Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Blu-ray Movie Review

Modern love.

Reviewed by Justin Dekker May 21, 2025

The latest installment in the life of the character created by author Janet Fielding, 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy', arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal. The film sees Renée Zellweger once again bringing the character that she has been portraying since 2001 to life, alongside Hugh Grant ('Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves'), Sally Phillips ('Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'), and Chiwetel Ejiofor ('Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'). The release's technical merits are quite solid, and the film is accompanied by a rather modest collection of on-disc supplemental material. Neither a slipcover nor a DVD is included, but it is packaged with a Digital Code redeemable through Movies Anywhere.

For those who have not fully followed the (mis)adventures of the somewhat messy around the edges Bridget Jones as she's navigated through the various stages of her life until now may wish to take in the three films that have come before prior to jumping into this fourth installment. There's noting here in Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy that will necessarily "spoil" the events of the first three films, not overly, anyway, but starting here may well diminish some dramatic (and romantic) tension, and viewers won't have the proper context of the character and how she got to this point in her life. Likewise, those who haven't recently spent time with Zellweger's trademark character, it's been nine years since the last film, after all, may well wish to brush up on the first three installments by following the links below.

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)

Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)

Every new day seems to be one of monotonous repetition. Get the children up and off to school. Make the meals. Clean the house Or, at least try. Or not. Make small talk with other parents during pick-up and drop-off. Maybe get fully dressed but more than likely remain in some part of the increasingly threadbare red penguin pajamas. With no job, no husband, and no interest in dating, there is little reason to do otherwise. Yes, Renée Zellweger's Bridget Jones is in a rut. This fact is something that the film takes its time to stablish. Fully eighteen (18) minutes are used to reintroduce audiences to the character who has been absent from our screens for nearly a decade and document, in painstaking and occasionally awkward detail, the pool of unfulfilling, uninspired, and self-inflicted domesticated stagnation into which Bridget Jones's life has devolved as an unemployed widow and mother of two. She's a far cry from the more adventurous and energetic woman from films past. But all of that is about to change when, with a bit of help and encouragement from her friends and a fair number of cocktails, she begins to rediscover and reclaim the woman she once was - or what she is now.

When Bridget Jones's diary was first opened and the character was brought to life by Renée Zellweger in 2001, audiences were generally delighted by the quirky young woman and her quest to find romance that met with results that were alternately awkward, funny, or heartwarming. But as Bridget Jones as matured over the intervening 24 years, and her audience with her, we find her in a much more interesting place than she's been in while. Since that first film, she's has successes and failures, joys and tragedies. As is a typical staring point for the character, Jones finds herself single at the start of the film. This time, though, it's different. Her husband has passed. Many of those around her, especially those in relationships, don't know exactly how to deal with her. Even though considerable time has elapsed since her husband's death, they still can't quite meet her where she is. She's either viewed as the woman who lost her husband or the mother to two young children. Nothing more. It's an easy enough world for viewers over the age of 30 who have experienced some life to understand. Once a person has children, it can be odd to spend time with those who don't. After a person exits a marriage by any means, it can likewise prove a bit strange being the only unmarried person in the room. Those who haven't yet had that life experience can't quite relate. Well-intentioned but ill-fitting advice and concern abounds. Is it any wonder that her best moments are found with her small cadre of single friends; some philandering, some addicted to dating apps, others struggling to cling to an increasingly distant past success, and all of whom find comfort in the company of each other and numerous cocktails?

It's this iteration of Bridget Jones that, for me, it the most believable and interesting. She has the joy of children, but misses her husband. Her life was on track and filled with promise and now is seemingly derailed. She's an imperfect parent, but her heart is always in the right place. She wants to move forward romantically, but makes mistakes. She wants to restart her career, but is unfamiliar with how to do that as parent, and has been left behind by technology that continued to advance while her life was on pause. But in the swirl of these elements lies the appeal of character. Zellweger's Bridget Jones is a likeable as she's ever been. No matter his missteps or missed opportunities, the viewer wants her to succeed, and based on past experience, ultimately we know she will.

