Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable film whose writers needed better history research
Review: Hugh Jackman, in what will surely be his breakout role to super-stardom, and Meg Ryan deliver marvelous performances in this tale of two people who meet and fall in love in the 21st century but whose romance is clearly better suited to the 19th. More than your ordinary time-travel storyline of the confusions that result when two characters living 125 years apart clash head-on, it is the pair's emotional involvement, shaped by their respective epochs, that drives the story. Moreover, it is precisely their separate realizations that their ability to love each other is limited by their own historical periods that gives their story such poignancy. This highly-entertaining movie is satisfying on its own terms, although history buffs take note: don't take the sets too literally or look too closely, or you will find much to quibble with, from the period costumes to the background settings. Didn't anyone tell the film's researchers that the Brooklyn Bridge, prominently featured in both the 1876 and 2001-era scenes, didn't open until 1883 -- and that in 1876 the bridge looked nothing like it does now. Anyone who had seen it only at the midpoint of construction in the mid-1870s would have never recognized it in final form.
Rating: 
Summary: Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy..what's the last part?
Review: Q: "So don't you think it's time you tell me who you are?"
A: "I am the man who loves your sister". That is the answer Leopold gives to Charlie, the brother of the woman who Leopold feels is "the one". Rather than marry a wealthy socialite in old New York, he'd stay in new New York with a career-driven woman who has no intention of love again. Sound like the plot for a love story? You bet. Ladies, this movie can't fail you. Hugh Jackman is by far the most enjoyable actor in the film, and his combination of good lucks and kind mannerisms will leave you swooning for hours after. He is an fabulous new star who will make it big. Breckin Meyer adds humor as Kate's brother Charlie, who thinks Leopold is an actor in character. They become friends, and give each other advice on numerous topics. Everyone says Meg Ryan has lost her touch in romantic comedies, and unfortunately I think they're right. Compare her work[and her hair] in this film to "When Harry Met Sally" or "Sleepless in Seattle" and there's no comparison. She's lost the spunk and quality that made her famous to begin with. Either that or she was just seriosuly bored with the material. I saw glimpses of the old Meg in the scene where Leopold tucks Kate into bed. That's a great scene I loved to watch, as it has the qualities of a real love dilema. They're outside on the balcony. It's midnight, they're listening to the man across the street play the "Breakfast At Tiffany's" soundtrack, and as Kate snuggles close to Leopold, she says how she's sorry it's Sunday, for the next day she'll have to return to work. Leopold, listening to her talk, realizes she needs him more than ever, and that scene where he carries her sleeping body to her bed, with her murmering her approval along the way, is so romantic and old-fashioned. That scene where she smiles in her sleep as Leopold pulls the blankets over her is something like her old movies, and if you rent the DVD, it's worth renting just to skip to that one part.
Rating: 
Summary: "None of the other dogs believe me...."
Review: I didn't catch "Kate & Leopold" in theaters, and I missed it when it hit DVD last year. I just never seemed to be in the mood for a frothy Meg Ryan comedy about a New York career woman who, thanks to a "crack in time," falls in love
with a duke from the late 1800s. But I recently read Peter Biskind's new book, "Down and Dirty Pictures," an absorbing examination of independent cinema that focuses largely on Miramax, the once-small distribution house that hit a boon in the late '80s with "sex, lies, and videotape," then struck gold with "The Piano" and "Pulp Fiction," was bought by Disney and became a big production company with a serious Oscar resume. Miramax produced "Kate & Leopold," and one of the more interesting sagas in Biskind's book is how the film (which scored high with test audiences) was inexplicably cut and recut by Miramax's notoriously volatile and "edit happy" head, Harvey Weinstein, right up until its release. Intrigued, I rented the DVD and was surprised to discover that the disk contains two versions of the film: the shorter version that ran in theaters but also co-writer / director James Mangold's better, slightly more complex original version. Both have commentary by Mangold that explain in detail how the movie was made and how it was eventually unmade. None of this would matter at all if both versions stank, of course, but "Kate & Leopold" is a surprisingly fun escapist romance. It's lightweight but finds a nice even ratio between fluff and substance. That's largely due to inspired, clever writing (a monologue about dogs' inability to see rainbows
is corny and beautiful and could've come straight out of a Frank Capra movie). The movie's other ace is the always reliable Hugh Jackman as Leopold, a 19th century gentleman who finds himself stuck in modern-day Manhattan; the character and the situation are ridiculous, but Jackman plays it completely straight and with such sincere, kooky dignity that he makes the premise fly. It's a shame such a nice little movie met with such an unfortunate fate, but had it not I might never have gotten around to seeing it.
