Kate & Leopold is an endearing comedy-laced romantic adventure that will make you consider how you would deal with traveling to another era.

Stuart (Liev Schreiber), a bumbling inventor experimenting with time travel, goes back in time to 1876. Unfortunately, he is discovered by Leopold (Hugh Jackman), an inventor himself who later develops the counter-weight lift and becomes the father of the elevator. He pursues Stuart and is accidentally transported into modern New York City. The situation immediately reaches crisis level when Stuart falls into an elevator shaft.

Stuart's ex-girlfriend, Kate (Meg Ryan), lives in an apartment directly below him. She doesn't believe the time travel story and puts Leopold to work in a butter commercial. As they become better acquainted, romance develops.

Kate's out-of-work-actor brother, Charlie (Breckin Meyer), believes Leopold is an actor who lives in-character. Charlie attaches himself to Leopold, much to Kate's dismay, and the two begin assisting each other in their romantic endeavors.

Meanwhile, Stuart's attempts to convince doctors that he must be released in order to prevent a rift in the space/time continuum have resulted in his being tranquilized.

Stuart must return Leopold to 1876 or he will never marry and have children, screwing up everything that his descendants have affected. There is a small window of opportunity coming up when conditions are right. If they miss it, Leopold is stuck in the 21st century.

Has Meg Ryan ever failed to bring a character to multi-dimensional life? If so, it certainly was not in this movie. She does a fabulous job as the goal-oriented, driven career woman who has little time (or patience) for foolishness. Jackman pulls off the regal sophisticate who just wants to break out of his societal rut. He plays the role to perfection. Meyer is great in the starving actor role.

The photography is fine. It was very nice during the horse chase. The writing is okay, but extremely predictable.

Kate & Leopold is a sweet movie that holds your interest the first time through, even though you know how it has to end. It's not a bad movie, but there's nothing outstanding about it either. It is just an average, run-of-the-mill movie. Once you have watched it, you are not likely to come back to it; unlike Just Visiting, which beckons you to watch it just one more time.