James Proclaims!

There were 12 years between the release of the second and third instalments of the Bridget Jones franchise but the extended break appears to have had no ill effects. 2016’s Bridget Jones Baby is no less charming than its predecessors and, if not quite as good as the 2001 original, which would be a tall order, is arguably a big improvement on the first sequel.

Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth both reprise their roles, as do many of the original cast, though Hugh Grant’s roguish Daniel Cleaver is notably missing. Whether that character would work within the narrative is perhaps a point for debate, but Patrick Dempsey, while doing nothing inherently wrong, does feel like a somewhat underwhelming replacement.

The Bridget Jones movies have always been about Zellweger’s performance though, and having had her own hiatus from the silver screen she proves here that she’s as gifted a performer as ever, switching from physical comedy to more poignant moments with apparent ease.

Score for Christmasishness

Not as Christmassy as the original and indeed not really Christmassy at all for the most part. The third instalment doesn’t follow the January-December diary format of the first two movies so is not bookended by Christmases, but Christmas does feature in the later stages of the story. It’s not significant to the narrative but it is visibly Christmas on screen for long enough to make Bridget Jones’ Baby a bit Christmas(ish)