Leo Movie REVIEW: While Thalapathy Vijay supremacy rules, Sanjay Dutt’s appearance and the story fall flat

Film:
Leo Movie Review

Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj

Platform: Theatres

Star cast: Thalapathy Vijay, Sanjay Dutt, Trisha Krishnan, Arjun, Priya Anand, Mansoor Ali Khan

Thalapathy Vijay starrer Leo Movie Review

‘Agar ye Parthiban hai toh 4 log lagenge aur agar ye Leo hai toh 400 ko bhi Kam hai’ – Sanjay Dutt’s character says when they need men to kill Thalapathy Vijay’s character. I don’t know why but this dialogue made me realise Thalapathy Vijay’s supremacy. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj shows Vijay’s supremacy in full power and you can automatically feel his power and charisma. If I have to review Thalapathy Vijay starrer Leo movie in a few words, then it is a full mass entertainer.

It will make you hoot and whistle for Vijay but I’m not sure if I can say the same for the story. Given that it is a part of LCU (Lokesh Cinematic Universe), Leo didn’t leave an impact like his previous films have made. Lokesh Kanagaraj tries to bring the grittiness and intensity with Leo, but sadly, it fails to create an impression.

Story:

Parthiban alias Parthi is an animal rescuer and a cafè owner in Theog who lives a happy life with his family consisting of his wife Sathya and two children Siddharth “Siddhu” and daughter Mathi. One day, a gang attempts to rob a cafe and makes a move on a female employee until Parthi beats all the gang members and shoots them without hesitation. Parthi is released after being arrested for having committed the murders in self-defence, but his photo appears in newspapers. A notorious gangster in Telangana named Harold Das learns about Parthi and informs Anthony Das, where Anthony immediately leaves for Theog to meet Parthi.

What’s good about Leo?

Vijay’s reign: Lokesh didn’t miss a single chance to maintain the persona of Thalaypathy Vijay in Leo. From even popping a cigarette to his walk, everything about Vijay will amaze you for sure. However, he has not overdone it but he demands your attention for all the right reasons. No wonder he is a superstar because he owns that kind of stardom.

Cinematography: 90-95 per cent of the movie is shot in Himachal Pradesh and cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa has done a great job. He has beautifully captured the locales of HP and it is just mesmerising. From the drone shots to the long shots, the movie looks cinematically beautiful.

Action sequences: Sometimes I feel the South movies focus a lot on their action apart from the story. The slow-motion shots or anti-gravity action sequences are something that is quite popular among the masses. Well, Lokesh didn’t go all berserk with all these but has incorporated raw and gritty action. You will be hooked to every action sequence even though it sometimes looks too real to be true.

What didn’t work Leo?

VFX: The VFX is patchy in some places, especially during the car chase sequence. There was a scene where Vijay is seen chasing Sanjay Dutt’s car and the effects used in the movie looked a bit shady.

Storyline: I can’t say the content is the King here but Vijay is. I won’t give any spoilers but I feel the story has many loopholes. It does fall short and does not live up to the mark.

Sanjay Dutt’s presence: Sanjay Dutt is a terrific actor and he actually shines bright when he plays a grey character. However, it is sad to see Sanjay’s talent being underused once again. I felt the same when I saw him as Adheera in KGF 2, where his talent was wasted in the movie. A similar feeling arose in me when I saw him as Anthony Das in Leo. There was no magnitude in his villainous power nor did it leave an impact on us with his character. I felt bad that Sanjay’s power was not fully used in Leo.

Star performances

Thalapathy Vijay who plays the titular role in Leo is bang on. As I have mentioned before, Leo is all about Vijay because you just can’t miss his persona at all. Be it his action or showing his emotional side, Vijay has done a fantastic job.

Trisha Krishnan plays Parthiban’s wife Satya who is powerful yet vulnerable when it comes to her family. Though she has no major role, Trisha still makes an impact with her presence. She is good in the movie.

Sanjay Dutt plays Leo’s father and is also the antagonist in the movie. As I have mentioned before, the makers have underutilised Sanjay’s talent. Given that he is the villain, I couldn’t see the criminal power onscreen. When you play the villain, it is quite given that it gets difficult to beat the villain but that’s the case in Leo. Nevertheless, he shines in the action sequences.

Conclusion

Concluding my review, Leo movie is all about Thalapathy Vijay but does not offer an engaging story. If you’re a fan of Vijay and action, this movie is the one for you. You will not be able to stop yourself from whistling and cheering for Vijay whenever he comes onscreen with swag. Lokesh Kanagaraj’s direction is top-notch notch while the music by  Anirudh Ravichander is catchy and has a modern touch to it.

Watch Leo trailer after the review

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