My wife picked Bridget Jones 4 just after my second child was born, and I was intrigued. I’m a sucker for a decent rom – com, but this one was a struggle. Admittedly, I have not seen the second or third installments in the series, so maybe having more of the backstory would have added to the experience. I doubt it though, and am kind of surprised by the RT and IMDB scores – I thought a 3/10 was being generous.
Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant are excellent, and make every scene they are in fun to watch. The scenes without them, though, are pretty tough sledding. I moved my discussion of the plot and its flaws into the spoilers section, but the short version is that the story makes almost no sense, and it is hard to root for any relationship in the movie.
Spoilers
The basic plot of the story is a rehash of the first Bridget Jones film. It fails this time because of the chemistry and interactions between the characters. Both of the relationships this time are poorly developed. First, some young park ranger falls in love with Bridget because she is awkwardly stuck in a tree. There is never any explanation as to what he sees in her, or why he falls in love. Similarly, the relationship between Bridget and Mr. Walliker is a failure. They are aiming for the typical opposites attract dynamic, but at basically no point do they sell why either character falls for the other one. Very poor work all around.
My Score
IMDB Score
RT Critics
89
RT Audience
74