Universal's rom-com Leap Year released to DVD rental

The Last Station
Out to rent on DVD and blu ray

Perhaps it's because we're just about the right distance from Valentine's Day but this week's DVD releases all seem just a bit romantic.

That even goes for this dramatisation of Tolstoy's last year which focuses on the author's tumultuous relationship with his wife Sofya.

Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer are good value for money as the warring couple and McAvoy does his soft-eyed face that makes the film worth the price of rental alone.

The Princess and The Frog
Out to rent on DVD and blu ray

It might be set in 1920s New Orleans rather than general 'fairy-tale land' and feature the first black Disney princess but the little else differs from the tried and tested Walt formula: the songs are catchy, the animation style feels classic and there's a proper baddie.

As with most Disney films, it'll also be worth a rent if you have a small child that needs cheerily indoctrinating.

Tiana's tireless work-ethic is what wins the day in the end as lyrics like "some people take the easy way out/ I know exactly where I'm going" make pretty clear.

Also, Oprah Winfrey's in it. Sold.

Leap Year
Out to rent on DVD and blu ray on June 25th exclusively at Blockbuster and from Cinema Paradiso on July 12th

Despite supposedly being an upwardly-mobile career woman, feckless Anna (Amy Adams) is sick of waiting for her boyfriend to propose so she decides to go to Ireland for the 29th February to propose herself where she falls for a standard-issue surly local.

The plot is frothier than a bottom-of-the barrel pint of Guinness, as flimsy as a wilting clover and more hammily Irish than either one. Not even a surprisingly hunky performance from Matthew Goode can save it.

If you're that desperate for some Goode rent A Single Man.

Another note of caution - if tawdry rom-coms are your thing and you do decide to press the rent button - don't watch the theatrical trailer first which manages to give away the whole plot (such as it is).

Finally, this is a Blockbuster exclusive currently so you won't be able to rent it elsewhere until the 12th of July.

Even then, you'll be unable to rent it from Lovefilm or OutNow because it's a Universal Pictures release.

See our Lovefilm Universal dispute article for more on this ongoing problem with new releases.

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