Rating: Summary: Chivalry is timeless Review: Hugh Jackman is Leopold, the 3rd Duke of Albany, who has come to America in 1876 in search of a rich wife. Leopold was born a Duke but never felt like one, always preferring to work on his inventions instead. He is encouraged (by his uncle) to marry a rich woman in order to pay off the royal family's many debts. Leopold notices a man acting strangely at a dance (where he will announce his plans to marry) and follows him to a bridge being built, the Brooklyn Bridge. Thinking the man is going to commit suicide by jumping off the bridge, Leopold grabs his arm and is pulled over with the stranger. They are pulled into a time portal. The stranger turns out to be Stuart Besser, Leopold's great-great-grandson. Stuart has figured out a way to travel through time and has come to 1876 to meet his ancestor. Leopold awakes in present day Brooklyn in Stuart's apartment. Stuart tries to explain that they are now in 2001 and that Leopold will have to wait one week before Stuart can return him to his own time. Stuart gets hurt in an elevator accident and ends up in the hospital leaving Leopold to get acquainted with modern day New York and inventions on his own.Living just below Stuart's apartment is Kate McKay (Meg Ryan), a modern day career woman who works in market research. Kate and Stuart used to date but things didn't work out and now are just neighbors and friends. Kate and Leopold meet but when Leopold tells her that he is from 1876, Kate thinks he is just another nut and dismisses him as such. Charlie, Kate's brother, arrives for a visit and becomes friends with Leopold, whom he thinks is a fellow actor. Charlie realizes Leopold is in love with his sister and sets about getting the two together. Stuart has to return Leopold to 1876 or Stuart will cease to exist. Also, because Leopold invented the elevator, they also will cease to function properly (which happens in the movie). Leopold has fallen in love with Kate but realizes that their romance can never be as he knows he must go back to his own time. Stuart returns a reluctant Leopold to 1876 just as Kate has discovered that he really was from that time and that she is in love with him. Stuart informs Charlie of the truth and the two men set about getting the two lovers together, back in 1876. Leopold is announcing his engagement to a rich woman back in his own time when Kate makes the attempt to travel to his side. A romantic comedy with a touch of fantasy. Meg Ryan is at her best in romantic comedies and being paired with Hugh Jackman makes this movie even better. I own a number of Meg Ryan movies and have never been disappointed in any of them, but I am particularly fond of this one. I am fond of this movie because of Hugh Jackman. He is the real star here and were it not for him, this movie would not have been as good as it is. He really brings his character to life and you will find yourself (if you're female) wishing that time travel existed so you could meet your own duke! I look forward to seeing more of Mr. Jackman in future releases.
Rating: Summary: I Couldn't be more pleased... Review: With the string of mostly clean, viewer friendly movies I've been seeing lately! Movies I LOVE, without ANY scenes that I'm embarrassed to watch with my parents. Kate and Leopold is another old-fashioned, clean-cut new classic, joining the other new, family friendly films such as The Majestic, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars Episode 2, and Spider-Man! Kate and Leopold is the story of two lonely people from different times. Leopold (Hugh Jackman) is a young duke from the 19th century, who's family has moved to America and squandered away their fortune. As a result, Leopold is now being forced to choose a wife. The problem is, Leopold is not in love. Kate (Meg Ryan) on the other hand, is a New York City girl who has recently and bitterly broken up with her longtime boyfriend, Stuart, an inventor who has discovered a portal through time. Stuart leaps through his new discovery and unintentionally brings Leopold, his great, great, great (I forget how great exactly) grandfather, back with him to modern day New York City. From here we get a charming fish out of water love story reminiscent of Splash, but maybe a little less bizarre. Just a little. While Stuart is in the hospital recovering from an elevator accident, Leopold charms his way into various people's hearts, and becomes a bit of a role model for Kate's younger brother, Charlie. Eventually, Leopold even manages to charm his way into Kate's battered heart, and, being Meg Ryan, she manages to charm him right back. But while this odd romance is blossoming, Stuart is telling his time portal story to the hospital doctors and nurses, who take it all in with more than a grain of salt. He soon finds himself in a psychiatric ward, desperate to break out and find his way back to his ancestor and the time portal. He fears that if he doesn't send Leopold back to his own time soon, he, himself, will cease to exist! Kate and Leopold reminds us that a film can be funny, heartwarming, sweet and charming, without a lot of foul language, gratuitous footage, and innuendo. This is simply a charming love story, with endearing characters and a touch of fantasy. There's nothing more to say about it, except that you should pick up a copy today!
