
The previews for Leap Year left me with the sneaking suspicion I was seeing the whole film in a condensed 90-second form, and it's true: If you've seen the trailer, you've seen Leap Year. Granted, this isn't the worst thing in the world. Unless you're startled every morning as the sun rises again, you know not to expect surprises from most romcoms. Leap Year plays it safe, following the fail-proof romantic comedy formula (uptight girl meets carefree guy with a five o'clock shadow, and the sparks fly) and you can see the conclusion coming from a mile away, but Leap Year does some things right.
More after the jump.
The first half of Leap Year is a dud. Some attempts at slapstick humor as Anna and Declan first meet could have been good for a mild chuckle had they not been revealed in the previews, and there are some stunning scenery shots of Ireland, but these are overshadowed by a couple of poorly done green screen scenes that would be considered sloppy by made-for-TV movie standards. Like the relationship between Anna and Declan, after a rocky start, things pick up later in the film as a romance between the unlikely pair begins to blossom. This all leads to the aforementioned predictable finale, which serves as a satisfactory conclusion to a mediocre romcom.
If romantic comedies really do it for you, you could certainly do worse than Leap Year. If not, you're better off abstaining. This story has been around the block a few too many times to fully recommend.
--Eric Pulsifer