Leo Movie Review: Well-Choreographed Action Sequences But There Is a Catch
Cast: Vijay, Sanjay Dutt, Trisha Krishnan, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Arjun Sarja, Priya Anand
Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Where We Watched: In Theaters
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3/5 (three stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Lokesh Kanagaraj‘s film Leo has been released. How is the film, whether it is a part of LCU or not, we will talk about it. If you read the review till the end, we will also tell you about a surprise cameo. Thalapathy Vijay’s film Leo may be released in Pan India for the first time, but almost all his films are available in Hindi on YouTube and all of them have been watched by crores of viewers. After Master, once again Lokesh Kanagaraj – The curiosity to know what wonders Vijay is going to show, took us to the theater and Vijay did not disappoint us. Like every film of Vijay, Leo is also full of entertainment. There is a dash of emotion in this action film and there is also romance and comedy as per taste. The story may be the same, but this film keeps you engaged till the end.
Thalapathy Vijay and Lokesh Kanagaraj once again present with us the South Masterpiece which the Tamil audience loves to watch and now after films like Jawan, the Pan India audience has also started liking such films. However, the violence shown in the film spoils it’s fun a bit. Thalapathy Vijay is such a star who when he comes on screen, his fans whistle and applaud a lot. The same thing happened to Leo. There was an uproar in the theater as soon as Vijay appeared on the screen. The Hindi show at 9.30 was 80 percent full and the Tamil show was 100 percent full. This is stardom, but is stardom the measure of a good film? So, the answer is no, Leo is a one-time watch. If the first half is good, then the second half tests your patience very well.
Leo Movie Review: The Story Plot
The story of the film begins in a small town in Himachal Pradesh, where Parthiban (Vijay) lives with his wife Satya (Trisha) and two children. He owns a café. Parthiban, who loves his family very much, also saves the lives of animals in collaboration with the forest department. One day a hyena comes to the town. Parthiban catches him by risking his life. Due to this, his photographs are published in newspapers across the country. Seeing those pictures, South Indian gangster Harold Das (Arjun Sarja) remembers his nephew, Leo Das. Leo‘s appearance is exactly like that of Parthiban.
Leo has been missing since an accident many years ago. Learning about Leo from Harold, his elder brother Anthony Das (Sanjay Dutt) reaches Himachal to meet his son. He meets Parthiban, but he refuses to accept himself as Leo. To find out the truth about Parthiban, Anthony attacks his family. Is Parthiban the only Leo? To know this, you will have to go to the cinema theatre.
Leo Movie Review and Analysis
The beginning is good, but it is like South Indian masala films. If he is a hero then he will do anything but still the first half looks okay because of Vijay’s style, swag, and action. It is fun but the second half never ends. Sanjay Dutt’s entry is impressive, but the film becomes loose as soon as he arrives. There are many action scenes in the film which are fantastic but after seeing all these it feels as if we have seen it all. There is nothing new. The suspense of the film tries to keep you interested in the theater, but the second half drags on so much that you get bored and wait for the film to end. There is only one Vijay who supports you in watching this film, so go only for Vijay otherwise your money will be wasted.
Lokesh Kanagaraj has previously made films like Kaithi, Master, and Vikram. All those films had one thing in common – mass masala moments. Such scenes where people scream and tear the eardrums of the people next to them. Leo’s numbers fall short in that regard. There is a lot of blood and gore in the film. Jaws are dropping. Bones are being shattered. The makers have taken complete liberty in showing violence. Despite that, he could not create many sexy scenes. There is one action scene in the film that stands out for me. Cafe fight scene. Parthiban is in the cafe with his daughter. He is showing it by dancing to old songs. The shop is closed. Meanwhile, a person forcefully enters inside. Misbehaves with his colleague. Stubbornly asks for a chocolate coffee. The matter escalates and Parthiban starts breaking his gang. At this point, old songs are still playing in the background. Even though the atmosphere of the café changed, its atmosphere remained the same.