Rating: Summary: excellant movie Review: A excellant movie.There was some very funny parts and also some romantic. Great movie to watch with the friends and that speical someone.
Rating: Summary: Prince Charming meets Raggedy Ann Review: The movie is very enjoyable brain-candy. It contains tasteful humour, lively repartee and lovely cinematography. It is fast paced and the plot is fresh and evocative. However, the chemistry between Leopold and Kate (Meg Ryan) just didn't work and it was difficult to imagine how a lovely, sophisticated man could fall for a sad-sack ragamuffin of a woman with an unlovable personality and who seems to be caught in a bad hair time warp. Meg Ryan topped her all time street-urchin looks in unattractively boyish, sack-like clothing which enhanced her bony angles and awkward mien. She sported a somewhat longer version of her usual wayward-looking hairdo and had dirty fingernails and feet. Then she infused the character with a bad personality and attitude. In her other movies she is universally charming, but as Kate, she is only grating and altogether un-endearing. Hugh Jackman, conversely, hit just the right stride with Leopold. He is chivalrous without being corny, intelligent without being dweebish. He makes the character interesting and looks so ruggedly handsome and plays the part so charmingly, he is irresistible. SO. 5-stars to Leopold, 1-star to Kate, averaging 3-stars overall.
Rating: Summary: Charming, delightful, and funny Review: A romantic comedy between two characters from different times is an idea rich in potential. Writer/director James Mangold takes full advantage of the possibilities in this enchanting film that juxtaposes the cultures and values of the late 19th and early 21st centuries New York City. Mangold shows his versatility here by venturing into the light and breezy zone after strong directorial showings in the more heavy handed "Girl Interrupted" and "Cop Land". Despite the clear departure from his previous melodramatic films, Mangold again proves is that he is an excellent actors' director, inducing terrific performances from the entire cast. The story is full of heartrending moments and hilarious culture shock gags as Leopold (Hugh Jackman) attempts to adapt to the technology and attitudes of modern society. Mangold is successful at making the point that though much has changed around us, we as people are still very much the same. Unfortunately, in his zeal to tell a great tale, Mangold plays fast and loose with historical details. If one is going to make a time travel film, one should research the respective eras and represent history accurately. The film is rife with anachronisms, especially regarding theater and opera. Leopold is from 1876, but makes reference to "La Boheme" (1896), "Pirates of Penzance" (1879), and "Tosca" (1898), none of which had yet been performed by the time he left the past. Also, Brooklyn Bridge architect John Augustus Roebling is seen giving a speech seven years after he died, and Leopold mentions Jack the Ripper, who didn't commit his first murder until the late 1880's. Still, much can be forgiven for a tale so touchingly and amusingly told. The acting is excellent by the entire cast. Hugh Jackman's career grows exponentially with each new role. A veritable unknown when he took the part of Wolverine in "X-Men", he blew the doors off that part and never looked back. Since then he has delivered three outstanding performances ("Someone Like You", "Swordfish", "Kate and Leopold"), in all cases rising above the vehicle in which he appeared and eclipsing numerous fine actors. Jackman has the potential to become this generation's Cary Grant, having dapper good looks and an amiable personality with the versatility to glide effortlessly from serious drama to charming comedies. In this part he is absolutely magnetic, giving a performance that is as powerful as it is captivating. Meg Ryan returns to her best genre and gives another terrific performance. Ryan has enjoyed thirteen fabulous years since she broke through with "When Harry Met Sally" in 1989, but is in the twilight of her romantic comedy years. If she hopes to continue as an actor, she will need to move to different roles that don't require the freshness and adorability that fade with age. This role is a good hybrid, having her deal with the serious issues of a career woman, while also allowing her to slip on the romantic glove that fits her so well. Liev Schreiber, Breckin Meyer, Natasha Lyonne, and Bradley Whitford all give strong supporting performances, stealing scenes left and right from the two leads. This film is a marvelous date flick that is easy to enjoy by men and women alike. The humor is truly funny, the romance engaging and the acting superb. I rated it an 8/10, penalizing it a bit for the historical cheating, but if you like romantic comedy this film will deliver a wonderful evening of delightful entertainment.
