Leap Year Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Leap Year Blu-ray Movie Review

Danger! Danger! You're going the wrong way!

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown April 28, 2010

I'm not sure what fever-born madness came over my household this weekend, but my wife and I made the rather impulsive decision to tackle a romantic comedy double-feature. First up? Nancy Meyers' It's Complicated, a decidedly decent but terribly flawed pre-retirement romp that left the two of us shrugging our shoulders. It wasn't bad per se, but it certainly didn't have the spark we were hoping for. That being said, had the order of our double-feature been reversed, the next film we braved would have made It's Complicated far more entertaining. Director Anand Tucker's Leap Year is, for all intents and purposes, a dour, listless genre pic that's already earned quite a bit of harsh criticism... from audiences, critics and, most damningly, its own cast. Hurried, gummy, derivative, predictable, and poorly edited, it's everything a romantic comedy shouldn't be. Its unlucky-in-love protagonist falls for a rough-hewn local based on sheer proximity (not to mention an abrupt inner-awakening), its scenes are plagued by lull-n-laugh slapstick routines and woefully saccharine sentimentality, and its script pairs some truly mind-numbing genre dialogue with some of the most unlikable characters to grace a recent rom-com. Its biggest surprise? That still-rising star Amy Adams apparently can make a mistake. While my wife was admittedly more ambivalent to the film's offenses, we both found ourselves wishing we could turn back the proverbial clock and do something more worthwhile with our evening.

For those who do enjoy 'Leap Year,' Universal's AV presentation will be icing on the cake...

If you were to close your eyes every time something in Leap Year seemed familiar, chances are you'd fall asleep within twenty minutes. When well-to-do status-slave Anna (Amy Adams) decides to capitalize on an old Irish tradition, she hops aboard a plane bound for Dublin, determined to propose to her stuffy, inattentive boyfriend, Jeremy (Adam Scott). So blooms and withers the only original plot point tucked in Tucker's pockets. Inevitably, a storm forces Anna's plane to land in Wales and, rather than abandon her plans and wait for another flight, she pays a boatman to ferry her to Ireland. But fate strikes again, this time pushing the distraught socialite's ship off course and stranding her near the tiny little town of Dingle. Within minutes, she meets a rude, ill-mannered innkeeper named Declan (Watchmen's Matthew Goode) who, despite her off-putting demeanor, agrees to help her reach her destination. At first, she despises everything about her brash chauffeur -- his food, his music, his attitude... everything -- but, by some strange miracle of the heart (as well as a mugging, a muddy fall, a stone-castle interlude, and a cozy fireplace), begins to realize there's more brewing beneath his unkempt exterior than she initially thought. As she questions her feelings, her commitment to Jeremy, and her mutual attraction to Declan, she has to answer several tough questions and make a number of tough choices, all of which are sure to change her life forever.

As uninventive and unoriginal as its setup and subsequent story may be, Leap Year is crippled by more severe problems. Adams gives Tucker her all -- somehow replacing Anna's prickly prissiness with a bit of late-onset charm -- but I can't think of a single actress, even one of her caliber, that could have escaped such a dull, deliberate script unscathed. Screenwriters Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont (Can't Hardly Wait, Viva Rock Vegas, Josie and the Pussycats, Surviving Christmas, and Made of Honor) connect too many random dots, scramble to stretch their bland, two-dimensional characters and, in an effort to combine playful dialogue with a meaningful spirit, inadvertently drain the film of its very soul. Tucker doesn't help matters. His largely misunderstood Shopgirl, one of my favorite films of 2005, was a sweet but sobering romantic comedy for adults that, if nothing else, proved the director could juggle the demands of complex characters, the nuances of an emotionally tumultuous love triangle, and the quirky charm of an otherwise conventional story. Leap Year represents a serious step back. The film often feels as if entire scenes are missing; as if its narrative flow hinges on a variety of subtle elements that were exorcised in the editing bay. Anna snuggles up to Declan too quickly, he softens too suddenly, and they bond too conveniently. Each one feels as if they're being tugged along by the story, not by anything stirring within their hearts or minds.

