5 Responses for "Kate & Leopold"

1. Victoria February 2nd, 2010 at 8:23 am 1

   Since this was a Meg Ryan movie I was ready to be bored out of my mind and I wasn’t disappointed. Meg plays cute and perky Kate, a street smart New York executive. She has everything going for her except one thing-she has lousy luck in men. This is where it gets interesting and I use that term loosely. Her ex-boyfriend who happens to be living right above her discovers a hole in time that will allow him to go back to nineteenth century and he does just that. Complications arise, however, and a Duke of Albany, from 1876, who is incidentally young, handsome and unmarried, accidentally follows him back through time to present time New York. If that sounds stupid, you’ve heard nothing yet. He gets in all these incidents because obviously he never seen any of the modern technology which I assume filmmakers wanted to be funny but it wasn’t. It was boring as hell. I bet you can guess what happens next. Duke meets Kate, they fall in love because he has nice manners, he goes back in time because balance must be preserved, of course Kate follows him into nineteenth century, they get married and live happily ever after. Oh, I forgot to mention number of boring discussions they have about love and all that. Can someone shoot me, please!.
   Rating: 1 / 5

2. BD Ashley February 2nd, 2010 at 9:17 am 2

   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. …
   Rating: 2 / 5

3. Terry M. Callen February 2nd, 2010 at 10:39 am 3

   To quote the great Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder: Utter crap!

   First of all, Meg Ryan is TOO OLD for these ingenue roles she insists on playing. She looks awful – emaciated, collagen-filled lips……NOT attractive.

   And let’s face it. She plays herself in every film. Meryl Streep she ain’t!

   Yes, yes….Hugh Jackman is incredibly great-looking and does a decent job, but that doesn’t save the film from the sappy plot and bad acting.

   Secondly, the entire premise turns my stomach. I know the right wing in this country would have women as they were back in the 1950s….or appeared in 1950s sit coms, anyway….but going back to the 1800s?

   Back when women were chattel, kept constantly pregnant (and died worn-out by the time they were 40). Back to the days when women, like children, were seen but not heard, and were beaten if they transgressed those boundaries.

   Yeah – those were the good old days. Let’s bring them back! These uppity broads of today don’t know how good they had it.

   Barf bag, please!
   Rating: 1 / 5

4. bard_girl February 2nd, 2010 at 11:41 am 4

   Let me say first that I don’t hate all romantic comedies. This review is not a genre hit piece, but an indictment of the themes of this particular film.

   The titulary Kate is one of the most regressive film heroines I have seen in recent years. Her exhaustion with her career and with modern life is a perfect example of what the current crop of feminist backlash thinkers would have you believe about the condition of American women today. Too bad for them, it’s complete bunk. The idea that a successful, smart woman like Kate would jump back in time to an era where a woman’s worth was completely dependent on her husband, and where enfranchisement was decades off, just to have someone make her toast with mascarpone for breakfast is offensive. And the idea of the modern American man as either a predator or a buffoon (or both, which J.J. is shown to be) is equally offensive.

   I could provide you a scene by scene academic analysis of how the film constructs these ideas, but an essay of that length is not possible in this forum. Instead I will say this: if you decide to see this film, just keep these implications in mind. No film is “simply” a light, romantic comedy as some would have you believe Kate & Leopold is.
   Rating: 1 / 5

5. Erin February 2nd, 2010 at 1:39 pm 5

   Im sorry to say But i saw this movie on my 13th birthday with a girlyfriend of mine and my Big sis and My mom. I was literally looking @ my clock every 5 minutes! It is so boring! Im sorry I didn’t like it at all.
   Rating: 2 / 5