Rating of
2.5/4
Review - Leatherheads (2008)
Delorted - wrote on 04/20/08
It's the 1920s and football is just becoming the new big sport in America. But the rules were a lot different back then, in that there weren't any.
“Leatherheads” is directed by and stars George Clooney as Dodge Connelly, a man who's pro-football league is in desperate need of support. He decides to hire up-and-coming college football player and war veteran Carter Rutherford, played by John Krasinski, to join the team and bring in the crowds. But then comes a love triangle involving Lexie Littleton, played by Renée Zellweger, a journalist out to prove Rutherford's war story a fraud.
Clooney claims that he completely re-wrote the original screenplay to make it a slapstick comedy instead of what I suppose was a drama originally. The reason I believe this is because it still feels like a drama. The movie doesn't seem to know what it wants to be, but it really doesn't feel like slapstick.
There are a lot of good actors, but none of them really show of their full potential. Not to mention America as a whole doesn't seem to like Zellweger, so that causes a problem right there. Randy Newman's music is fitting, but nothing new for him. It's definitely my favorite part of the film, however. The comedy isn't very funny and the romance isn't very romantic.
I'm going to have to join the masses and say that I wanted to like “Leatherheads,” but there were certain aspects that I can't even explain that just turned me off of it. It was okay for one watch, but I probably won't bother seeing it again.
Acting: 7/10
Writing: 4/10
Video/Editing: 7/10
Audio/Music: 8/10
Entertainment: 4/10
Final Score: 6/10
