---
title: "Bridget Jones's Baby: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/bridget-joness-baby/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/bridget-joness-baby"
critics_score: 63
critics_reviews: 24
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Bridget Jones's Baby (2016): what the critics said

Critics' score 63 from 24 reviews: 9 positive, 11 mixed, 4 negative.

The reviews lean towards a qualified welcome for Bridget Jones’s Baby, with praise clustering around Renée Zellweger’s warmth, vulnerability and comic timing. Many critics find that a more mature, comfortable Bridget gives the sequel a reason to exist beyond familiarity. Emma Thompson’s performance is another recurring pleasure, while several reviews credit the ensemble and physical comedy with keeping the laughs coming despite a thin story. Even some sceptical notices find the leads worth watching.

The spread is wide, however, from enthusiastic approval to outright disappointment. Reservations centre on the stretched plot, familiar romantic-comedy conventions and uneven characterisation. Critics also disagree about Bridget herself: some welcome her growth, while Digital Spy argues that she has become aspirational rather than relatable. The Evening Standard notably faults Zellweger while praising Colin Firth. At the harsher end, Slant Magazine objects to the shallow romantic setup and relentless pop songs.

## Empire — Terri White

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2016. 

The review finds the film warm, witty and more than a match for the original, despite occasional credibility gaps. It especially praises the chemistry between Renée Zellweger and returning director Sharon Maguire, and Emma Thompson’s scene-stealing performance.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bridget-jones-baby-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 September 2016. 

Walsh finds the third installment warmly satisfying and says Bridget’s growth makes it feel current rather than recycled. She particularly praises Renée Zellweger’s charming performance and the film’s embrace of Bridget as desirable and comfortable in her own skin.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-bridget-jones-baby-review-20160913-snap-story.html)

## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward

Rating 3/4/3. 10 September 2016. 

The critic finds the sequel agreeably optimistic, faithful to its characters and very funny, though conventional. He praises Bridget’s relatable acceptance of her flaws and consistency over time.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/bridget-joness-baby)

## Time Out — Cath Clarke

Rating 4/5. 8 September 2016. 

The review says the third film is genuinely funny and benefits from a more content, wiser Bridget. It singles out Renée Zellweger’s return as part of what makes this installment work.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bridget-joness-baby)

## Total Film — Jane Crowther

Rating 4/5. 5 September 2016. 

Crowther finds it a warm, witty and welcome return that updates Bridget without losing her appeal. She especially praises Emma Thompson’s script polish and the film’s sharp, relevant comedy, though she faults its overly traditional ending.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/bridget-joness-baby-review/)

## Radio Times — Stella Papamichael

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2016. 

The review describes the comedy sequel as one that delivers. It singles out Zellweger’s heroine’s pregnancy and uncertainty about the father.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/bridget-joness-baby-review-a-bundle-of-joy/)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2016. 

O’Sullivan finds the film uneven and faults Zellweger’s performance, but ultimately says it is worth seeing. She especially praises Colin Firth’s heartfelt comic turn, with Emma Thompson and Sarah Solemani also singled out for strong performances.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/bridget-joness-baby-film-review-colin-firths-star-turn-helps-this-bodged-bridget-snatch-victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat-a3346366.html)

## Variety — Catherine Bray

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2016. 

Bray finds the film a likable, sincere improvement on the second installment, though it falls short of the original and is not a comedy for the ages. She praises Renée Zellweger’s warm, vulnerable performance and Emma Thompson’s restrained comic delivery.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/bridget-jones-baby-review-renee-zellweger-1201848899/)

## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2016. 

The page identifies this as a review, but the review text is behind a paywall. Its verdict and any specifically praised or criticized element cannot be determined from the accessible text.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/bridget-joness-baby-review/5109080.article)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic's verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/16/movies/review-renee-zellweger-bridget-joness-baby.html)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Rating 3/5. 5 September 2016. 

