Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.0 |
| Video |  | 3.5 |
| Audio |  | 4.0 |
| Extras |  | 0.0 |
| Overall |  | 2.5 |
Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 22, 2022
Mill Creek has released the 2008 History-Comedy film 'Leatherheads' to Blu-ray. At time of release, it is exclusively available from Mill Creek as
part of a two-film
bundle with 'The American.' Universal relesed the film to Blu-ray in 2010 and that disc contained superior video and
supplementary content, all of which is absent here.
Following the First World War, football in America is big. In college, that is. Collegiate teams
thrive,
while the professional league finds itself floundering. The Duluth Bulldogs, led by the aging
Jimmy
'Dodge' Connelly (George Clooney), are no exception. In fact, the team soon finds itself bankrupt with no
way to pay for train tickets for its players or the rental fee for a field to play on, and the team
disbands. Dodge, desperate to get back on the field, manages to bring aboard college football's
famed player and World War One national hero, Carter "The Bullet" Rutherford (John Krasinski), a
move that instantly creates an influx of cash (even the team's practices are sold out), brings the
team back together, and places professional football back in the public spotlight. Meanwhile,
ambitious reporter Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger) has
been
assigned to get to the truth behind Rutehrford's war heroics, stories that don't seem to add up.
Of
course, the three characters collide, both stars have their eye on Lexie, and whomever she
chooses
to get close too -- and the information she can dig up regarding Rutehrford's wartime career --
just
might have a profound impact on the future of professional football.
For a full film review, please click
here.
Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Leatherheads arrives on Blu-ray for the second time, and for the first time from Mill Creek, with a 1080p transfer, here encoded in MPEG-4; the
2008 Blu-ray used the antiquated VC-1 encode. This appears to compare favorably to the Universal disc, and is likely sourced from the same master,
resulting in an image that is very much similar to the 2008 issue for detail and clarity. In fact, the here for that disc largely suffices here, but for this caveat: the
compression on this disc is plainly inferior. The image struggles with macroblocking, rendering a number of lower light backgrounds, primarily, as
messy, chunky digital artifacts. Such are not usually so severe as to distract or even detract from the experience, but the typical Mill Creek compression
issues do hinder an otherwise lovely image.
Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
Mill Creek brings Leatherheads to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is lively and full, offering very solid
clarity and an exceptional sense of space. Whether old-timey score, crashes and hits on the field, or simple environmental ambience, the track is in
very good shape. Dialogue is always clear and center focused. The track is not significantly different from the track of the same configuration as found
on the 2008 Blu-ray. Please click here for a few additional thoughts.
Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, there are no supplements on this Mill Creek disc. The 2008 Universal presentation included an audio commentary
track and a comprehensive picture-in-picture supplement that contained a slew of content. As it ships with the above-linked two-film bundle, no DVD or
digital copies are included with purchase and the bundle does not ship with a slipcover.
Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Leatherheads is a fun movie with a lot going for it, and even though it falters from the
middle of the film on, there is much to enjoy here, for football fans and non-fans alike. Much of the
movie is pure comedy gold, and the romantic angle doesn't feel forced. The football segments are
more for laughs than serious sports action or drama, however, and when the focus attempts to shift
to the dramatic at the end of the film, albeit with a few more laugh-out-loud moments tossed in, it
doesn't quite work. Leatherheads is a
crowd-pleaser to be sure, featuring another fine performance from George Clooney, who is right at
home in a comedy or in a serious dramatic film (Good Night, and Good
Luck, for example) and is sure to win over even more fans in Leatherheads.
Mill Creek's Blu-ray features good video save for the compression issues. Audio is fine. All supplements have been cut. Recommended, but be aware
that, at time of writing, the superior Universal edition is still available and at a lower price, even when buying alongside The American.