Rating: Summary: ERRRRRRRR Review: This movie has no point whatsoever! This is THE worst movie ever. Once again Meg Ryan is in a horrible movie (Proof Of Life was also horrid) or maybe it's her..... 1 star
Rating: Summary: "...the result of reflection and study..." Review: This film was wonderful! I realise that the plot is certainly far-fetched and altogether not feasible, but it is also very entertaining. Hugh Jackman puts in an excellent performance as a 19th Century duke, trapped in modern New York because of a fluke in time travel, courtesie of Stuart Besser (Liev Schreiber), amateur scientist and great-great-grandson to Leopold. Mr. Jackman and Meg Ryan play off one another very well, not to mention the lovable, childish antics of Kate's (Ms. Ryan) brother, Charlie (Breckin Meyer). (Be sure to catch Mr. Meyer's imitation of an Indian watching a Mets game for the first time. Good golly!) Bradley Whitford portrays Kate's boss, the greasy dirty not-so-old man, with alarming skill. My complaints are few. There is little cursing, which is good, and no sex, which is even better. Ms. Ryan's hair resembles that of a wet dog, but that can be looked over and detracts little or nothing from the plot. All in all, this is a charming film, one that I have seen more than once, and will see again. Overall review: Lovely!!
Rating: Summary: Time travel romance Review: It's not as if this kind of movie has not been done before, but the two lead actors, Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman, are truly charming in it. Ryan plays a fast-rising corporate star, while Jackman is a man transported from the 1800's to the 2000's through no fault of his own. Actually he is brought to the present by Ryan's ex-boyfriend, played wonderfully by Leiv Schreiber. The plot is predictable, but if you enjoy light, romantic comedy, this movie's for you!
Rating: Summary: TIME WARPED LOVERS Review: Meg Ryan may be the queen of chick flicks, but "KATE & LEOPOLD" is a surprisingly entertaining romance that has just enough comic and sci-fi elements to make it accessible to guys. Although the story evokes the familiar time travel formulas used in "Time After Time" and "Somewhere in Time," director James Mangold wisely avoids too much explanation other than a "time portal" in bringing the chivalrous Duke of Albany (Hugh Jackman) from 1876 to present day New York where he falls in love with advertising exec Kate (Meg Ryan). Romance itself is idealized in Leopold's kindly and respectful treatment of Kate whose ex boyfriend (Liev Schreiber) is Leopold's great, great grandson (and responsible for bringing Leopold to the present). Instead of laughing at the quaint notions of 19th century gallantry, they suddenly seem quite valid and desirable making the ordinary casualness of our dating customs and easily disposable relationships seem quite tawdry by comparison. The production values are of the highest order and the brief scenes in 1876 New York at the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge have a gorgeous painterly quality. The underlying premise that only Love can conquer Time is a universal longing that permeates this heartwarming film. Familiar and still fresh. A pleasant diversion.
Rating: Summary: Kate & Leopold- Tasteful and Light-Hearted Review: This film was wonderful. I hated leaving the theater. I have to admit that this wasn't Meg Ryan's best film; she acted like she was bored and tired with these type of roles. Hugh Jackman was a real delight to watch. His versatility is diplayed quite well. It will be interesting to see what happens with his career. This film demonstrates what I am sure a lot of women out there dream of; being able to find their Prince Charming and living happily ever after. This film may not be for the guys, but ladies if you want to be able to get together with your friends and have a "girls night" don't be afraid to chase the guys out and have some time where tears and stary eyes and "Awh" moments are alowed.
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