Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie Review

It's not The Super Bowl, but 'Leatherheads' is solid entertainment.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 19, 2008

The Duluth Bulldogs lost to the Toledo Bullets today in a dirty game of professional league football where a new and dangerous element has been creeping in: rules.

Football always makes for a great movie, and the sport lends itself well to numerous themes and genres, from the inspirational (Rudy, Invincible), the dramatic (North Dallas Forty, Friday Night Lights), or the comedic (Necessary Roughness, The Longest Yard). Be they films that focus on the high school, college, or professional level, one theme shared among all these films, and the vast majority of football-centric films, for that matter, is that they are all set during the modern era of football, from the 1970s forward. Enter Leatherheads, a film that takes the tried-and-true football tale, but travels back in time to the early days of professional football where sweaters and leather helmets were the norm. Throw in plenty of laughs and a romantic twist, all of which make it somewhat of a novelty among its football brethren. It is a movie that's got enough spirit, charm, and romance to make it an acceptable date night movie, too. Leatherheads is far from being the best football movie I've seen, but it puts plenty of points on the board for originality, fun, and another fine performance from George Clooney (The Perfect Storm).

Here's mud in your eye!

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 (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, License to Wed), 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, Jerry Maguire) 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.

Leatherheads does a fabulous job of recreating an old-fashioned feel as it brings the past alive with vigor and vitality, and the novelty of the setting for a football movie never wears old. It's most welcome, in fact, and from the very first image we see on-screen -- that of an old, golden-hued Universal Studios logo -- we get the feeling we're in for a rollicking old-fashioned treat. Indeed, we are, and the movie serves up plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in the early going. Stephen Root (Dodgeball), as always, proves himself to be gold in a small role, this time that of a hack sports reporter who has his stories and headlines fed to him by Dodge. Clooney, as expected, is the star of the show, and he delivers another first-rate performance, reminiscent of his accomplishments in O Brother, Where Art Thou? It's not that the films share a similar setting in time; it's that the caricature Clooney lends to both roles share many of the same characteristics. Had Leatherheads somehow been an extension of O, Brother, I wouldn't have been surprised in the least. As it stands, however, it's a fine film all its own, though don't be surprised should you spot a can of Dapper Dan in Dodge's possession in the film.

Also serving as film's director, Clooney has captured the perfect look and feel for the film, one that exudes all the qualities found in the script -- comedy, romance, and gridiron action. Even though the film slows down the second half (though it never comes to a grinding halt) and features a concluding football game that is moderately exciting at best and somewhat anticlimactic, Leatherheads is still a fun, mostly brisk, nearly two hours of entertainment. Outside the performances from Clooney and Root, and a solid outing from the remainder of the cast, where the film truly shines is in it's costume and set design, and over-the-top sports moments. The wardrobe is outstanding. The film is brought to life thanks to the fine wardrobe, and the football uniforms in particular. Rugged, sometimes worn, and looking genuine, the costumes seen during the games serve as one of the most crucial aspects of the film (let's not forget the movie is so named for the leather helmets utilized by the players) and they sell the audience on the era extremely well. Also of note is the overly dramatic, almost cartoonish way the characters handle themselves on the football field. Over-exaggerated poses and motions serve as the funniest moments in the film. When a quarterback throws a pass, he holds the pose, like a statue, for several seconds, and his motions leading up to the pass are more robotic than smooth, capturing the feel of old-fashioned footage and style extremely well.

Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Leatherheads doesn't fumble on its way to Blu-ray, as it offers viewers a fine looking 1080p, 1.85:1-framed high definition transfer. Colors are excellent throughout the film, and the hint of sepia looks great; it lends to the entire movie an old fashioned look and feel. Also of note is that the filmmakers chose to always shoot the football sequences on a grass field devoid of even a hint of green. It's all tan colored, sometimes caked in mud, and it was definitely the right choice for the tone and spirit of the film; a fertile field of luscious green grass just wouldn't fit in with the look of the movie. Reds stand out as a bit more vibrant than the other colors. Lexie's dress as seen in chapter 5 serves as an excellent example. Detail is absolutely fantastic as well. The leather helmets, the worn jerseys, the caked-on mud, facial detail, the whole nine yards, are all rendered very well on this disc. Look at the vest Bullet wears on the train as he talks to Lexie in chapter 6. It's texture, flow, and detail is remarkable and features lifelike authenticity. One thing I always like to see in high definition are old leather jackets (come on Indy!) and the one Dodge wears looks great. It appears worn yet loved, and couldn't look more real were it hanging in your closet. Black levels are rich and true, too. Some scenes look like they may have undergone a hint of smoothing, noticeable in several close-up shots of actors, though the film retains a great look and strong detail overall. The print exhibits no speckles or other random anomalies. Leatherheads offers a fine high definition transfer, as expected from Universal.

Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Leatherheads tackles your sound system with its DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film features an excellent score, courtesy of Randy Newman (Cars). The music practically engulfs the room, as does crowd noise, during a football game at the beginning of the film. If there is one complaint, it's that this opening segment is far too loud at my normal reference volume. It does get more reasonable in volume as the movie progresses, however, and on the whole offers a pleasing experience that isn't quite as active as I expected, but sounds just fine nevertheless. Dialogue reproduction is incredibly strong, coming across as very crisp and precise. The flashback war scene sounds nice, with a heavy rain falling all around the soundstage and gunfire heard subtly in the background. The football scenes don't really offer quite "oomph" as we heard (and felt) in Gridiron Gang, but then again this brand of football was played in a different era with different equipment than what is utilized in Leatherheads. The soundtrack is very good. It won't turn any heads, but it gets the job done well enough.

Leatherheads Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Leatherheads hits Blu-ray with only a couple of extras. First up is a commentary track featuring actor/director George Clooney and producer Grant Heslov. This track is somewhat dry. The participants offer decent information, but their delivery monotone and bland. Clooney delves into the shooting style for the film and how it relates to the era in which the film is based, scenes that required substantial thought and effort to get right (such as what looks like a fairly basic scene on the surface, dialogue between several characters), and little touches to the film that serve to tie the story together (such as a wet sidewalk the night before a muddy football game). The track might be worth a listen for fans, but most will want to scan through this one at most. Universal has also provided a picture-in-picture commentary that offers the same comments, but we'll see Clooney and Heslov pop up from time to time to add a visual flair to the commentary. There is also an extensive picture-in-picture video track that features plenty of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and plenty more.

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. Universal's Blu-ray release of this film is fairly consistent with their previous releases. The picture and sound quality are both up to par, and the supplements are decent, if not a bit on the thin side. Football fans will love Leatherheads, and it's more than funny and romantically-inclined enough to make it easy on the ladies in the audience, too. Leatherheads is a good movie for most any situation, and comes recommended.