LEO review: A Vijay film with Lokesh Kanagaraj trademarks, falters after a fast-paced first-half

When was the last time you saw a hero or lead character taking on and taming a wildly ferociously striped hyena, all with his bare hands? Perhaps, such an introduction sequence would have seemed great in a Bahubali-like film. It seems, Lokesh Kanagaraj felt it was apt to have Parthiban(Joseph Vijay), introduced in one-such Man vs Wild sequence, a glimpse of which already raised many eyebrows during the trailer release itself. After all, this is no fantasy or superhero film, this is Leo with normal flesh-and-blood characters, set in 2023. This scene would’ve felt cringe, even for the Vijay fans(perhaps, the pre-teen fans would enjoy it?). Maybe, showing the hero’s love for wild animals was a way of establishing the wild animal that resides within the hero?

The brutality, motivations and meanness of the villain, are what make any hero-villain battle exciting and convincing. The hero’s acts appear logical, only when the circumstances that push him/her to the edge are convincing enough. The fast-paced first-half of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo is completely convincing and portrays a happy family of four, who lead a calm and cozy life in the scenic heights of a town in Himachal Pradesh. Circumstances push a cafe-owner Parthiban(who is underestimated as someone selling bun and butter), to do the unthinkable. This not only disrupts the happy family but also sets the tone for what happens entirely thereafter. In the opening credits, the director also acknowledges the inspiration that the 2005 action-thriller film ‘A History of Violence’, had on Leo. 

Speaking of fans, Vijay delivers almost everything they would expect- multiple fight sequences, a grand dance with hundreds of artists, a considerable bit of cussing and whatnot. However, conspicuous in absence was an opening hero-worship-inducing track for Vijay, as has been common in most of his recent films. 

Leo is no ordinary film. From a business perspective, it’ll attract quite a wide basket- Vijay fans and Lokesh Kanagaraj fans(many of whom are showing up to find out whether this film fits in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe). Just like Vijay delivers what his fans want, Loki(as the director is popularly known) also delivers- violence, multiple killing sprees, and ample references to his previous films and videogame-like chase sequences, characters gorging on mutton biriyani and explosions of godowns. Warm light of yellow-orangish shades and a lot of violence have become an inescapable Lokesh Kanagaraj template. By all means, the bloodbath in Leo far exceeds the previous LCU films. Despite all of the above, the first half ends on a high and Anirudh’s music does enough to elevate the sequences. 
 
The second half delves deeper into the life of Parthiban and offers a long-winded explanation of how the film earned its title. A flurry of characters hits us in the letter portion and it takes a while to fathom how they are all connected. While the logic that established the hero-villain battle in the first half seemed convincing, the logic that established the hero-villain war in the second half seemed ridiculous. Paired with Vijay after ages, Trisha Krishnan plays the female lead and has not much to do, except feeling pity and tense about the actions and violent reactions of her better half and taking care of the kids. This is something that’s expected of Vijay-film female leads, that is if they aren’t killed mid-way. 

Director Gautham Vasudev Menon plays a supporting role in the film and appears as a Forest Range Officer. He is more like a friend, philosopher, and guide for Parthiban, who also happens to be a wildlife-rescue expert. At different junctures, when Parthiban faces tough times, Joshy Andrews(played by Menon) helps him out. Given how this role meanders through the film, one wonders if he is a Forest Officer or a Police Officer, or both. 

In the villain department, there are too many people to talk about. The one that felt the most convincing was the baddie who appeared in the first half of the film. His eyes, mean smile, and his gruesome actions appear amply convincing, without any additional effects and glamour to establish his character. He’s the raw and unpolished criminal. Sadly for this film, the raw and unpolished villain seemed a better fit than the Range Rover-owning big boss (Sanjay Dutt) of baddies(who appeared in the second half), with his entourage of black SUVs and a townful of baddies. The villains in the second half appeared all things like the template villain – rich, mindless murderers, alcohol-gulping, exotic cigarette-smoking, stylish old men. While the respective actors played their roles well, the writing that established these villains didn’t seem convincing at all. 

Overall, it seemed like both Lokesh Kanagaraj and Vijay delivered most of the elements that they have been known for. However, the film feels deficient, to say the least. The director tries extra hard to fit this film into his cinematic Universe, but it feels blatantly force-fitted and counter-productive.

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