PLOT: Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy are still an item, although she is jealous and insecure at all times and even flirts with her nemesis, Daniel Cleaver.

Bridget Jones sequel: V. annoying.

Everything endearing about the plump little-diarist-who-could has been made pathetic in Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason. Considering that audiences are predisposed to enjoying the main characters played by Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant and given the massive goodwill generated by the first film, this is not easy to do.

We are as disappointed as you'll be. First problem with Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason appears to be a terrible script. Bridget (Renee Zellweger) stops being endearing and starts to be infuriating in a story that is endlessly (and needlessly) complicated. Having chosen the lovely man over the wicked man, as per the first film, she remains romantically involved with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), but questions every aspect of their relationship.

She spies on him and acts like an infant, and he continues to love her just the way she is -- and so you want to backhand both of them for being so wet.

Somehow Bridget manages to have an embarrassing scene with a girdle, an embarrassing scene on the ski slopes, an embarrassing scene involving a foreign language/pregnancy-test-purchase, an embarrassing scene on a holiday beach and an embarrassing scene in a Thailand jail. It's cringe-worthy.

And all the gags from the first movie -- the two men fighting, the bad Christmas sweaters, etc. -- are milked here.

Othewise, Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason has leaden direction, plays like a sitcom and is mostly lit in a fashion that leaves everyone looking haggard.

Zellweger is cruelly photographed and seems to have lost most of her ability with an English accent between the first movie and this one.

Firth, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones and the rest of the cast are given almost nothing to do save flounder around and look mortified.

Only Grant, as the evil seducer Daniel Cleaver, is funny. He gets all the good lines, his delivery is superb, and he seems to be in another movie altogether.

You might want to try that yourself.

(This film is rated 14-A)

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