Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Movie Review: Bridget Jones is back after nine years, and let’s just say, this time, her diary entry isn’t a complete disaster. Especially if, like many, you were left underwhelmed by Bridget Jones’s Baby. In fact, while Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is undeniably about Bridget Jones, it doesn’t quite feel like a traditional Bridget Jones movie. This instalment is more melancholic, more in sync with the times, and serves as a bittersweet reminder of the deceptively cheerful era when the earlier films were released. Though it’s a legacy sequel that hopefully doesn’t spawn endless follow-ups, Mad About the Boy isn’t about rehashing the greatest hits of the past—and that’s what makes it a refreshing change for the franchise. Renee Zellweger Birthday: A List of Academy Awards That She Won And Was Nominated For In Her Career So Far.

No matter how the years have treated her (she’s now touching her 50s), Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) hasn’t changed much at her core. She’s still cherubic, insecure, clumsy, and in search of validation. Except now, she’s a mother of two. Oh, and she’s also a widow. Mark Darcy is no longer alive, having been killed during a humanitarian mission in Sudan four years ago - though Colin Firth still makes sporadic appearances as Bridget’s hallucination.

Watch the Trailer of 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy':

One day, Bridget decides it’s time to move on and gives both her professional and love lives a second chance. While she returns to her job as a TV producer, her cravings for love are temporarily satisfied by a much younger man, Roxster (Leo Woodall). Then there’s Mr Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a no-nonsense science teacher at her children’s school who also seems to have a soft spot for Bridget.

'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' Movie Review - Not Enough Hugh Grant!

Yet, while Mad About the Boy, directed by Michael Morris and based on Helen Fielding's novel by the same of the same name, features two men vying for the affection of the awkward yet curiously endearing Bridget (and yes, you can probably guess who she’ll end up with), this isn’t a film about two men fighting over her. Instead, it’s a story about a woman trying to navigate the immense grief in her life, helping her family move forward, and rediscovering happiness and love at an age where options feel increasingly limited.

If you’re here for the Colin Firth and Hugh Grant antics of the past, you’ll be disappointed. Firth is relegated to a handful of emotional, hallucinatory scenes, while Grant has only three very funny moments - making it almost criminal that we don’t see more of him. His Daniel Cleaver is a shadow of his former self: still a playboy romancing women his daughter’s age, but now more amicable and even on friendly terms with Bridget, serving as the favourite uncle to her kids.

'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' Movie Review - A Mature Bridget Jones That Works!

While Hugh Grant fans (myself included) might lament his limited screen time, this shift allows Bridget to take centre stage in her own journey. This includes her exploration of two new romantic chapters in her life, all while grappling with the insecurities and jealousies that come with her advancing age, particularly when dealing with Chloe (Nico Parker), the young, alarmingly efficient new babysitter for her kids.

Her lusty dalliance with the young Adonis, Roxster, feels reminiscent of the May-December romance trend popular in films like A Family Affair and The Idea of You. Yet, it’s handled with the quintessential Bridget Jones charm: breezy, witty, and tinged with an undercurrent of melancholy. In a scene that cheekily nods to Fast Times at Ridgemont High’s iconic Phoebe Cates moment, the film leans into Roxster’s thirst-trap appeal. He arrives at a party, leaps into a pool to rescue a dog, and emerges as the object of everyone’s lustful gaze - before sealing the moment with a kiss for Bridget. It’s equal parts hilarious and sizzling, while working as a high point for the titular character.

There are plenty of moments where the film sparkles with wit, and Bridget’s inner monologue remains as hilariously relatable as ever.

'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' Movie Review - Surprisingly Emotional and Real

That said, there’s a stretch where Mad About the Boy gets a little too real - emotionally speaking - and I found myself desperately craving the sunnier, carefree vibes of the first two films (not a complaint, just a wistful observation). Enter Hugh Grant, swooping in like a cheeky lifesaver during this stretch. But even his scene, while dripping with that trademark Cleaver charm, serves as a not-so-subtle reminder that these characters are ageing - and, well, so am I, having grown up alongside them. Damn you, Bridget, for making me face my own mortality with your midlife musings!

