@Amazon.com
Ladies, do you ever feel like chivalry is dead? Wish you could go back to a time when a man was a gentleman? Wish no more! Get swept off your feet by the privileged, Leopold, as he travels through time and lands in your apartment building. Sure he may be a bit behind the times, but that's what makes him so classy. Unfortunately, there's one problem. At some point he'll have to go back to the 19th-century, or else cause a catastrophic shift in the space time continuum! Will love find a way to make it through this timely debacle? You'll have to tune in to find out!
Kate & Leopold is a fun, romantic-comedy. The plot's mild quirkiness is obscured by the well-written bits of dialog and convincing Actors. Hugh Jackman does an excellent job in his role of Leopold; a privileged young man who is a highly sought after bachelor from the 1800's. Sadly, he just can't seem to find the right girl. As heir to a prestigious title he didn't earn nor cares about; he attracts single women from all over looking to become his future wife. Kate McKay (Meg Ryan) from the 21st-century on the other hand, is the exact opposite. She's an ambitious woman who's looking to work her way up at her job, and doesn't have much time to devote to a significant other. Thus, these two are the perfect candidates for an 'opposites attract,' scenario.
The time travel process is discovered by Leopold's future great-great grandson, Stuart (Liev Schreiber). As a scientist, his goal was to observe his great-great grandfather. The fact Leopold came back to the 21st-century was purely incidental. Nevertheless, this ripple in time allows Leopold to finally experience what he's been looking for...love.
Let's see what all this Blu-ray has to offer.
Menu:
The menu is simple and elegant. The menu options run along the bottom of the screen, and include: Play Movie, Set Up, Scenes, and Special Features. I really liked the menu design, but felt the font size of the options were a little small. The 'Set Up' option allows viewers to choose the Audio and Subtitle tracks for the film. The Audio tracks for this release include: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and a DTS-HD Master Audio Sound Check. The Subtitle languages on this release include English and Spanish. The 'Scenes' option displays two screenshots at a time. Each is labeled with the chapter number and title.
Now let's see what Special Features are included with this release.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director James Mangold
- "On the Set" Featurette (14:30 SD) - This featurette takes a look at the plot of the film from behind the camera. All of the actors explain their characters, and give each other praise for their performance as well.
- Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary by Director James Mangold) (8:54 SD) - Fans of the film will certainly enjoy the extra footage included in this extra. Some of the scenes were likely cut for time, but others appeared as if they would have drawn out a scene or unnecessary all together.
- Costume Featurette (2:54 SD) - This feature takes a look at the costume design for the film. Blending the 19th and the 21st century was a daunting task, because the two had to balance out.
- Sting "Until" Music Video (3:11 SD)
Now let's take a look at the technical side of this Blu-ray.
Video:
This transfer comes in 1080p HD with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, so it fills your entire HDTV screen. This is always a plus in my book. The only downside is that the image quality is not what I was hoping for. It's certainly not terrible by any means, but it doesn't have that 'Wow' factor that some transfers have. The close-ups are nice and sharp, but the overall look is a bit flat. The scenes that take place in the 19th century have an amber glow about them, but this could have been done intentionally. Still, the lack of contrast and color variance takes away from what one would expect from a Blu-ray release.
Audio:
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track on this Blu-ray sounds pretty good. The music is always spot on, and the dialog is perfect. Even the subtle sound effects can be heard with ease. For example, in the opening scene when Stuart is taking pictures with his little camera, viewers can hear the light click as he presses the button even though he is in the background. This displays the attention to detail in this transfer.
Overall, Kate & Leopold is a fun film to watch. Viewers will easily forgive the lack of explanation for time travel, as the comedic nature and love story develop within the film. Seeing the two worlds collide provides a great since of wonder and surprising acknowledgement of things we take for granted. It's been said that opposites attract, and this story displays how an improbable love can blossom in the most peculiar time and/or place. If you are looking for a fun, romantic comedy to watch with a significant other...don't hesitate to pick this one up.
