Kate & Leopold far-fetched fantasy

Kate & Leopold is about as far-fetched as they come.

Stuart (Live Schreiber) discovers a time portal that brings him back to 1876. He brings a visitor from that year, Leopold, Duke of Albany (Hugh Jackman), back with him to present day New York.

Leo then proceeds to fall in love with Stuart’s ex-girlfriend cum neighbour, Kate McKay (Meg Ryan). The usual obstacles apply, with an added problem of Leopold having to return to his own time eventually, since his being in New York apparently causes all the lifts to break down (he’s the inventor of the lift, you see). Formulaic and rather predictable, this is a romantic comedy that goes by the book and gives no surprises.

Unfortunately, the two leads are severely lacking in the chemistry department. Sweetie-pie Meg Ryan never gets to grips with her role as an aggressive go-getter at an advertising agency. Wrinkling her nose prettily in a role that she’s played to death, her character is two-parts stereotype and one-part a rehash from her Nora Ephron days.

Since her foray into drama Proof of Life did not seem to be very well received, she has stepped back into familiar territory for a reliable paycheck.

On the other hand, the grace and poise that Hugh Jackman brings to the role of Leopold elevates this film above other more mediocre offerings. He wears the character of Leopold like a second skin.

Especially in a scene where he stars in an advertisement for Kate. His fish-out-of-water situation is what the film depends on for its laughs, and very wisely, too. However, his character proves himself surprisingly adaptable, and takes to modern-day life quickly, bonding with Stuart, Kate and her younger brother Charlie (Breckin Meyer), an aspiring actor. (Honestly, the mentor-student relationship that develops between Charlie and Leopold is more interesting than the romance between the leads).

Ultimately, this film was calculated to draw couples into cinemas, with attractive leads and the usual suspects in a romantic comedy with time-travel twist thrown in. Although the pacing seems a little uneven, it nevertheless may warrant a look, if only for Jackman’s smooth portrayal.

Romance, 12. ** (Cert 12, 113 mins). Romantic Comedy. Cast: Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, Live Schreiber, Breckin Meyer, Natasha Lyonne, Bradley Whitford.