“Don’t cry. Crying is for weaklings. Don’t cry. It’s lazy and dumb. Dry those tears; they make you look ugly. Suck it up, you mustn’t succumb.” – That doesn’t sound like a very good pep talk for a kid, does it? Those are the lyrics from a song in the 2023 animated musical “Leo”, but before you fume – it’s only meant as a joke. After the song, a kid reads out the importance of crying and how it releases oxytocin and endorphins, which makes one feel better. So, Leo endorses “let it go”, Elsa style.
Directed by Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, and David Wachtenheim, “Leo” has been written by Robert Smigel, Adam Sandler, and Paul Sado. The musical follows a 74-year-old lizard, Leo (voiced by Adam Sandler), who has spent all his life in a classroom and now wants to escape to live his life before he finally dies. As Leo plots his escape with his turtle friend Squirtle (Bill Burr), a new substitute teacher forces her students to take turns caring for one of the class pets at their homes. Thus begins Leo’s real adventures, every weekend he spends quality time with one 11-year-old, listening to their problems and helping them out.
So Leo basically serves as a therapist for the kids, telling each one that they are the only one who can talk to him, to make each child feel “special.” The script navigates various kid problems, poking fun at helicopter parents (literally, with one kid having a drone following him), humbling bratty kids, and empowering children with different struggles. If nothing else, “Leo” is a warm albeit comedic look at how children have big feelings and a listening ear helps them go a long way. Ms. Malkin (Cecilia Strong), the strict substitute teacher, serves as the antagonist whom all the children fear; her character feels like it was inspired by Roald Dahl’s malevolent Trunchbull in Matilda.
The animation is bright, cute, and charming in bits and pieces; however, the lack of effort in some of the story’s minor characters is pretty glaring. For instance, some zoo animals that appear in the second half look like they are out of an early 2000s animated movie. “Leo” largely relies on the character’s “wisdom” and Adam Sandler‘s gruff, guttural old man voice to power the story. Because for a musical, the songs are incredibly mediocre despite the funny and witty lyrics. But that could’ve been deliberate – it’s a lizard and eleven-year-olds singing their heart out and they needn’t be perfect.
With a runtime of 1 hour and 42 minutes, I’m uncertain if “Leo” can maintain pace with the short attention spans of its primary target audience – pre-teen viewers. The second-half feels stretched out and could’ve used more imagination or should’ve been trimmed. Nevertheless, it succeeds in being an enjoyable kids’ film that even an older audience might find chuckle-worthy.
You can stream “Leo” on Netflix.
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