ace as. So so good. I had completely forgotten that she was in Bridget Jones.

The soundtrack was very good (I'll let the one Darkness song go)

Bridget's mum was great as usual.

[SBaholic]

I saw this last night by accident. I only saw the first one a few weeks ago (narrow mind=stubborness, all that) and enjoyed that, so I didn't mind going to see the sequel.

Was very funny, particularly enjoyed the skiing scene, and The Fight:Part 2. All the actors from the original were on top form, and the film itself was just generally lovely.

[JonSpice]

Saw it tonight.

Impressed - it was great as seqeuls, and indeed any comedy films, go. But it still wasn't as good as either the first film or the second book. Or the first book.

In order of greatness...

1. The second book
2. The first book
3. The first film
4. The second film

Tough competition, though. And I'm seeing it again on Sunday.

V pleased to see Jessica Stevenson in there, she's fabulous. Not her best performance, mind, she should have been given more screen time.

[Anna]

Was made to see this. Absolute shite. How are you supposed to have any kind of sympathy or respect for her when she is clearly more stupid than your average Vicky Pollard? In the first film she was at least charming. Now she's just hugely annoying. And the bit with rebecca is just taking the piss...

[Sparkle]

I hated it. And I love Bridget. Poor the Mark Darcy was made into the most one-dimensional, least sympathetic character in the history of cinema.

[mackenzie]

Noooo! I heart The Darcy.

Ohhh, now I can't see it.

[laine]

I didn't like this at all, the only bit i found remotely funnt was Cleavers and Darcy fighting.

Bridgets really annoying.

[si]

Bridget is a total hero. I defy anyone on this messageboard to say they've never been in the position where everyone around them is far, far more intelligent than they are, yet you're the only one who knows who designed Diana's wedding dress, who set fire to her tits in Footballer's Wives and the name of Madonna's first UK number one single.

I thought... it was really disappointing though. Bridget as a character is a total hero, but the film was just a rehash of the first. It desperatly tried to put Bridget in comedy sitations which didn't really fit in with the feel of the film -- sky-diving? what happened to her joining a hunt? -- which in the end made the audience feel as if they were laughing at her and not with her. The Lawyer's Ball was probably my favourite scene because it was very real, very Bridget and you're able to relate to her because she gets into everyday situations where her singularity makes her funny and endearing. Who skydives regularly? Or goes on a Frank Spencer on roller skates skiing adventure? Those set pieces were just a little bit OTT.

Enjoyable, but disappointing, mainly because whoever wrote the screenplay thought that they were able to come up with a better storyline than Jane Austen. Please don't ruin the franchise with a third film (or if you do, bring back Sharon Maguire as director).

[Sparkle]

Miss said:

Noooo! I heart The Darcy.

Ohhh, now I can't see it.

There was a review this weekend that said something like, "Colin Firth is proof that perfection can be boring." Whilst I disagree that Firth is boring, the Mark Darcy in the Edge of Reason film is incredibly dull. Remember at the book launch party in the first film where he makes that introductory comment about, "Bridget used to run round naked in my paddling pool", then sips his wine and you can tell he's laughing? Nothing that human is given to Darcy all through the Edge of Reason.

[Gordon]

It felt like Dawn French was playing Bridget this time - it was just a series of sketches thrown together like Stevie Wonder playing darts. I laughed enough times to enjoy it, but I did think a few times "What are they doing to Bridget?". Of her friends, I liked the gay one again, despite not having much in the way of one joke set around him like last time. I went to see a preview screening and a few people actually clapped. I was incredulous - no one even applauded at the end of Kill Bill or Hero, or Baby Jane on re-release for that matter, when I went on their first nights! It has it's demographic down to a tee, love it or hate it.

[mackenzie]

Yeah, but people always applaud at preview screenings. Even if it's a crock of shite.

