Leo movie review & film summary (2023) – Roger Ebert

“Leo,” a formulaic however satisfying Indian remake of “A Historical past of Violence,” each is and isn’t precisely what it seems like. You received’t be dissatisfied when you’re anticipating a boisterous, bloody, and bass-heavy motion musical a few espresso store proprietor who should shield his spouse and children from a paranoid drug supplier who claims that our household man is definitely a vicious ex-gangster. “Leo” is in any other case enterprise as ordinary, particularly when you see it for Tamil-language talking star Vijay, as many opening day ticketholders have already got.

Vijay’s previous couple of motion films have additionally served as overstuffed showcases for the chipmunk-cheeked main man. Vijay (“Beast,” “Varisu”), a former youngster actor, nonetheless doesn’t have a lot vary, however he doesn’t actually need to. He’s an motion star, and he seems good every time he’s dispatching scads of heavies along with his toes, fists, and varied mallets and blades. (Motion choreographer/stunt coordinator duo Abumani and Arivumani are credited with planning the film’s “Motion” below their “Anbariv” stage title.)

Vijay seems much less relaxed every time he tries to make a multidimensional character out of cafe proprietor/animal rescuer Parthiban, although his discomfort solely provides rigidity to his character’s id disaster. Reteaming with “Grasp” author/director Lokesh Kanagaraj, Vijay as soon as once more asserts his all-utility {qualifications}: he can wrestle a computer-generated hyena into submission, lead a warehouse stuffed with extras in a (largely nice) dance quantity, and even punch drug supplier Antony Das (Sanjay Dutt) by way of the air and right into a Land Rover.

Vijay’s drive to have an effect on any temper, model, or pose isn’t uncommon for such a preferred and charismatic marquee topper. Nonetheless, it’s putting to see Vijay, nonetheless eternally youthful regardless of his fastidiously stylized beard’s skunk streaks, play a personality who protests this a lot every time he’s confronted along with his killer fame. There’s even an anthemic music that, in a few scenes, means that “Mr. Leo Das is a badass.” So, who does Vijay assume he’s fooling?

Parthiban, fortunately, doesn’t should be plausible as something aside from a pretext for melodramatic fireworks. In character, Vijay seems convincing sufficient as a stern however loving dad to pouty pre-teen Mathi (Iyal) and well mannered adolescent Siddharth (Mathew Thomas), in addition to a doting however paternal husband to Sathya (Trisha). Some incidental particulars recommend that, within the city of Theog, Parthiban has a fame as “an odd individual, yeah, only a peace lovin’ soul,” as one music goes. Vijay’s nonetheless extra convincing when he’s inexplicably—however effectively!—dispatching wave after wave of violent baddies, all of whom both assume Parthiban’s really Leo Das, Antony’s estranged son, or just haven’t any clue who they’re coping with.