Leatherheads – movie review

Cast: George Clooney

Studio: Universal

Rating: 6/10

Corporate line:
Oscar® winners George Clooney and Renée Zellweger match wits in Leatherheads, a quick-witted romantic comedy set against the backdrop of America’s nascent pro-football league in 1925. Clooney plays Dodge Connolly, a charming, brash football hero who is determined to guide his team from bar brawls to packed stadiums. But after the players lose their sponsor and the entire league faces certain collapse, Dodge convinces a college football star to join his ragtag ranks. The captain hopes his latest move will help the struggling sport finally capture the country’s attention. Welcome to the team Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski), America’s favorite son. A golden-boy war hero who single-handedly forced multiple German soldiers to surrender in WWI, Carter has dashing good looks and unparalleled speed on the field. This new champ is almost too good to be true, and Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) aims to prove that’s the case. A cub journalist playing in the big leagues, Lexie is a spitfire newswoman who suspects there are holes in Carter’s war story. But while she digs, the two teammates start to become serious off-field rivals for her fickle affections. As the new game of pro-football becomes less like the freewheeling sport he knew and loved, Dodge must both fight to keep his guys together and to get the girl of his dreams. Finding that love and football have a surprisingly similar playbook, however, he has one maneuver he will save just for the fourth quarter…

The review:
Clooney is dead-on when he takes on serious roles, but ends up being hit or miss when it comes to his comedic ventures. “O Brother Where Art Thou” was brilliant while some of the Ocean’s movies are lacking when the spotlight is onClooney. Of course it wouldn’t be a Clooney movie without a dame, that’s old school for beautiful love interest. In every scene Clooney seems as if he wants so badly for us to believe he can be as funny as he can be serious. It’s hard to believe this guy. Zellweger is meek in her role as Lexie and not much chemistry passes across the screen.

Finally:
For a comedy there is far too much dialogue–maybe that’s because it rarely comes off as witty, smart and sassy. Instead its boring as hell. Leatherheads plays better as a trailer than an entire movie. The concept, era, leather helmets, and George Clooney all sound like a match made in heaven. Too bad its such a bore.

Watch the trailer.