[Ezzie]

I have to say, I did really enjoy it. But I didn't think of her as Bridget. In the first one, after I watched it the second time(I hadn't read the book first time I saw it)I looked and her and thought, yes, that is Bridget. But the second time aound...her accent seemed really crap even tho it didn't seem so bad the first time, and it was just like some cow who fucks things up a lot, rather than Bridget. I really didn't think of her as Bridget Jones. Having said that, I did find it quite funny, but I thought the lesbian kiss thing was stupid. Yes, it's great that attitues are becoming more open, yes it's great that there are more films and tv shows about it, but it seems like the world and his dog are being gay these days, and if it wasn't there in the book (which it wasn't, that character was a bitch who went after Mark then went off with Giles) why should it be put in the film?

[dizzie]

I remember watching the first film ready to grumble about a Texan actress attempting a British accent and was happy surprised when Renee turned out a spot on Home Counties middle class accent. This time (I saw the film last night) the accent jarred and sounded like she’d watched a few Queen’s speeches and thought ‘that’ll do’. The difference was that she spent quite a few months living (and working undercover) in London prior to the first film, this time she’s a big Oscar winning Hollywood star (and appears to have done little accent preparation other than eat lots of fish and chips).

Saying that, her portrayal is wonderful, but the script is woeful. Bridget Jones is part of the British psyche so the viewers are already half way there to understanding her essence. The other characters desperately needed rounding out. Shazza and co had even less to do this time round (and poor Jessica Stevenson, how little screen time did SHE get?), Colin Firth/Mark Darcy appeared to turn into a robot half way through the film, and Hugh Grant appears to have been the only star with enough clout to ad lib through most of his scenes and make his character 3-dimensional.

After saying all that, I didn’t dislike the film. It turned out to be the usual sell-out ‘give ‘em what they wanted last time’ sequel, but we were all promised a great deal more. The last half-hour cohesive effort made up for a great deal of the sketches in the previous hour or so, and it’s an enjoyable way to spend an evening with your brain out of gear. And half naked Paul Nichols helped enormously!

[JonSpice]

Ezzie said:

I thought the lesbian kiss thing was stupid. Yes, it's great that attitues are becoming more open, yes it's great that there are more films and tv shows about it, but it seems like the world and his dog are being gay these days, and if it wasn't there in the book (which it wasn't, that character was a bitch who went after Mark then went off with Giles) why should it be put in the film?

I have to agree. The fabulous thing about the book was that she got Darcy back after him being with someone else. This time round it was just that they broke up and and got back together again. Woo fucking hoo.

I did enjoy it though. And though I've pointed it out already, I will say it again (now that Dizzie's mentioned it) - poor Jess S.

[Steven]

I enjoyed it, but it doesn't compare to the first film at all. I thought the changes to the Rebecca character worked better than I expected them to, and the Thai jail storyline worked better than it does in the book (if only because in the book it's a little hard to credit her still being able to write in a diary whilst in a stinking foreign jail on drug-smuggling charges). Plus it was fun to see Pui from CBeebies as one of the prisoners.

It did seem that my big complaint against the first film - too much focus on the love story, not enough on Bridget's friends - was still a problem in this one. It got off to a good start, and for one horrible moment I actually thought they were going to rewrite the Thailand trip so that Shazzer wasn't there at all, but where the hell was Jude's wedding to Vile Richard? And the big Bridget and Shazzer/Jude split that's such a crucial part of the book? I felt a bit short-changed to have that just edited out in favour of another Darcy/Cleaver fight much the same as the first one.

[si]

Isn't TEOR based on Persuasion, just like the first book is based on Pride and Prejudice?

It's even more annoying that they changed it, as it suggests whoever wrote the screenplay believes they're a better writer than Austen. Not that I rate her particularly, but I'd probably guess that, yes, she is the bigger talent.

[Steven]

Do you know, that never even occurred to me, but now that you point that out, yes, it totally has to be.

*studied Persuasion at uni*