Rating:
Summary: Showcase For Hugh Jackman's Talent If Nothing Else
Review: "Kate and Leopold" is, no matter what fans of Meg Ryan say, Hugh Jackman's film. He alone lifts this rather lukewarm work up to the level of watchable, enjoyable movie, and he alone deserves good mention from every lovers of romantic comedy. So, the story is simple; for some reason or another, a 19th century gentleman Leopold falls in a rift of time so that he comes to modern-day New York of the 21th century, and meets Kate, working for advertizing company. That's it. Leopold, clad in Sgt. Pepper clothes, shows his old-fashioned manners and deportment around in the everyday life of cynical Kate, who doesn't believe a single word of Leopold, but soon finds herself drawn affectionately to this strange guy. As I said, guys, if you don't like these 'chick films,' just watch Hugh Jackman and skip the rest of it. He IS worth it. With ease he shows how to grab women's heart, and the great thing about him is, he looks like a real gentleman living in Victorian age. And moreover, guys, try to learn his humors, which are of course the essential part of his exuding charms. The way he speaks some English words only makes a fresh version of "Englishman in New York." About other players, it must be said that director James Mangold didn't do his homework at all, simply content of getting Meg Ryan here as the lead. Frankly, all I can say is she has played this kind of roles too much. And other supporting roles are, most regrettably, squandered. You see sweet Natasha Lyonne, but her role (as a secretary) is too small; with a defter director, she could be better used, or more simply, switch the role of Meg and Natasha, which would give a fresh view to the entire work. And you leave your seat for a minute, and you will miss the brief, too brief scene of Spalding Gray, whose presence would have given more (quirky) energy to the film than any other players here. Liev Shreiber and Breckin Meyer appear, but both of them are not allowed to do anything except what they had previously did somewhere else, like "Sphere" or "Road Trip." Shame. Overall agreable romance, if you are not trying to find fault with the time-travel setting of the film, which is not the point of the film. Still, those who loved this would agree with my opinion that "Kate and Leopold" could be much better with a better-crafted script (the ending especially looks too hurriedly done). For rainy Sunday afternoon, but you have another choice of far more romantic "When Harry Met Sally..." or "Sleepless in Seattle" just in case you haven't seen them.
Rating:
Summary: Star-crossed lovers with a glitch
Review: Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman play the starring roles in this time travel flick filled with romance, drama, and comedy. Breckin Meyer (Charles) plays Ryan's fun loving brother with a soft heart and quick wit. Meyer adds a jester like quality to the movie that will have the whole family laughing. Kate a modern day woman with a high-ranking job in advertising is about to meet a man from the 19th century. Leopold arrives via a time portal to nowadays New York City, and the fun that ensues as he learns the ways of the future are just the beginning. This is a fun movie for the whole family, one you can bring home to the kids and enjoy as a family. Kelsana 6/28/02
Rating:
Summary: An uneasy mixture of various film styles and genres.
