courtesy of Universal Pictures courtesy of Warner Bros. RecordsGeorge Clooney as Dodge Connolly (left) and John Krasinski as Carter Rutherford, football teammates in “Leatherheads.”

With a stellar cast including George Clooney, Renee Zellweger, and John Krasinski, "Leatherheads" should have been wonderfully acted with a fluid screenplay. However, what could have been a quality film ends up being only slightly witty and outstandingly slow due to the complexity of the different plots and the lack of development of the story as a whole.

"Leatherheads," directed by Clooney, is a romantic comedy about the rise of professional football in 1925 and the transition from backyard play into a rule-abiding game. Clooney stars as Dodge Connolly, the leader of the Bulldogs, a professional football team that has just lost its sponsorship. He recruits college star and war-hero Carter Rutherford (Krasinski), hoping to revive the dying sport.

This effort is turned upside down when beautiful and quick-witted Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) from the Chicago Tribune is assigned to expose Rutherford as a fake war hero. A rivalry forms between Connolly and Rutherford over the catty reporter, creating a playful dynamic as football transforms into a reputable sport.

Unfortunately, the exciting nature of traditional football is never achieved in "Leatherheads." The usual electrifying games are absent, causing the weight of the film to shift to the characters' lives. Clooney overacts to play a comical character by using his facial expressions to an absurd degree, which doesn't fit with the nature of his charismatic character. Nevertheless, Clooney falls into his niche whenever his character is scheming or charming: traits compatible with his usual acting roles.

However, Zellweger shines with her sharp remarks, creating the interesting dynamic of a woman in a male-dominated society. The traditional theme of female sexuality used to gain information is employed through her antics to get the truth out of Rutherford. She creates sexual tension effortlessly, and her ability to seduce one moment and then maim with a scathing wit the next is a delight to watch. The chemistry between Zellweger and Clooney seems natural and fluid, absent of any flaws that would destruct the believability.

The film's main downfall is not the acting, but the complexity of the subplots and their connection to the whole production. Although the premises of the two major points (the growth of football and the truth about Rutherford's war story) are interesting as separate plotlines, the combination of the two deny the viewer the richness of a developed outcome. At times, the need to cover the basics of each story interferes with the beauty of character development and clever dialogue, which is the saving grace of this movie.

Nevertheless, the clever one-liners and charming nature of Krasinski's doe-eyed character save the tedious plotline and overall production. Even though the plot interferes with the dimensionality of the characters, the actors find ways to make moments enjoyable through the screenplay. However, the screenplay overwhelms the quality of the production, only scoring a field goal instead of a touchdown.

Plot: B-
Acting: B
Comedy: B-
Overall: B-