Bridget Jones's Baby is actually impressing critics, and may lead to a fourth film

Bridget Jones's Baby is getting rave reviews so far. Photo / Getty

Our favourite lovable ditz is back and this time she's got herself up the duff and people are loving it.

Despite the less-than-impressed reception of previous Bridget Jones films, critics are rating the latest instalment Bridget Jones's Baby much higher than expected.

Tim Robey from Daily Telegraph (UK) says "Zellweger feels back in charge of the character again, and even her excesses are easily indulged, after the tonally hideous detour of 2004's The Edge of Reason."

Renee Zellweger seen on set of Bridget Jones' Baby at Borough Market on October 13, 2015 in London. Photo / Getty

Kevin P. Sullivan from Entertainment Weekly says "the proceedings may be typical for Bridget and the series, but it's all played so earnestly that it's difficult to hold a grudge."

"The script contains some genuinely uproarious laughs and is sharper than it needs to be, even if some of the jokes feel as old as Bridget's condoms."

Zellweger attends the Bridget Jones's Baby world premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square on September 5, 2016. Photo / Getty

"A warm, witty and welcome return - intelligently evolved and an absolute hoot. As Bridget would say: 'v.good'." says Jane Crawther from Total Film.

Bridget Jones's Baby is due to be released in New Zealand on September 22.

Word on the street is Bridget Jones's Baby producer Eric Fellner already wants to make a fourth film in the Bridget Jones series.

Fellner said this week that he has already started thinking about bringing Helen Fielding's 2013 novel Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy to the big screen.

Helen Fielding meets fans and signs copies of her book 'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy' at Foyles Gallery. Photo / Getty

While speaking at a press conference on Monday this week in London, he said:

"Helen has another book out there called Mad About the Boy which picks up eight years later, where Bridget is about 50 or 51, so maybe in eight years' time we can talk about it."