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I was looking forward to watching this last night after going out for a Valentine's Day dinner with my husband. I enjoyed it more than he did, but even I was a little disappointed.

Bridget herself is still herself, which is both lovely and frustrating. We can cheer for messy, soulful, lit-from-within Bridget while still wishing she would have learned how to use a comb and a bit of product by now. It's sometimes hard to buy this character as a serious and supposedly brilliant TV producer, and her re-entry into the work force after four years out of the loop comes too easily. Thank the stars for Perfect Nanny Chloe and the appealing young actress who plays her. Where was she when my kids were little?

The London settings are charming, including Bridget's chaotic and colorful house in a picturesque (and no doubt Posh) neighborhood. It's a little hard to feel sorry for a woman who has a fireplace AND a free standing claw foot tub in her bathroom The side characters add humor and zest. Top prize to Emma Thompson as her long-suffering doctor. Leo Woodall is impossibly appealing as the Boy Toy. The kids are adorable, particularly the poignantly Mark Darcy-esque little boy. Colin Firth's silent, comforting presence as he seamlessly drifts into and out of scenes and moments is a moving, deftly deployed touch. The movie is at it's best when confronting loss, and continuing to live after, with and beyond it.

As to Bridget's bond with son Billy's rationalist science teacher, a veritable Captain Von Trapp with his whistle (and just as gentle and musical under the surface)? I liked the character and actor, and thought they had nice chemistry. But I would have preferred to have seen more of Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver rather than spend time with two new potential partners in what will certainly be the final chapter of the saga. Daniel's bond with Bridget and her kids after all these years is a joy to witness. Grant is never better than when playing the lovably irascible, naughty, aging lech. I wanted more of him, and of them.

That was the main problem, for me. It took three movies for Bridget to marry her Mr. Darcy, making that trio of films one long story with a narrative arc and conclusion. Then came this movie. It's not that it's ending is unsatisfying, as least not for Bridget. But it was for me as a viewer and witness to her story. I wanted a narrative structure that brought things full circle, and instead I got one big circle and then another, smaller, slightly overlapping one. And I get it, that's life. It happens. But it made the movie feel rushed and like a bit of an overreach.

It's an enjoyable movie and full of delights. I just wish it had taken a different tack.

I knew this movie wouldn't measure up to the original and it didn't, but that's OK. It was very engaging to watch on the big screen, with strong visuals, fight and battle scenes, and special effects. Denzel Washington makes a meal of his role and is a standout. The twin emperors made for an amusing "Folie A Deux" and the monkey was a fun touch.

Paul Mezcal is no Russell Crowe (who is?) but he was better than I expected and did very well in the one-on-one fight scenes and more intimate scenes. Connie Nielsen struggled and Pedro Pescal didn't have enough to do. The various side characters all do their jobs well enough, though there are probably too many of them here. Derek Jacobi is in it for about 5 seconds to collect a paycheck and I guess lend gravitas.

There are some intentionally and some not so intentionally hilarious moments, both in the performances and the scenes in the ring. The rhino was less menacing than I expected and I was rather disappointed that no one punched a shark. But overall the coliseum scenes deliver solidly.

The movie suffers most not from being a sequel but from not keeping its focus tight enough. In the original you had the central trio of characters - Maximus, Commodus and Lucilla - who had known each other for years and had a complex entanglement that heightened the personal stakes and emotions for them and the viewers while keeping the plot and arcs quite straightforward and simple. Here, Scott expands the story and to some degree the stakes, which makes for some satisfying moments but kind of dilutes the power of the movie. Still, it's a good flick and worth seeing.

My husband and I both loved this. We binged it over three nights and are crossing our fingers for a second season. It just works.

A show like this relies on amazing chemistry between the leads, and Bell and Brody have it in abundance. The flame begins to kindle the minute they meet, and as it grows you enjoy watching them together even as you (quite rightly) worry for their future.

Bell's character could be unlikeable and obnoxious in the wrong hands, but here she is a messy, somewhat wounded, occasionally prickly, but fun, funny and ultimately lovable creation. You understand why Brody's warm, quietly wise, charming mensch of a "Hot Rabbi" is smitten with her. It's wonderful to watch her soften, strengthen and grow in the process of falling for and committing herself to her unlikely suitor.

The side characters are wonderfully portrayed, particularly the respective siblings who form a friendship of their own. Tovah Feldshuh is fierce and funny as Noah's (overly) protective Mama Bear. The young actress who plays his about-to-be-a-woman niece turns in a perfectly understated performance. All of the actors do a great job.

This show hits the sweet spot. It's perfect to watch alone, with your partner or a group of friends. Addictive!