Sommerleigh Pollonais, Senior Writer
Leo, voiced by Adam Sandler is a pudgy, somewhat elderly iguana who lives in a terrarium with his best friend, the equally cranky Squirtle the turtle voiced by fellow comedian Bill Burr. When Leo (incorrectly) thinks he’s going to die at 75 he makes it his mission to escape his glass prison by going home for the weekend with one of the kids from the class, but in doing so Leo realises these kids are lost and in need of guidance. Revealing he can speak and through the magic of song and friendship, he discovers there might be something more to being a school pet after all.
Teaming up once again with his animation collaborators Robert Marianetti and Robert Smigel, Sandler creates a movie that may not have the originality of his Hotel Transylvania films, but it does have a sweetness to it that’s easy to like and a simplicity that makes it entertaining. The songs are hit and miss though as they all sound like they were performed in one improvised take. I’m not a huge fan of musicals (although I do love the classic Disney animated musicals such as Beauty and the Beast and Alladin) but there were a few winners here such as “When I was Ten” and the awfully hilarious lullaby “Don’t Cry”.
I also laughed at the over the top and yet somehow accurate take on kindergarteners, as every time they popped up on screen I was taken back to when I had to pick up my younger brother at school, a living nightmare of hyperactive, sticky-handed screaming munchkins that somehow always managed to bang my shins with their lunchboxes.
When it comes to Adam Sandler movies, I’m never quite sure what to expect but Leo turned out to be a delightful, animated movie that poked fun at helicopter parents, kids having phones and the fears we all have of getting older. Never being too mean-spirited but also showing Sandler hasn’t lost his sense of humor, Leo may not be Pixar levels of animation and storytelling, but what this Netflix animated movie lacks in visuals, it makes up for with lighthearted laughs and enough sincerity to make its messages feel genuine.
Sommer’s Score: 7 out of 10
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Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More