Worse, as the filmmakers' framework collapses around the cast, Goode visibly surrenders and becomes a positively obnoxious on-screen presence. His performance is lazy one moment, morose another, and unwieldy the next. Though his dissatisfaction with Tucker and Leap Year have been widely publicized, he isn't the first actor to find himself trapped on a sinking ship. But when such resigned posturing bleeds into a performance, it only exacerbates a film's issues. Adams, a consummate professional at every turn, takes a higher road and elevates the proceedings, even if only by a small margin. (To his credit, Goode does genuinely connect with Adams in key scenes.) Still, had he borne an equal burden, Leap Year may have risen to greater heights. Instead, Goode sometimes looks on and shakes his head as Tucker's production falters again and again. I wanted to shout, "roll up those sleeves, Ozymandias! Sink your teeth in and show us what you're made of!" It leaves cynics like myself to wonder if the gaps in Tucker's misfire are the result of limited options. After all, how do you assemble an effective comedy if one of your lead actors isn't giving you usable takes? If the performance that made it to theaters is this unbearable, how awful were the takes the director discarded? I don't mean to heap the bulk of Leap Year's follies on Goode's back, I don't. I just wish I could have watched a version of the film in which The Lookout alum took a hearty swing at the material, regardless of how mediocre it might have been. I suppose we'll never know. At its best, the misguided romantic comedy Tucker produced is worth renting. At its worst, it deserves a comfortable home at the bottom of a bargain bin.

Leap Year Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Once you push past director Anand Tucker's aesthetic mishaps -- noticeable green screen work, odd color timing, blurry shots, seemingly random diffusion, and patchwork cutaways -- Leap Year's 1080p/VC-1 transfer shines. Colors are lovely and natural throughout the film, contrast is vivid, skintones are lifelike, and black levels are well-resolved. The image is clean and stable as well, regardless of how bright or bleak Newton Thomas Sigel's photography becomes. Whether capturing the palpable chill of a muddy, rain-doused village or the warmth of a lush, sun-bathed field, the filmmakers' intentions have been faithfully preserved, sharply rendered, and spared from any significant artifacting, ringing, banding, or noise. There are a number of soft shots, mind you, but none that trace back to Universal's encode. Detail is satisfying on the whole, closeups boast commendable fine textures, and the majority of Sigel's shots of Ireland are crisp and revealing. All things considered, Leap Year features yet another solid video presentation from Universal; one that makes a more lasting impression than the film it accompanies.

Leap Year Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Vaulting past the flat sonic experience most romantic comedies offer, Leap Year's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is quite engaging. Though front-heavy on more than one occasion, the mix makes a real effort to tap into the rear speakers, enveloping the listener in the quaint lilt of the Irish countryside, the damp confines of a musty pub, and the prim bustle of Anna's upper class stomping grounds. Ambience is convincing, particularly when rolling storms hit or Tucker's lovelorn leads trek from rural locale to locale, and interior acoustics are impressive. As expected, the LFE channel doesn't draw a lot of attention, but lends plenty of support when called upon. But while a car accident, bar fight, wedding reception, and string of pratfalls do just that, the entire track proves itself to be sturdy and reliable. On that note, dynamics are decent from beginning to end, directionality is playful but precise, and pans are slippery and smooth. Yes, dialogue seems to defy all odds at inopportune times -- the film's haphazard ADR is a bit bullish -- and yes, Randy Edelman's score is buried alive the moment the actors open their mouths, but any gripes should be registered with Tucker, not Universal. Most every line is clear and intelligible, prioritization is smart and forgiving, and voices rarely get muddled in the mix. Long story short, rom-com fans will be most pleased with the results.

Leap Year Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aside from the usual Universal bells and whistles -- My Scenes bookmarking, BD-Live Functionality, Pocket Blu apps, and Social Blu options -- the Blu-ray edition of Leap Year includes a lone special feature: a short series of seven "Deleted Scenes" (HD, 7 minutes) that add very little to the tale (other than some disposable character beats).

Leap Year Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Trite, plodding, and unimaginative, Leap Year doesn't do anything a thousand other romantic comedies haven't done before. More distressingly, it continually struggles to establish its identity, hurtling between clumsy comedy, sweet-natured romance, and syrupy drama without warning, all the while relying on paper-thin plot points and contrived sleight-of-hand to patch over all the holes left in Tucker's wake. I'm sure many a girlfriend and wife will be more forgiving, but diehard cinephiles, male and female alike, will walk away shaking their heads. Aside from a nearly non-existent supplemental package, Universal's Blu-ray release is much better. Its video transfer is faithful to a fault and its DTS-HD Master Audio track is surprisingly immersive. Neither will inspire overwhelming awe, but each one adds some much-needed value to an otherwise forgettable disc. My suggestion? Add Leap Year to your Netflix queue and save it for a rainy date-night.