If you’re here for the Colin Firth and Hugh Grant antics of the past, you’ll be disappointed. Firth is relegated to a handful of emotional, hallucinatory scenes, while Grant has only three very funny moments - making it almost criminal that we don’t see more of him. His Daniel Cleaver is a shadow of his former self: still a playboy romancing women his daughter’s age, but now more amicable and even on friendly terms with Bridget, serving as the favourite uncle to her kids.

'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' Movie Review - A Mature Bridget Jones That Works!

While Hugh Grant fans (myself included) might lament his limited screen time, this shift allows Bridget to take centre stage in her own journey. This includes her exploration of two new romantic chapters in her life, all while grappling with the insecurities and jealousies that come with her advancing age, particularly when dealing with Chloe (Nico Parker), the young, alarmingly efficient new babysitter for her kids.

Her lusty dalliance with the young Adonis, Roxster, feels reminiscent of the May-December romance trend popular in films like A Family Affair and The Idea of You. Yet, it’s handled with the quintessential Bridget Jones charm: breezy, witty, and tinged with an undercurrent of melancholy. In a scene that cheekily nods to Fast Times at Ridgemont High’s iconic Phoebe Cates moment, the film leans into Roxster’s thirst-trap appeal. He arrives at a party, leaps into a pool to rescue a dog, and emerges as the object of everyone’s lustful gaze - before sealing the moment with a kiss for Bridget. It’s equal parts hilarious and sizzling, while working as a high point for the titular character.

There are plenty of moments where the film sparkles with wit, and Bridget’s inner monologue remains as hilariously relatable as ever.

'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' Movie Review - Surprisingly Emotional and Real

That said, there’s a stretch where Mad About the Boy gets a little too real - emotionally speaking - and I found myself desperately craving the sunnier, carefree vibes of the first two films (not a complaint, just a wistful observation). Enter Hugh Grant, swooping in like a cheeky lifesaver during this stretch. But even his scene, while dripping with that trademark Cleaver charm, serves as a not-so-subtle reminder that these characters are ageing - and, well, so am I, having grown up alongside them. Damn you, Bridget, for making me face my own mortality with your midlife musings!

At one point, I thought the film was heading towards a fitting conclusion, with Bridget and her kids finding acceptance in their new reality. But no, the movie trudges on, determined to remind us that it’s still a rom-com. I didn’t mind too much, as it meant more screen time for the fantastic Chiwetel Ejiofor, and there are a couple of emotional sequences that hit the sweet spot, including a genuinely touching declaration of love.

As for the cast, Mad About the Boy brings back most of the familiar faces from the previous films, even if their screen time is reduced to little more than cameos. This includes the delightful Jim Broadbent, who appears in a bittersweet flashback, and Gemma Jones. Emma Thompson, in her two-scene role, delivers some of the film’s biggest laughs.

As for Renée Zellweger, this woman could play Bridget Jones until she’s 90, and like Darcy, Daniel, Roxster, and Wallaker, we’d still fall for her and her gawky walk. That said, I suspect this might be her final outing as the character, given the end-credits montage of moments from her past films. Unless, of course, this film hits a billion-dollar jackpot at the box office - in which case, Zellweger might just have to play Bridget Jones until the grave. Ask Hugh Jackman!

PS: Why was Isla Fisher there for that just one scene as Bridget's neighbour? Did I miss something?

'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a bittersweet addition to an uneven franchise that allows it to end on a high (that is, if it plans to end here). It’s a film that dares to grow up, trading the fizzy rom-com antics of its predecessors for a more reflective, melancholic tone that works well with the times. While it stumbles in its pacing and leaves fans of Hugh Grant and Colin Firth wanting more, it ultimately succeeds in giving Bridget a heartfelt, relatable journey of rediscovery, with Zellweger's endearing performance winning hearts yet again.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 13, 2025 12:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).