At one place, amid a fight, one goon even taunts the other over coffee. The specialty of this scene was not just the blood-stirring action. The world surrounding that entire battle was also kept equally alive. One more thing is constantly visible in the universe of Lokesh Kanagaraj. Relationship between father and child. Delhi wanted to meet his daughter in ‘Kaithi’. Kamal Haasan’s character in ‘Vikram’ takes revenge for his son. Vijay’s character in Leo also has a special attachment to his daughter. In times of trouble, the first thing he wants to do is to ensure whether his daughter is safe or not. There is a small scene between the two, where it seems that Parthiban is a child here and his daughter became intelligent before her age. These emotions land even after being repeated. All the good things of the film fall in the court of the first half.
After KGF Chapter 2, Sanjay Dutt has become a villain here too. The sad thing is that neither of the films used him properly. There is not a single scene between her and Vijay that can be categorized as memorable or iconic. Vijay also has a motive to fight with Antony. Still, Lokesh could not create friction between the two. The length of the film could also have been reduced. There were some scenes which should have taken place. Like in one place, Parthiban‘s son fights with his father. In the next scene, we see him angry with his father. This changing bonding could have been shown with time. Here films are made according to the first half and second half. You may hold the audience in the first half but if you relax in the second half, the kite’s wings will be cut off. Leo gives too much slack. Both the pre-climax and climax of the film fail to do their job. Such scenes remain, where you just see something happening in front of your eyes. No thrill is created. I don’t feel like coming and sitting in the corner of the seat. A proper climax could have taken the film to a different level. But this did not happen.
Lokesh Kanagaraj has taken the responsibility of both writing and directing the film. His writing may be disappointing, but his direction is much better than his writing. The bike-chasing stunt in the film reminds us of Vikram. But be it the fight between Vijay–Sanjay Dutt or the emotional scene between Vijay-Trisha, Lokesh directed some scenes of this film very well. Although the violence shown in the name of action may not be liked, those who like watching South acting films may like this film very much. Even at the age of 49, Vijay’s actions and clean moves surprise you. The body language, style, and expressions of both Leo and Parthiban are completely different from each other and the credit for this goes to Thalapathy Vijay. It is refreshing to see Vijay and Trisha once again on the big screen after 15 years. But if Vijay and Trisha had been given more screen time in the film by removing some action scenes, the film would have been more interesting.
If someone draws our attention after Vijay, it is our Sanju Baba. Sanjay Dutt in the form of Antony Das has once again shown that he can play any character with ease. His expressions and the way he carries his emotions are perfect. Usually, Vijay’s films are full of songs and his songs go viral on social media, but this time there are neither many songs in the film nor are these songs memorable. But Anirudh Ravichander has done a brilliant job on the background music of the film. Anirudh has also worked on Jawan before this. Many times the dialogue coming between action scenes is not heard due to music but this mistake is not visible in Leo.
Overall, Leo is a visually impressive and action-packed film, but it is let down by its weak plot and lack of emotional depth. Vijay’s performance is the highlight of the film, and he is ably supported by a strong cast. However, the film’s convoluted plot and pacing issues make it difficult to follow and engage with. Whether or not you enjoy Leo will likely depend on your tolerance for convoluted plots and your appreciation for Vijay’s screen presence. If you are a fan of Vijay or Lokesh Kanagaraj’s previous films, then you may be willing to overlook the film’s flaws. However, if you are looking for a film with a strong plot and emotional depth, then you may be disappointed.
Leo Movie Review: The Last Words
Along with the South audience, those who watch Hindi dubbed South movies on YouTube will like this film. Lovers of action films can watch it. This film will prove to be a great visual treat for Vijay’s fans. For others, it is an entertainment film. Director Lokesh has kept a surprise for his fans at the end of the film. If you are a fan of Vijay and Lokesh Kanagaraj, whose interest in LCU has increased after ‘Kaithi’ and ‘Vikram’, then you can watch this film once.
Leo Movie Review: Well-Choreographed Action Sequences But There Is a Catch - Filmyhype
Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Date Created: 2023-10-19 18:15
3
Pros
- Vijay's career-best performance
- Well-choreographed action sequences
- Stunning cinematography
- Strong supporting cast
Cons
- Convoluted plot
- Pacing issues
- Lack of emotional depth
