Leo Movie Review, Rating

Lokesh Kanagaraj, touted as a critically acclaimed filmmaker and a hit-machine director, gets to work with star hero Thalapathy Vijay. Leo has been making a strong buzz. The film continues to be in the news for various reasons. After overcoming hurdles, Leo hits the screens today. It clashes with Balakrishna-Anil Ravipudi's Bhagavanth Kesari in Telugu. Here is the review of Leo.

Story

In a picturesque town called Theog in Himachal Pradesh, Parthiban (Thalapathy Vijay) runs a cafe called Wild Beans. He leads a simple life as a family man, along with his wife Satya (Trisha), and their two children. However, their peaceful existence is shattered when a group of goons attack Parthiban's cafe and threaten the lives of his daughter and a worker. Forced into a corner with no other choice, Parthiban defends his loved ones by eliminating the gangsters, unknowingly plunging his family into further trouble.

Amidst the chaos, two individuals named Antony Das (Sanjay Dutt) and Harold Das (Arjun) enter Parthiban's life. They firmly believe that Parthiban is actually their missing family member, Leo Das. This intriguing twist raises questions about the true identity of Leo and what might have happened to him. As Parthiban navigates through the turmoil that has engulfed his life, he must unravel the mystery surrounding Leo Das and find a way to overcome the challenges that lie ahead.

Analysis

Very few filmmakers have carved out a niche for themselves with their work. Lokesh Kanagaraj belongs to this tribe among the new generation. He is auteur of films like Khaidi, Master and Vikram. He created LCU (Lokesh Cinematic Universe) and also announced Khaidi sequel, Khaidi 2. All these naturally mount interest on Leo with Vijay.

The first half sets things slowly. Yet, the film is engaging with Lokesh's mark and Vijay's action. His characterisation and the initial portions did impress. The hyena sequence elevates the heroism of Parthiban. It also raises curiosity on his original identity. The screenplay is clean and neat without any deviations. Lokesh keeps things simple and straight. The action choreographed by fightmaster duo Anbariv has enough dose of high moments. The mass elements helmed by Lokesh are one of the highlights of the film. The interval episode is alright.

The downside in Leo is the latter-half which falls into the second-half syndrome. It is sad to see an acclaimed filmmaker like Lokesh delivering such content at the crucial juncture of the film's narration. Particularly, the flashback track fails miserably, leaving the viewers with a mixed experience. The drama portions are tad boring. The pre-climax and climax portions gain the steam. Technically, VFX work for car-chase scene is not on par with the best. Hyena scene CG is done effectively. Music composer Anirudh does decent job as background score works in the parts. Performances-wise, the film has Vijay, Sanjay Dutt, Trisha and a slew of others. But barring the protagonist, nobody gets much to do in this long movie.

Leo is also part of the LCU and there are homages to some of the iconic films and prominent filmmakers of world cinema. This is where Lokesh shows his mark. But these are not enough. Leo ends up as an average film. This could be better? Certainly yes. It is not what one expects from Lokesh-Vijay duo. Having said this, it is one-time watch on the big screen for the experience and world Lokesh Kanagaraj has created. 

Highlights

Vijay's Action Episodes

High Moments

Drawbacks

Lack of Depth in Drama

Second-Half Syndrome

Boring Flashback Episode

Verdict: Mass Clicks, Drama Bores!