Plot: What’s it about?
When I first saw the previews for ôKate & Leopold,ö I must admit, the first thing that crossed my mind was, “Oh no, Meg Ryan! What were you thinking when you decided to do this film?” However, with it’s wonderful blend of romance, comedy, and slight drama, Ryan alongside Hugh Jackman, Leiv Schreiber, and Breckin Meyer kept the almost cheesy plot going great with wonderful acting and delightful characters. An all-star cast with a mediocre story line can either be a “must see” or a tremendous let-down.
The movie begins following around an obviously unhappy Duke of Albany, Leopold (Jackman). He is facing pressure to quickly choose a wealthy wife in New York City during the late 1800’s. Leopold is an intelligent young man and is in the process of inventing the elevator when he begins observing an out-of-place stranger skulking around the city. When Leopold follows the stranger one night, he unknowingly falls into a time portal taking him to modern day New York.
The stranger who returns to the New York of today with Leopold is Stuart (Schreiber), a seemingly worthless and eccentric dreamer who discovered the portal by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. Stuart takes the unconscious Leopold back to his place in inner New York City. In the apartment directly below Stuart lives Kate McKay (Ryan), a successful, but unhappy business woman, who also happens to be Stuart’s ex-girlfriend. Kate and her brother Charlie (Meyer) donÆt believe that “Leo” is from a different time but take him in while Stuart is in the hospital. You see, all elevators in modern time have broken down since LeoÆs arrival, and Stuart falls victim to one such malfunctioning device.
The curious Leopold explores the modern city with Charlie, helps Kate out at work, and teaches everyone lessons of dating (or shall I say “courting”). In a particularly funny scene, Leopold easily derails J.J.Æs (Bradley Whitford) ill-intentions for Kate by catching him in numerous lies, including his claims to speak French fluently, and his knowledge of opera.
Meg Ryan is, once again, placed in the typical but lovable role of a bubbly, babbling, and scatter-brained independent woman who finds romance in an unexpected manner. Ms. RyanÆs charm is as evident as ever here, but how many times can she recycle this sort of character? Hugh Jackman is charming and delightful as Leopold, yet, the screenplay is light and a bit unrealistic, Leo all too quickly adapts to his new modern environment.
Breckin Meyer was absolutely perfect for the part of Charlie, the goofy younger brother and struggling actor. Surprisingly, he and Meg Ryan had excellent chemistry as brother and sister. Leiv Schreiber was a bit too over the top hinging on distracting as Stuart.
Video: How does it look?
Being a new to DVD movie, we can all assume that Kate & Leopold will look very good on DVD (as do most Buena Vista releases). It does. The 1.85:1 anamorphic image stays true to the form and overall, the colors are bright and vivid. The usual deterrents that plague some other movies aren’t found here. Artifacting, grain and edge enhancement don’t play a part in the fine transfer that Disney has bestowed on it. A few specs here and there and some muddy scenes do detract from the transfer, but for the most part, it’s looking pretty good. No major disappointment here.
Audio: How does it sound?
When it comes to romantic comedies we can expect two things…first that Meg Ryan will be cast as the leading lady and next is that the sound won’t be that impressive. I hit the nail on the head with my first prediction, but I have to say that the sound was rather impressive. It’s not demo material by any means, but the opening sequence in which a thunderstorm carries on is some of the better sound I’ve heard in a while. Dialogue, a staple of any romantic comedy (or any movie, for that matter), is clean and free of distortion and though Sting’s song “Until” is probably what this movie will be most remembered for, it’s just a bit too loud. Overall, it’s a nice mix, a little strong at times, but viewers should be pleased with the Dolby Digital 5.1 track.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Kate & Leopold does feature an array of supplements that’ll keep the movie lover going for a few hours. First, we have a “Director’s Cut” of the film that is accomplished through seamless branching (see: The Abyss). You can select this option and have the movie play it with the additional scenes in it or not select it and see the movie as it was seen in theaters. Director’s Cuts are a bit overrated in this reviewer’s opinion. Yeah, I liked Apocalypse Now and Star Wars with their additional scenes, but Kate & Leopold? Still if this thing is your bag, you have it for your pleasure. Next up is a commentary track with the director. While not one of the better tracks, Mangold seems to use this opportunity to get a lot of information in. While it’s not all of the stuff that I really wanted to, it’s an informative track. There is an On the Set featurette that is so like many other featurettes that we’re constantly subjected to these days. Some interviews with the cast and crew and some scenes of the movie are shown to get you ready for the experience. Seven deleted scenes are also included and its done the “right” way. These can be played all together or one at a time and with the director’s commentary if you so desire. To add fuel to the fire, they are also presented in anamorphic widescreen. Hip, hip hooray! There is a brief costume featurette as well that focuses on, *gasp*, the costumes used in the movie. Naturally there’s a difference between 19th century wardrobes and those of this century. You’ll find all of that here. Lastly, there is a photo gallery containing some 90 some odd shots of the cast, crew and stills from the movie. All in all, Kate & Leopold is a nice little disc. I was surprised by the amount of supplements and the DVD looks and sounds great.