Review: While Meg Ryan has contributed some worthy movies to the "chick flick" genre, KATE AND LEOPOLD falls woefully short of "good movie" status. While not a complete nadir, KATE AND LEOPOLD serves up yet another formulaic movie that offers no real surprises and makes us wonder why Ryan plays a role in a film as uninspiring as this. Not that the acting is bad, because it's not. The real problem is the story itself. Stuart (Live Scheiber), an inventor and Kate's ex, discovers a time wormhole and travels back to 1876 New York. Leopold (X Men's Hugh Jackman), who invented elevators, chases him from his uncle's house, where he is to announce his bride to be, back through the wormhole into modern day New York. Leopold was to marry into money since his family has run short of funds. The rest of the movie shows Leopold adjusting to the modern world and wooing Kate (Ryan) off her feet. The first half plays like a natural "fish out of water" story. Stuart conviently has an elevator accident, getting him out of the majority of the movie. Also making an appearance, Charlie (Breckin Meyer), Kate's brother, spends a lot of time with Leopold, thinking him another actor. Beware: spoiler ahead. If you know anything about films, it's obvious how this is going to end, so it's not really a spoiler. Kate and Leopold go back to 1876 New York to live happily ever after. The biggest problems I had with this movie was the uneasy mixture of science fiction and romance. The exact same story could have been told without involving time-travel. An excellent film in its own right, Splash took the "fish out of water" story and succeeded quite admirably. Here, the science fiction is little more than a gimmick to dress up a rather formulaic story. The most depressing thing of all, however, is Ryan has proven you can quite successfully have a "chick flick" while having an excellent supernatural slant (City of Angels). KATE AND LEOPOLD gives us a rather unrealistic love story. KATE AND LEOPOLD is just an elegant man sweeping a boring woman off her feet. Why Leopold would want Kate, other than she has Meg Ryan's looks, is beyond me. Another problem with the story, however, is Stuart the inventor. He is by far the most interesting character, and I kept wishing to see more of him. Leiv does a wonderful job with the role, and the most interesting sections are the all-too brief scene of him in 1876 New York and again in the psychiatric ward. The best and most captivating scene deals with Leiv explaining to a nurse that he is not crazy. I won't ruin it for you if you do decide to see the film, but his explanation is absolutely wonderful, and is easily the highlight of the film. However, he is taken out most of the movie because of an elevator accident, which makes no sense. The logic of the movie is since Leopold did not invent the elevator, then all the shafts would be empty. Well, if there were no elevators to begin with, why would there be shafts? This is just sloppy writing. The next time the writers want to do a cross-genre film, I hope they do a much better job than this film. I give it a low three maybe a high two for a squandered opportunity of making another good cross-genre film like CITY OF ANGELS and involving an unrealistic love story.
Rating:
Summary: Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy..what's the last part?
Review: Q: "So don't you think it's time you tell me who you are?"
A: "I am the man who loves your sister". That is the answer Leopold gives to Charlie, the brother of the woman who Leopold feels is "the one". Rather than marry a wealthy socialite in old New York, he'd stay in new New York with a career-driven woman who has no intention of love again. Sound like the plot for a love story? You bet. Ladies, this movie can't fail you. Hugh Jackman is by far the most enjoyable actor in the film, and his combination of good lucks and kind mannerisms will leave you swooning for hours after. He is an fabulous new star who will make it big. Breckin Meyer adds humor as Kate's brother Charlie, who thinks Leopold is an actor in character. They become friends, and give each other advice on numerous topics. Everyone says Meg Ryan has lost her touch in romantic comedies, and unfortunately I think they're right. Compare her work[and her hair] in this film to "When Harry Met Sally" or "Sleepless in Seattle" and there's no comparison. She's lost the spunk and quality that made her famous to begin with. Either that or she was just seriosuly bored with the material. I saw glimpses of the old Meg in the scene where Leopold tucks Kate into bed. That's a great scene I loved to watch, as it has the qualities of a real love dilema. They're outside on the balcony. It's midnight, they're listening to the man across the street play the "Breakfast At Tiffany's" soundtrack, and as Kate snuggles close to Leopold, she says how she's sorry it's Sunday, for the next day she'll have to return to work. Leopold, listening to her talk, realizes she needs him more than ever, and that scene where he carries her sleeping body to her bed, with her murmering her approval along the way, is so romantic and old-fashioned. That scene where she smiles in her sleep as Leopold pulls the blankets over her is something like her old movies, and if you rent the DVD, it's worth renting just to skip to that one part.
Rating:
Summary: Hugh Jackman really shines in the part...
Review: This was the second movie that Hugh made after he won notice for playing Wolverine in X-MEN, here he puts his stage training to the test and it plays well in this fairly honest and well made movie in which Hugh and Meg Ryan play two people out of time who fall in love and then decite to get married even though the romance is seperated by 150 years. There is a small element of science fiction where time travel is concerened as with STAR TREK IV; THE VOYAGE HOME, it is acknowledged, but taken only a few scenes to explain away and then they go back to doing an honest/romance comedy, which this is.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE IT!
Review: This is one of my favorite movies ever. Hugh Jackman does a terrific job portraying an english duke from back in time. I love his manners that are used. I had a dream last night in which I was going to marry Leopold (the main character), and he was extremely nice and the way every man should be. lol.
Rating:
Summary: Cute time travel romance!
Review: This is an adorable romance with an out of his time displaced engineer/ inventor who ends up in modern times. Hugh Jackman is a delight! Meg Ryan is not sure what to do with this man!
Classic romance with fish out of water theme- well executed with wit, warmth and romance.
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