The cast around Zellweger is stupendous. Hugh Grant is as charming as ever. Far from the flustered, stammering, and incessantly blinking young lad that captivated viewers in Four Weddings and A Funeral, his Daniel Cleaver is a rouge of the highest order, confident, charming, occasionally vulgar and inappropriate, but always likable. He serves as one end of the spectrum that Bridget knows she can't be. Leila Farzad's intimidating and attractive Nicolette is the other side. By all outward appearances, she has the ideal life. She's eternally perfectly put together, maniacally organized, her children are seemingly smart and talented, she has the perfect car and the perfect husband. Neither Bridget, nor seemingly any of the other mothers, can stand (or understand) her. Still, one gets the sense Daniel is still a positive element in Bridget's life and she in his. And while she may have given Bridget something to aspire to, when the veneer of Nicolette's perfect world is cracked, it's Jones who is there to support her in a very human way. And so it is with the others in her orbit. Each, in their own way, serves as a foil, either hilariously or touchingly illuminating the various corners of the current incarnation of Bridget Jones in all of her messy glory.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy has a very attractive 1080p presentation. Jones's world is quite colorful, with her home's yellow door, multicolored walls on the first level, and a riotous children's room. These yellows, greens, and blues are nicely saturated with the film's established palette but stop just short of what most would consider vibrant. Primaries have a richness, but never pop as boldly as observed in other films. Warmth is valued over dazzlement. Fine detail is typically extremely high with every line and wrinkle visible on the faces of the primary cast, who are all well into their 50s and 60s, and stubble is well-defined on the faces of many of the men. Flyaway hairs of Zellweger's barely tamed blonde mane and James Callis's longish locks are easy to spot. Skin tones are healthy, with the subtle gradations and variations in and across the surface area of faces, like Hugh Grant's especially, presenting with excellent realism. Fabrics have a pleasant tactile presence and are best appreciated with Jones's iconic fuzzy black coat from the first film, which returns here, and Mr. Walliker's chunky orange sweater displaying a true-to-life level of frizz and pilling. Blacks can be deep, but in dimly lit interiors, they can absorb a bit too much. Still, it's a solid transfer.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While most would no doubt have appreciated a Dolby Atmos track, the English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio accompaniment is more than sufficient to handle the needs of the fifty-something Bridget Jones and her chums. As one would expect in a dialogue-driven romantic comedy, the highlights aren't going to be anything other than a few key moments where music is pushed to the forefront. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy does not disappoint in that regard. As a segue from the "stuck" Bridget to the Bridget who is ready to reenter the world in every way, the familiar strains of David Bowie's "Modern Love" boldly fill the soundstage; an excellent choice. Sound separation here is impressive, and the instrumentation is precise. Bowie's vocals are clean, powerful, and prioritized over the on-screen antics of Jones and her children. Bass support is substantial but not oppressive. The same holds true for other key musical moments, with The Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go", which defines the bus trip, being another highlight that is sure to have viewers dancing in their seats and singing along. In all other dialogue-filled moments of the film, voices are centrally located and intelligible. Directionality is strong, and sound effects typical of a modern urban environment are handled well. Like Jones herself, it's not dressed to impress, as it were, but it cleans up well enough.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy has been given a modest amount of light supplemental material. Most noticeably absent, and much to my chagrin, is a segment teaching viewers how to make the signature drink (whose name I cannot print here) that Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver crafts, shares, and consumes throughout the film. That would have been extremely fitting, especially if Grant as Daniel Cleaver would have consented to provide the instruction. But as it stands, what we are actually provided is detailed below.

• Deleted Scenes - Four deleted scenes are included: Bridget Arrives and Struggles to Figure Out the Lift (1.10), Birthday Invite (0.26), Bridget Meets Nicolette, Gets Drunk and Resulting Hangover (4.11), and Bridget and Kids Watch Rebecca From the Window (0.42) . The third is easily the most interesting and entertaining of the bunch.

• Back to Bridget (4.52) - Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones) shares here thoughts about returning to this character after several years away. Director Michael Morris and Author Janet Fielding discuss the character's importance and the direction of the new film.

• Bridget 4.0 - The Making Of (6.27) - Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones) talks about the character she's portrayed over the past two decades, and other members of the cast and crew discuss their excitement and enthusiasm at being able to work together again on the next chapter in Bridget's life. Director Michael Morris relays choices made to support the happy and positive themes of the film and Bridget's arc.

• Mad About the Boys (5.06) - Director Michael Morris, Hugh Grant (Daniel Cleaver), Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones) and others discuss the evolution of Daniel and Bridget's relationship, as well as the impact of the new male characters in Bridget's orbit.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and the rest of the cast do a splendid job bringing back a character who's been too long absent. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy sees the titular character seeking love, identity, and joy again in the wake of tragedy and loss. Not altogether unsurprising given the age of much of the cast, it also presents the character at her most mature and relatable. Buoyed by an excellent and nostalgic soundtrack, the film is witty and endearing, and rings true in the moments that matter most. While the on-disc supplemental material is as light as an opened pack of rice cakes and there's still a recipe I need to find, the technical merits are very solid. Newcomers are made welcome here, with the film working to quickly ground those with little to no foreknowledge of the franchise just enough, but those familiar with the other chapters in her diary will find much more to enjoy. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy comes recommended.