I've never been a huge fan of Renee Zellweger, but Bridget Jones is by far the best work I've seen her do as an actress, giving the character just the right blend of insecurity and sexuality. The story – in case you're not already familiar – features Bridget as a single women in her early 30's wondering if she's missed the boat when it comes to having a meaningful relationship. She has a crush for her boss at work (Hugh Grant), but is totally unaware that a friend of her family (Colin Firth) whom she despises actually thinks she is the perfect woman.

We follow Bridget as she gets involved with the wrong man (Grant) and eventually discovers true love with the right man (Firth) – all while continuously updating entries in her diary, which the viewer hears mainly as voice-over material.

Both Grant (even though he's the "bad guy") and Firth are strong in their roles, and both characters are quite likable in their own way. The film does have a bit of a clichéd Hollywood ending (for a movie whose theme seems to be that "it's okay to be middle aged and single," why is it necessary for the main character to wind up with someone?), but all in all, Bridget Jones's Diary is an enjoyable comedy and worth your time and money if you have yet to see it.

THE DVD

Video:
There's actually a typo on the box, as the presentation here is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, rather than 1.85:1 as the box claims. I've not seen the original release, but I'm pretty sure that this is the same transfer that was on the last version – and if it is, I can see why no update was necessary. The picture is very sharp, colors and skin tones are well-balanced, and there is little dirt or other problems visible on the transfer

Audio:
The audio is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital and sounds quite good, although it's not an overly aggressive or active track. A French language track is also available, as well as Spanish subtitles.

Extras:
As noted above, this is the second release of Bridget Jones's Diary on DVD, and this new version has a number of new bonus materials, along with most of the ones that appeared on the original version.

New on this DVD is a featurette entitled The Bridget Phenomenon which covers Helen Fielding's original newspaper articles and book, the first movie, and the new sequel. The Young And The Mateless is a look at dating in the new century from a female perspective that spends most of it's running time talking about online personal ads. (Just for the record ladies, it's not much easier for us single guys, either!) Portrait Of The Makeup Artist qualifies as the most dismissible bonus on this DVD – a roughly 5-minute featurette about the makeup artist on both feature films.

Also new to this DVD are the Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Theatrical Trailer, which is letterboxed, but non-anamorphic; Bridget Jones's Diary text reviews from notable critics – including Roger Ebert and Peter Travers; and a short featurette entitled A Guide To Bridget Britishisms, which explains some commonly used British phrases to us "daft" Americans!

Held over from the previous release is the feature-length Commentary Track with director Sharon Maguire; the original Behind The Scenes Featurette; seven Deleted Scenes; plus the original Bridget Jones's Diary Columns from writer Helen Fielding. The DVD also contains several Trailers - including those for Shall We Dance and Finding Neverland.

As for what's missing on this release, the music videos by Shelby Lynne and Gabrielle that were on the first edition didn't make it onto this new release.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you have the original edition on DVD, there's probably not enough here to warrant an update. However, if you have yet to buy Bridget Jones's Diary, this is the edition you want to pick up. It's a fun, romantic comedy that holds up well to repeat viewings and should hold particular appeal to viewers who have enjoyed other British comedies like Love Actually and Notting Hill.