I love Adam Sandler movies, I love Happy Madison Productions’ movies, but cmon, this was so bad. I never created any type of expectation for Leo, I know it’s a movie aiming towards young audiences but still, even recent movies like Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie and Under The Boardwalk were better, those two movies were actually enjoyable and managed to bring a interesting story with fun characters and animation.
The last year of elementary school as seen through the eyes of a class pet. A jaded 74-year-old lizard named Leo has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his turtle terrarium-mate. When he learns that he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside, but instead gets caught up in his anxious students’ problems–such as an impossibly mean substitute teacher.
Leo is the most dismal animated movie of 2023 so far, in contrast to the otherwise excellent year for animation. Leo might appeal to some people, I concede that, but it does not change the fact that this movie is feeble and hollow. Adam Sandler’s singing is abysmal, as he has demonstrated before, and the songs here are dreadful and tedious. The movie is not only clichéd but also poorly executed. I do not mind if a certain movie, especially aimed at very young audiences, has a conventional script, as long as it is executed in a splendid and entertaining way, at the very least.
The movie’s message is endearing, but I can think of countless movies that could convey the same lesson and offer you a better experience. Leo felt hasty, the movie could not even resolve its own conflicts. Every time there was a challenge or problem to be faced during the film, they just abruptly skipped to the next one, this really irked me especially when I was starting to get invested in the character’s development.
The movie is filled with some hackneyed scenes, scenes that you have witnessed before in numerous movies. The only redeeming quality about it that I could discern was honestly some witty jokes (expected from Adam Sandler). The animation is also not atrocious looking but extremely rudimentary animation.
I was dismayed but it is sadly the truth, Leo is likely the worst animated movie of 2023. Horrible script with hasty moments, dreadful songs, bland characters. A disappointing Adam Sandler movie.
★½
Leo releases on Netflix on November 21.
