Customer Reviews

Kate & Leopold

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This is one of those pieces of film reviled by males the world over: A MEG RYAN ROMANTIC COMEDY. Ewww.
KATE AND LEOPOLD sees Ryan playing herself as usual, but cleverly cast as an advertising executive in present day. Meanwhile in the 19th century a Duke named Leopold (Hugh Jackman) stumbles across a portal that brings him into the 21st Century. Obviously, given the title, their paths cross and despite the 200 year time space, they fall in love; as always happens in a Meg Ryan movie.
Jackman was good as usual, and I kept wondering why he wasted his time with this fluff. Meg Ryan on the other hand, is Meg Ryan; so she just basically stands around with her hair all mussed up looking cute for the entire movie. I kept expecting a little old lady to walk on in every other scene and pinch her cheek and make baby noises about what a cutesy-wutesy she is. Yes, she izzy wizzy.
DVD extras include a choice of viewing either the original cut or Director's Cut of the movie, an On Set feature, deleted scenes, director's commentary, photo gallery, a feature about the costume design and a Sting music video. If you're a woman, you'll probably love KATE AND LEOPOLD, but guys should steer clear. ...

I'm not a big Meg Ryan fan, nor am I a big Hugh Jackman fan, but I have liked this film since I first saw it several years ago. Lev Shreiber and Breckin Meyer join Jackman and Ryan in making this (Director's Cut, which makes more sense than the theatrical version) an enjoyable, likeable romp that works better and is somehow fresher than most other romance / time-travel / star-crossed love films in recent years.

Some of our favourite moments? The chase through Central Park, "I love you forever", the dog collar incident, the elevator incident, and the Gretchen conversation.

I can't explain why I / we enjoy this film and not others such as Time Traveller's Wife... we just do. And each time we pop some popcorn and curl up to watch Kate and Leopold we enjoy this guilty pleasure as much as the last time.

The only other Meg Ryan films we like are Addicted to Love and Proof of Life, so if you also enjoy these films, why not give Kate and Leopold a try?

As someone who knows a bit of history, the movie was spoiled a bit for me when the used a real character from history - HRH The Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, who had a real wife and real family. I would have prefered them to use a fictitious British prince instead of a real one. It would have saved me nitpicking this film.

I've enjoyed this film since it was first released in theaters. A time-travel story that focuses on the "leap of love" certainly captivated my interest. And Hugh Jackman as the chilvarous hero didn't hurt either! I had had the VHS version before, but the DVD has so many goodies that I had to get it, and I'm very happy with the investment. The "making of" featurette gives much more insight into Meg Ryan's modern woman, who comes off a bit abrasive at times, but then melts sublimely with Jackman's old-fashioned Leopold. The supporting cast is also first-rate, and the message to savor life (and love) is sweetly apparent. I highly recommend this film if you're looking for some light-hearted, warm and romantic fun.

I watched the Director's Cut version of the film on DVD and never saw this in the theater, so I'm not sure how many changes there were between the two versions. The major change, I believe is the relationship between Hugh Jackman's character and Liev Schrieber. In the Director's cut, Leopold (Jackman) is the ancestor of Stuart (Schrieber). In the theatrical release, there is no mention of this relationship. This changes the dynamic of the film in that Stuart wouldn't have nearly as much motivation in his actions as he does in the director's cut. I'm getting ahead of myself, though.

Once more, I must mention that this review is for the Director's Cut of Kate and Leopold. The movie opens in the 1800's. A bridge is just being built (I believe the Brooklyn Bridge, but I don't believe it is ever said). Leopold is at the dedication ceremony. He notices a man snickering behind him and turns to look. He sees this man (turns out to be Stuart) take a picture with a tiny (and I do mean tiny) camera. This is out of place and Stuart takes off running. Leopold gives chase but is unable to catch him. Next we see Leopold at home, at a party, and he sees Stuart one more time and he gives chase again. This time he catches up to Stuart but they both fall from a bridge. Flash forward to our time and Kate (Meg Ryan) appears. She lives one floor below her ex-boyfriend, Stuart. Stuart calls her and says that he has actually traveled through time but accidentally brought back his great grandfather.

Still angry at her ex, Kate does not believe his story nor does she believe that Leopold is really from 1867. However, because of the close proximity of their apartments, and Stuart's later accident, Kate and Leopold interact more and more often and become friends. Boy meets girl, you know the story. It is a simple story and the time travel isn't nearly as important as you might think. Yes, it plays a major role, but it really is nothing more than a device. This is a romantic comedy and time travel is only there so two people can meet. It brings a different twist to the film, but make no mistake, the emphasis is on the romance between Kate and Leopold, two people from very different worlds and social classes. The film is ultimately about "meant to be", just like any other romantic comedy.