Bradshaw finds the film a solid, satisfying comeback and a better outing than its predecessor. He singles out the hospital revolving-door slapstick for its large-scale physical comedy.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/05/bridget-joness-baby-review-reborn-renee-zellweger-excels-in-fun-romp-heavy-with-expectation)

## IndieWire — Demetrios Matheou

Rating C. 5 September 2016. 

Matheou finds the sequel passable but weighed down by a thin, stretched plot and familiar rom-com tropes. He praises Renée Zellweger for making Bridget’s more mature characterization feel believable while preserving her quirks and sweetness.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/bridget-joness-baby-review-renee-zellweger-1201723336/)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2016. 

Edelstein finds the film patchy but surprisingly funny, an entertaining and uneven return to the series. He praises Renée Zellweger’s performance and the heroine’s grounded, chaotic character, while finding the mix of feminist and screwball-sitcom ideas hard to parse.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2016/09/review-bridget-joness-baby.html)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Leslie Felperin

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2016. 

Felperin finds the film more entertaining than a disastrous reboot but ultimately emotionally hollow and disappointing. She singles out Emma Thompson’s comic timing and performance as a particular delight.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/bridget-joness-baby-film-review-925792/)

## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson

Rating 1/4. 16 September 2016. 

Henderson gives the film a sharply negative review, finding its romantic setup shallow and repetitive. He particularly faults the relentless pop-song needle-drops, which he says make the film feel like a playlist rather than a movie.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/bridget-joness-baby/)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 15 September 2016. 

Lane finds the film increasingly embarrassing and complains that it treats Bridget’s journalism career with disdain. He praises Colin Firth’s comic timing, which helps rescue laughs from stale scenes.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/09/26/eight-days-a-week-and-bridget-jones-baby)

## The Ringer — Amanda Dobbins

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2016. 

Dobbins calls the film a delight and argues that romantic comedies deserve more sequels like it. She praises its charm and romantic set pieces, while criticizing the unexplained changes to Bridget’s life and appearance.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2016/09/16/movies/bridget-jones-baby-sequels-aea62b43b9a)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2016. 

The critic finds the sequel lively and funny, and says Zellweger makes Bridget a hugely sympathetic character. They single out her bravura comic performance and the well-timed live-news mishaps for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/bridget-jones-baby-review-renee-zellweger-delivers/)

## HeyUGuys — Em Breen

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review is warmly positive, finding the film charming and Bridget’s return a joy. It especially praises Renée Zellweger’s infectious performance and physical comedy, while noting the film’s lack of diversity as a reservation.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/bridget-joness-baby-review/)

## Consequence — Allison Shoemaker

Fi1m's normalised score 67/100 (inferred from the text). 15 September 2016. 

Shoemaker finds the familiar romcom more enjoyable than its stale conventions suggest, though it is not exceptional. She especially praises Renée Zellweger’s vulnerable, charming performance, which gives the material depth.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2016/09/film-review-bridget-joness-baby/)

## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2016. 

Titze finds the film charming and forgiving, though parts become tedious and its supporting characters often feel like caricatures. She praises Zellweger’s impeccable comic timing and the sincere chemistry between the leads.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/bridget-joness-baby-2016-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze)

## Den of Geek — Simon Brew

Rating 3/5. 12 September 2016. 

Brew finds the film a funny, welcome improvement that succeeds despite its familiar, thin plot. He praises Zellweger’s return and the ensemble’s comic timing, while noting Patrick Dempsey is short-changed.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/bridget-jones-s-baby-review/)

## Digital Spy — Rosie Fletcher

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2016. 

Fletcher finds the film packed with laughs and worthwhile in its handling of motherhood, but says it no longer feels like the Bridget audiences knew. She praises its female perspective and the comic performances, while lamenting that Bridget has become aspirational rather than relatable.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a806983/bridget-jones-baby-review/)

## Paste — Jim Hemphill

Rating 3.5/10. 16 September 2016. 

Hemphill finds the film a sloppy, overlong romantic comedy made watchable by its leads. He praises Renée Zellweger’s winning performance and Bridget’s happiness at the ending, despite the film’s weak craft and underdeveloped story.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/bridget-joness-baby/bridget-joness-baby)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/bridget-joness-baby.md