Junior’s Rating *** out of *****

George Clooney, Renée Zellweger, John Krasinski, Jonathan Pryce, Peter Gerety

George Clooney and Renee Zellweger aren’t exactly Tracy and Hepburn, but their chemistry in Leatherheads, now on DVD, is undeniable.  Unfortunately, that’s about all this goofy, screwball comedy about the early days of professional football has going for it.  Plagued by cornball dialogue, an overdose of slapstick antics, and an annoying ragtime soundtrack, Leatherheads opens strong with the introduction of its characters, and then repeatedly drops the ball as the story progresses.  A late appearance by actor Peter Gerety in the role of a government official offers hope but as the film limps along to its unsatisfying (and unresolved) conclusion, the audience is given little more than handsome actors, nice costuming, and a touch of manufactured history. Alternately charming and boring, Leatherheads has the feel of an extended episode of the Keystone Cops.