The movie was nothing special, but is lighthearted and enjoyable. While you may forget what you watched a few days later, this was an enjoyable and fun little movie.

As long as you're not an uptight person as some other reviewers seem to be, you'll like this movie. We're not all professional film critics - although this movie did receive two thumbs up - so the rest of us who just watch a movie for entertainment purposes will enjoy Kate and Leopold. Not an oscar winner by any means, but still a cute romantic comedy worth seeing. It is entertaining and I believe that is the purpose of watching a movie - to be entertained by it, not pick it to pieces and over analyze it. Lighten up with Kate and Leopold and just enjoy the film! I would buy this movie.

Meg Ryan is not the pretty young little blondie girl she used to be in movies like "Sleepless in Seattle" and "French kiss" anymore. Not at all. Now past forty, it's a mistake to go after parts that used to be perfect for her up to five years ago. I mean, in "Kate & Leopold", Meg's age shows in her face. I liked her a lot in previous light comedies as the ones above and other like "Joe versus the volcano" and, most of all, "When Harry met Sally", but this ("Kate & Leopold") is too much. And that's just the first annoying thing on the movie.

I can put up with a script that deals with things like traveling in time (example: "Back to the future" is one of my favorite movies), and a XIXth century guy trying to live a week in 2001 New York: movie scripts are like that, they're meant to be entertaining; even if they are based upon the most preposterous assumptions, if the movie is good, funny, has good actors, whatever, if you really like the movie it usually doesn't matter that much if the script is a little absurd.

What I can't stand, and there is plenty of it in "Kate & Leopold", is a script that treats the viewers as dumb people. Anachronisms are ok, even understandable when dealing with movies that deal with past times; script writers aren't supposed to know everything. But in this case, the writers didn't even make the shallowest research. If they wanted Leopold to say things about "La Boheme", "Tosca", if they wanted him to say things about Jack the Ripper, if they wanted to be smart and base parts of the plot on the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, why did they make Leopold come from 1876, before all those things happened?

"Kate & Leopold" would be completely forgotten when you were past the theater's exit doors, except for the fact that Hugh Jackman saves the movie. A very talented actor, Jackman makes you believe he's really from XIXth century, and his old fashioned etiquette lessons provide the story with some very funny situations. Jackman's name should, in the least, appear before Meg Ryan's in the credits, since he's the one actor who carries the movie on his back. Live Shreiber doesn't show himself too much and Breckin Meyer does the only character he knows. So, that's it: "Kate & Leopold" is one of those disposable, forgettable comedies that may lighten up a day if you don't pay attention to a bad-written script. I did, that's why only three stars. Anyway, a light entertainment for a normal day.

WARNING: don't watch it with your girlfriend; even if you're the best boyfriend in the world, she will compare your present-day manners to the "obviously" better male manners of XIXth century.

Grade 6.8/10

I saw this movie with my family and i expected a good movie and it was really good. This is one of my favorite movies in the category of romantic comedies. I think that girls and guys will like this one for a date movie. It will make you think a lot about the life that you live. It is also very well made. Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman do really good acting jobs as well. The story is very interesting with a kind of science fiction twist to it as well.

Everything that everyone else said is probably true, though not everything everyone said is spelled correctly....BUT Hugh Jackman is so perfect in this role it almost seems that he must actually be very much like that person. I rented a couple of his other movies: X-men and Someone Like You, both entirely different personalities, and he was perfect in them too. They, like Kate and Leopold, were not actually great movies. The thing is HE is and if someone will give him a chance he will be one of the best actors of all time. Besides that he is just a joy to look at.

Well, this was definately a chick flick from beginning to end. You don't really even need to see the movie. You pretty much know the beginning from the end from the title.

A new york woman gets mixed up with a guy from earlier in time. Like 200 years earlier. He doesn't know really what is going on and she thinks he is kinda wierd. He shows some old time shivelry by treating her like a lady and she falls in love.

But it wouldn't be a true love story if there wasn't a fight and separation. So he goes back to his time and then she realizes what she lost, travels back and they live happily ever after.

Same old story, different scenery. If you want to see this movie just rent a film with previews for this show on it. You will see all you need to from that.