Warning: this review contains spoilers.

Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is an undeniably loveable character. She’s a frazzled mess who managed to endear audiences — and the men in her life — since the release of “Bridget Jones’s Diary” in 2001. In the franchise’s sequels, “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” (2004) and “Bridget Jones’s Baby” (2016), the titular character maintains her quirkiness while growing into a successful journalist, wife and mother. However, in the latest film, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” she becomes a widow, losing a lot of her messy charm in exchange for overwhelming emotional turmoil.

The film follows a massive time jump from “Bridget Jones’ Baby,” set four years after Bridget’s husband Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) dies. She’s now a single mother of two, with her oldest son being around 8 years old, and has swapped her cramped but cozy apartment for a house. Essentially, everything has changed since we last saw Bridget. The film takes at least the first quarter of its runtime to properly introduce Bridget’s new setting, children and relationships to viewers. Rather than beginning the film excited for Bridget’s final chapter, viewers feel confused and perhaps even blindsided — seeing as the third film ended with Bridget happily marrying Mark after years of will-they-won’t-they.

Another difference is the intense tone change. One of the defining factors of the “Bridget Jones” franchise is its lighthearted quality, but now that Bridget is a widow, the premise is inherently gloomier. Exchanging a lot of Bridget’s quirkier moments for depressing ones ultimately flattens her personality and feels out of character. When Bridget is heartbroken in earlier films, the creators transformed her struggle into moments of comedy. For example, in the title sequence of “Bridget Jones’s Diary” she dramatically lip syncs to Celine Dion’s “All By Myself” because Mark rejected her. Now, she just stares at old pictures while sad music plays in the background. Despite the change in context for Bridget’s heartache, the writing lacks the humor to connect it to the franchise’s past films. 

With the loss of the beloved Mark, the film unfortunately introduces two new men who are each void of personality. Roxster McDuff (Leo Woodwall) is a 29-year-old who Bridget has a summer fling with following a meet-cute in a tree. The film tries too hard to sell their chemistry, which falls flat and leaves viewers unconvinced of their potential. 

Then, there’s Scott Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a teacher at Bridget’s children’s school. Though Bridget and Scott do have slightly more chemistry, it simply can’t compare to any of her past relationships. This becomes most evident at the end of the film when the two declare their feelings for each other in the snow, a nod to when Bridget and Mark do the same in “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” While a sweet homage to the franchise’s beginnings, the gesture just underscores the lack of emotional connection between these characters in comparison to Bridget and Mark’s years of buildup.

One upside is the return of playboy Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), as his charm seeps through the screen. Though his scenes are few and far between, he steals every moment he’s a part of with his wit. However, his character’s plotline leaves much to be desired. Daniel’s funeral occurs at the beginning of the third film after a plane crash, yet in the final moments a newspaper headline reveals his unconscious body was found. This is frustratingly never explained in the latest film, nor is how Bridget and Daniel reconnect. Additionally, Daniel now has a teenage son, Enzo, who has never before been mentioned. While Grant is always a pleasant surprise, these unexplained plot holes are certainly a missed opportunity.

Throughout the film there are cute callbacks for fans in an effort to tie the franchise together, such as the classic title sequence dance number and Bridget’s iconic granny panties. While these details are thoughtful, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” fails to capture the perfectly awkward essence of its predecessors and refuses to fully commit to trying something new. While it’s sweet to see Bridget complete her story with a happy family and a blossoming romance, fans will be left wondering how they got from the first film to the final. “Bridget Jones’s Baby” already gave a satisfying conclusion to Bridget’s journey — this latest chapter is simply needless and fragmented.

Contact Skylar Boilard at [email protected].