Good Night, and Good Luck director George Clooney pulls double duty once again in this sports-oriented romantic comedy set against the formation of professional football in the 1920s. Dodge Connelly (Clooney) is a brash and handsome gridiron giant who is equally comfortable leading his team in a barroom brawl or charging for a touchdown in a packed stadium. But when Connelly's team loses their sponsor and the entire league appears set to collapse, the quick-thinking jock attempts a creative
late-game comeback. If Connelly can convince former college football star and decorated war hero Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) to join the team, there may be hope for the ill-fated team after all. Back in World War I, Rutherford single-handedly forced the surrender of multiple German soldiers -- a feat that firmly established the dashing young soldier as America's favorite son. Not only that, but Rutherford's unparalleled speed makes him a valuable asset to the team. To cub reporter Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger), Rutherford seems simply too good to be true, and she's determined to prove that her theory is correct. As Littleton digs deep into Rutherford's past, the two teammates enter into a fierce competition for her erratic affections. Now, as Connelly's plan begins to work better than he ever could have anticipated, the rowdy sport he always loved starts to take on a whole new look and feel. In the midst of holding his team together and simultaneously charming the girl of his dreams, Connelly discovers he may be able to use the same strategies he does to win on the field to win in love. Of course, there might be a few fouls as this game enters the fourth quarter, but like every good player, Connelly knows the value of always having a secret play to fall back on before the final score is called. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Tragically, Leatherheads is just OK, though the film may well find an audience among those eager for a little diversion, what with the nostalgia factor and the George Clooney factor.
More amiable than witty and relying heavily on the likability and charm of its lead actors, Leatherheads scores more points as a retro romantic comedy than a football saga.
Leatherheads is too light-hearted to rise above its limitations, and its inability to decide on a tone doesn't help any, but it's too well crafted and thought out to be actually bad.
Mostly simply tries for fun, and for a good part of it, it delivers. But with it's jumble of elements, it doesn't allow a central one to take hold and truly fly.
An odd screen combo of insanely silly retro-screwball humor, the bumbling antics of a football team of attention deficit disorder, looney tunes Keystone jocks, and a smart-aleck, acid tongue reporter babe upstaging all those sweaty gents around her.
Leatherheads really doesn't know what kind of film it is, and as a result it shanks the winning kick -not by a mile- but by enough to be a disappointment.
Leatherheads, which opens with the logo that Universal used back in the 1940s instead of the present one, is so successful at reviving the screwball comedy that you're prepared to forgive it some flaws.
I actually rather enjoyed this film. It?s been given really bad reviews, which I can't help but feel is a little unfair. The direction is great, the acting is spot on and the script is really, really good! C'mon people, it?s really not that bad!
It's really too bad that this film falls on it's face as hard as it does. Clooney and, yes, even Krasinski are charming as shit and do what they can with the little material they are given. There is an underlying current in this film that I wish they would have focused more on (the changing of sports when the "rules"
got involved) and instead tried to go with a tired love story which allows Zellweger to waste my time yet again playing that way ahead of her time woman role. Either way, Clooney does know how to frame a shot and make it look pretty, with nice cinematography by Thomas Newton Sigel. It's like watching Ladykillers by the Coen Bros., you keep wanting to like it, but then just find yourself scratching your head.
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