Leatherheads

George Clooney was clearly trying for screwball nostalgia with this sports comedy, but what he actually put together sits on the screen like a lump of lead.

Clooney stars as a professional football player back in the days (1920s) when no one cared much for professional football. As an attempt to bring some attention and fans to the sport, he cajoles a popular war hero and college football star (college football happens to be the rage) to go pro. Eventually, the two become rivals when the college star transfers to an opposing team. Meanwhile, the editor of a newspaper learns that the war hero's story is a fraud, and sends out a feisty reporter (Renee Zellweger) to expose him.

All of these ingredients are meant to mix into an antic romp, and Clooney, Zellweger and John Krasinski (who plays the war hero) try their damnedest to be madcap, mugging shamelessly at the camera at every opportunity. But the movie grinds along painfully, and you can practically see the sweat beading on the actors' brows as they work overtime to make the material funny. Krasinski is miscast as an all-American war hero; there's something a little too bookish and dopey about him to make him believable. And Clooney and Zellweger have absolutely no romantic chemistry -- they're given roles that, say, Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck would have played if this were a screwball comedy from the 1930s, but they work up no heat and deliver almost no laughs.

No expense was spared on the period look of the film, and Randy Newman for once provides a tolerable and playful score, but everything else about the film is a dud.

Grade: C

Having just seen the movie and read the other comments I felt I had to respond. OK, so the dialogue is a little clunky in places and there is no great emotional journey or powerful moral at the end so accept it for what it is - a nice little movie that passes a couple of hours and leaves you with the feeling that you've been entertained. Why is it that people always expect George Clooney to do powerhouse / classic films?? Maybe he wanted to make this because he liked the story and thought other people would too? The characters are simple as is the story but it never pretends to be anything big. It's a light hearted caper that does nothing the offend the senses or damage the careers of anyone involved. Let it wash over you! My advice? Go see it and make up your own mind, who knows - you might even enjoy it.

"Leatherheads" is a movie of laughs, and feel good fun a period piece of football nostalgia that's held together by it's slapstick comedy and blended well with romance. George Clooney who stars and directs gives a good turn here, yet it seems a little uncommon seeing the superstar in a period comedy piece as he's clearly a better dramatic actor still he scores some points here for his style of shooting and direction of the film.

Set in the 1920's George is 'Dodge' Connelly a football player on the field and a ladies man off it, and this is before the big money and rules changes that took into form for the game. Clooney's team the Duluth Bulldogs are a scrapper bunch at play yet the team is tough and gritty, and off the field George's Dodge character is full of drink and has eyes for a dame. Enter Lexie Littleton(Renee Zellweger)who's an elegant and sexy snap news lady of a reporter as she's a little lady in red from her nifty wardrobe. While the Bulldogs team and other foes have gone bankrupt and many move on to other traits of work like mining and labor, a plan then develops to invest in and start an organized league with the help of a famous recruit for the Bulldogs that being college ivy league stud and apparent war hero Carter Rutherford(John Krasinski). Along the way then the film blends with plenty of slapstick laughs and comic gridiron action from strange and crazy tackles to muddy fields to catchy flirtation one liners and romance that is seen in a chastely and sexy way. And the big surprise is the truth about the apparent battlefield story is revealed.

Overall this isn't a great movie, but it's OK as the slapstick and laughs carry it, so if your expecting a historical serious and dramatic look at the early NFL you want get it here. Though the costumes and uniforms of the classic throwback way of no face mask, no chin gear, nor any rules make you feel just like your back watching a 1920's era game. The chemistry between Clooney and Zellweger is good as Renee is a bright treat to watch even though the laughs are good and the scenes are fun Clooney appears out of place here in a comedy work even though his performance is good, this screwball comedy scores for laughs and is flagged for drama and it's lack of focused attention on the history of the start of the NFL.

(Synopsis) Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly (George Clooney) is the team captain of the Bulldogs in the struggling pro football league in 1925. The entire pro football league is in danger of collapsing, one team at a time, and his team is next. Dodge gets an idea of saving the team by recruiting a college football star who fills the college stadium with over 45,000 cheering fans. With the lure of big money, Dodge is able to convince Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) to drop out of college and join the team. Carter is not only a star football player who can outrun his completion, but he is also a national war hero of WWI who single-handedly captured a platoon of German soldiers. Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger) is a newspaper journalist assigned to get Carter's real inside story about the capture of the German soldiers. To get the story, Lexie must travel with the team, and in time, both Carter and Dodge fall for her. Only one will win her love as the fourth quarter comes to an end.

(My Comment) George Clooney not only starred in this slapstick comedy, he also directed it. The movie may not win any awards, but it is enjoyable to watch. Since the movie took place in 1925, the writers took us back to that time, and slapstick was the rule. If you let yourself go and get into the movie, you will actually get the feel of that era. George is very talented, but I don't think he has a flair for comedy. Renee Zellweger and George share a chemistry together that works well for this movie. You may think this is a chick flick, but you would be somewhat wrong. The love angle doesn't really get going until the end. You will love the way they play pro football with very few rules, especially, the last game that is played in the mud. This is a cute movie, and I know they had a lot of fun making it, because it shows. (Universal Pictures, Run Time 1:54, Rated PG-13)(7/10)

I've read so many negative, dismissive reviews of this movie and I have to say, LIGHTEN UP for heaven's sake! It's not meant to stand with Ghandi or Gone With the Wind. It's just a fun, silly movie with a thin plot and lots of laughs and sight gags. Go to see it because you just want to sit back with your popcorn and laugh. (And daydream about George Clooney.) Clooney gave us "Good Night and Good Luck", so it's not like we should feel he "owes" us a "serious" movie. It's a fluffy little piece of nostalgia, a movie you won't be afraid to go see with your tween-age kids or Mom and Pop. Gramps will love it too, with all the vivid images of the "good old days" and a great ragtime score.

Clooney and Zellweger are campy in their roles (isn't that what they were shooting for?) and Stephen Root is a quiet riot as the hard drinking team owner.