Leo Hindi Review: Decent action thriller works due to Vijay performance, background music and engaging first half
Leo Hindi Movie Rating: 2.5 Stars
Finally watched Leo movie in Hindi in Cinemas. Let’s focus on the complete details, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this movie.
Cast: Vijay, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun, Trisha, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mysskin, Mansoor Ali Khan and Priya Anand.
Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Release Date: 19th October 2023 in Cinemas
Story: Set in Himachal Pradesh, animal rescuer and coffee shop owner Parthiban (Vijay) lives with her wife Sathya (Trisha) and two children. He becomes a local hero after rescuing the town from a Hyena attack. One day a few goons attempt to rob his cafe and they threaten to kill his daughter and a worker there. With no option left, Parthiban kills the gangsters, which lands his family in trouble.
When Parthiban is going through all this fuss, gangsters Antony Das (Sanjay Dutt) and Harold Das (Arjun) come into his life and they believe Parthiban is their family member Leo Das (Thalapathy Vijay) due uncanny resemblance.
With guns blazing, they land in the tiny town to find out if Parthiban is Leo. Did Leo fake his own death to become Parthiban or are they two different people who simply look alike, is what forms the crux of the story.
Positives
1. Excellent Performances
2. Screenplay
3. Cinematography
4. Background Music
5. 1st Half
Negatives
1. Length
2. Climax
3. Direction
4. 2nd half
5. Story
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this film planned to watch this movie in cinema on release date as liked the trailer and also loved actor and director previous movies.
A café owner who unexpectedly receives national attention when he is visited by thugs and underworld mafia looking for one “Leo Das”, he protests that it’s a case of mistaken identity but is eventually forced to drop his façade.
Leo is the third installment in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe, following Vikram (2022). The film’s first half is pretty much engaging. Screenplay is slow but the intention was to establish the characters and the protagonist’s world in a neat manner. The movie reaches its peak during the cafe fight scene. The interval block is decent, and it sets up things well for the second half. Leo has some excellent action blocks and solid cinematography. Despite having an ensemble of actors, Leo is a one-man show. Vijay is terrific in the film, as Parthiban, as well as Leo. He keeps the audience guessing if he is really Parthiban or a Leo who has turned Parthiban right up to the climax. Apart from Vijay, Anirudh background music is biggest plus and after Jailer he yet again elevates the impact of just about every routine sequence too. The franchise fans have a few moments to cheer about. There is a small surprise in the end.
On the flipside, it rides on a wafer-thin plot. In fact, the storytelling is as linear and predictable as it gets. While one expects some twists and turns in the narrative, Lokesh disappoints with a rather routine premise. While the writing in the first half manages to hold interest and even sets up well for the conflict to explode in the second half, things begin to drag majorly in the second half. The entire backstory of Leo with Antony and Harold is a drag and fails to evoke the required emotions. The flashback goes on for too long without adding much to the narrative. what Leo lacks in this film, is a strong, towering villain. Though Arjun Sarja matched up to Vijay’s energy, the latter’s screen presence is very limited. The film creates for a visually compelling world of antagonists but doesn’t give them a strong platform to stick to. Despite having performers like Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Sarja, the film lacks a good climax showdown between protagonist and the antagonists. The action design also starts to get repetitive in the second half, with the climax not delivering the required punch.
Though the whole LCU part looks forced, one can say that with Leo, Lokesh has the strongest shot in his arm for the next franchise. Overall movie works primarily due to the fast-paced narrative in the first half, Thalapathy Vijay’s powerful performance, and the LCU connection established through the film. However, it’s important to keep expectations under check that this isn’t a Vikram or a Kaithi. My view on this movie Recommended for Vijay fans.
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