DVD Review: Leatherheads

Movie Info:
Writers: Duncan Brantley, Rick Reilly
Director: George Clooney
Cast: George Clooney, Renée Zellweger, John Krasinski, Jonathan Pryce, Stephen Root, Wayne Duvall, Keith Loneker, Malcolm Goodwin, Matt Bushell, Tommy Hinkley, Tim Griffin, Robert Baker, Nick Paonessa, Nicholas Bourdages
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Universal Studios

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: April 4, 2008
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.99 Blu-Ray for $26.95

I was interested in seeing Leatherheads from the moment I saw the first promos for this movie. I like most of the movies that George Clooney is in and some of the movies that feature Renée Zellweger. I also like the vast majority of movies about sports, especially ones that verge on historical. The latter reason is the main reason I wanted to watch this movie.

While Leatherheads isn’t the greatest movie I’ve ever seen or even the greatest sports movie period, it is entertaining. I’m not a huge comedy fan. I’m more into sports dramas. Still, there is a certain charm about this film that made me compelled to watch it. I’m assuming that a major part of this is the excellent acting, because the actual script isn’t as strong as the acting warrants.

Don’t get me wrong. I liked this movie. The plot was quite strong in the beginning. It fizzled slightly in the middle, nearly stopped near the end, but picked up again to finish the movie off nicely. Despite the plot bumps, there was never a point where I wanted to turn the movie off. That being said, this isn’t a movie for  every sport fan.

There is a certain kind of audience that is going to like Leatherheads. Luckily, I fit into this audience. Those who like George or Renée will want to check this out. Those who enjoy period style movies might just want to check this out. Those interested in sports comedies, especially comedies about an earlier time period in America’s history will definitely want to watch this. Otherwise, I’m not sure you’ll like this movie. This is a major reason why I consider Leatherheads a rent before buying kind of movie.

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