Surprise! 'Bridget Jones's Baby' a warm, funny reunion

• Critic's rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Here’s a nominee for one of the most unexpectedly moving cinematic moments of 2016: Early in “Bridget Jones’s Baby,” there is a sequence in which our heroine runs into ex-flame Mark Darcy at a funeral. It is full of awkwardness and tension, and even hints of sadness and regret as we learn that Mark is married.

That’s one of the big surprises about revisiting the twosome 12 years after their last screen comedy, the dreary “The Edge of Reason.” It’s not like anyone was screaming for a sequel to that movie. But there is something quite satisfying and cozy about seeing Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth comfortably inhabit these winsome characters again. It’s like reuniting with old friends you didn’t realize you missed so much.

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The movie smartly has allowed Bridget to mature. She’s now 43 and producing a morning news program. She’s lost weight, given up the cigarettes and is reasonably content with the single life. When she spends her birthday alone, she switches off “All By Myself” so she can blast “Jump Around” while she happily prances through her flat.

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Still, her pals encourage her to meet someone, at least for a quick hookup. She goes to a music festival with a friend; in a cute nod to her age, she mistakes singer Ed Sheeran for a Starbucks employee. More importantly, she meets Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey). He is a handsome, charming American millionaire who happens to run a dating site based on the idea of using algorithms to find the perfect match. The two spend the night together in his tent, then Bridget departs without saying goodbye. No harm, no foul.

Less than a week later, she again encounters Mark, this time at a christening in which the two are serving as godparents. Mark is a bit preoccupied as he’s in the midst of splitting from his wife. He and Bridget flirt and kiss, and soon they’re in bed together. She exits before he wakes in the morning, leaving a note saying they don’t belong together.

Of course, as the title screams out, she eventually learns she’s with child (oh, the dangers of using too-old, ecologically-friendly condoms!). Not wanting to undergo amniocentesis to determine who is the father, she tells both men about the impending birth. Jack and Mark are happy with the information. Mark’s reaction to Bridget’s news — “That’s so much better than you being mentally unbalanced” — delivered in Firth’s dry, veddy British style, is hilarious, but then his quiet joy at the announcement (he excuses himself for a moment alone) is sweetly effective and just emotionally perfect.

Bridget doesn't tell Mark or Jack about each other; that is, until they meet at Bridget's work. In another nice little twist, both men agree to help Bridget, going to prenatal classes together and being supportive, if a tad competitive. Bridget's dilemma isn't only who fathered the child, but who does she love? And because the men are both so likable and warm (a genius move by director Sharon Maguire and the writers), the deck isn't stacked in either direction. You don't know who, if anybody, she's going to choose, which adds some genuine suspense to the proceedings.

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The film could merely coast on the charms of its three stars, but it's smarter and brighter than you'd expect. Emma Thompson (she also co-wrote the screenplay) is Bridget's lovably caustic doctor (she advises her that she doesn't need either man), and generates laughs almost every time she appears. There are some sly comments on being in your 40s in the media industry; notice how Bridget's supervisor (Neil Pearson, returning from the earlier films) sprouts a hipster beard in a bid to stay relevant. Even when the movie aims for slapstick, it hits the mark: A bit in which Mark and Jack carry a very pregnant Bridget through a hospital's revolving door is choreographed with a genius precision.

Another thing the movie gets right: Once the credits roll, you want to see more of the characters, and where life takes them. Let's just hope it's not another 12-year wait.

Reach the reporter at randy.cordova@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8849. Twitter.com/randy_cordova. 

"Bridget Jones's Baby" - Phoenix - Arizona Movie Theaters, Showtimes, Reviews

'Bridget Jones's Baby,' 4 stars

Director: Sharon Maguire.

Cast: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Emma Thompson. 

Rating: R for profanity, sexual references and nudity.

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