LEO

US, 2023, 102 minutes, Colour.

Voices of: Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, Alison Strong, Jo Koy, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler.

Directed by Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, David Wachtenheim.

Leo is a benign lizard, who learns that a lizard’s lifespan lasts till 75 and his animal friends do a calculation that he is now 74. Leo and his turtle friend, Squirtle, are pets in the classroom in a primary school. As they chat to each other, voicing their observations on the new children at the beginning of the school year, we realise that they are quite astute judges of character, able to read the children very quickly, discern the qualities, comment on the burdens each child is carrying.

Actually, this is quite amusing, all in rather bright animation, quite an amount of singing, even in the opening credits, throughout the film, entertaining jingle kind of music with lyrics that comment on the characters.

And Leo is a funny-voiced Adam Sandler. Squirtle is voiced by Bill Burr.

Young children will be able to identify with the school group here, each child quite idiosyncratic – but about to discover something of their real selves with the aid of Leo. Leo is a benign do-gooder. The class teacher goes on maternity leave and a harridan arrives in her place, out with technology, in with huge books, discipline, demerits… And ruling that a child has to take one of the pets home for the weekend.

They choose Leo and are surprised to discover that he talks. And, he befriends them, challenges them, supports them, gives them a better vision of themselves – but they are to keep it all secret. A good part of the film shows Leo and his techniques, the effect on the children, their better selves.

There are some humorous situations, funny characters – and, of course, some mildly rude jokes. And there is a very active drone character!

There are quite some complications with the new teacher, Leo even having an encounter with her, remembering her when she was a girl at school. But, she has to be the villain of the piece and even with some happy self-discoveries, and the children succeeding in a competition and meriting a special outing, she decides to get rid of Leo, to fulfil his dream of visiting the Everglades, abandoning him there (and some funny sequences with fierce animals, friendly animals, and Leo a bit sophisticated for this kind of jungle life).

So, this is a happy film, happy film for children, a nicely challenging film for parents and teachers, and with the hope of a better world always possible.

Adam Sandler produced this film and his wife and two daughters voice some of the characters.

1. An entertaining animation film? For young audiences? Parents? Teachers?
2. The style of animation, the drawing of the characters, the situations, school, homes, the fair, the Everglades? Bright colours? The musical score, the insertion of all the songs, their easy tunes, the significant words?
3. Leo and Squirtle, school pets, their life, observing the children over the decades, astute in assessing characters, the conversations? Leo concerned about his age, contriving to meet all the animals and to work out how old he was – age limit of 75 and discovering he was 74? His earnestness in wanting to do something with his life? And friends in the Everglades – and their being over 100!
4. The range of children, the new class, the various types, the girl who talked incessantly, the girl with the pushy parents, the boy from the Bronx, the shy boy, the boy protected by the drone, the big bully boy…?
5. The pushy parents, the challenge to the new teacher, threats? The principal? The overprotective parents?
6. Classes, the pregnant teacher, morning sickness, leaving, the replacement teacher, old, large, severe, out with the social media, the huge times, vacuuming all the hearts and stars, the demerits?
7. Sending a pet home each weekend with the child? The reluctance, the talkative girl, at home, learning that Leo could speak, the conversations, talking about her problems, her continued talking? Each weekend, the range of children, everybody having a turn, Leo and his confiding, singing, encouraging? The effect on the children?
8. The goal of doing well in class, the reward of the trip, the children doing their best? The history pageant and the children being historical figures? Winning?
9. Leo, talking with Squirtle, long years together, the children taking Leo not Squirtlel? Leo’s disappearance, Squirtle or taking an initiative, revealing the truth, working with the drone, getting to the Everglades?
10. The lavish party, the spoilt girl, discovering her being ordinary, and the freeing of all the animals?
11. The child with the drone, the parents protective, the boy assertive against the drone, the drone’s behaviour? But Squirtle and the drone, working together, with the bus, the expedition, the rescue?
12. The teacher, talking with Leo, memories of the past, the substitute teacher, her own severity? Her ambitions? Flirting with the sports master on the bus? Harsh with children, her ambitions, putting Leo in her pocket, his not hearing the results, deceiving him, driving him to the Everglades?
13. The children at the fair, learning the truth, the Bronx boy driving the bus, into the Everglades, the confrontation with the alligators, finding the animals that the children had freed from the birthday party, thwarting the alligator by the girl talking him into submission!
14. The happy reuniting, the teacher employed by the principal for the next year – Leo and Squirtle in their tank, and the rowdy new children?
15. An entertainment with moral encouragement.