Renee Zellweger slips back into the title role with ease in this third instalment of the beloved Bridget series

Starring: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Solemani, Neil Pearson.

Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) careens at high speed towards her 43rd birthday without a wedding ring on her finger. She works as a producer at Hard News alongside old boss Richard Finch (Neil Pearson) and newscaster pal Miranda (Sarah Solemani), who suggests a hedonistic girls-only weekend at a music festival. The pals descend on a muddy field, which Miranda pithily describes as "Sodom and Gomorrah... with tofu". A late-night blunder into the wrong yurt leads to a spontaneous coupling with a handsome American love guru called Jack Quant (Patrick Dempsey). A few days later, Bridget is powerless to resist the silky charms of old flame Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), who is separating from his wife. A pregnancy test at work confirms Bridget is about to become a mum, if only she knew who the father was... Bridget Jones's Baby throws a warm, affectionate and frequently hilarious baby shower for characters we've grown to love, and proves Bridget is no closer to achieving her Happy Ever After. Zellweger slips back into the title role with ease, oozing lovability, fragility and regret as she wonders how to broach the subject of paternity with her two suitors. Dempsey and Firth are attractive rivals for Bridget's brittle affections and the script keeps us guessing as long as possible about the course of true love. Set-pieces, including a tussle with a revolving door, are genuinely hysterical and Emma Thompson nabs several of the best lines as Bridget's despairing obstetrician. The third film may have taken 12 years to come full-term, but the wait has been worth it.

Rating: ****