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Leo somehow feels more genuine in its goals and themes than Wish. Wish felt like an extended ad for Disney whereas Leo felt like it had a story it really wanted to tell.
Leo explicitly states in the movie that the reason animals do not talk to humans is they’ll get dissected in a lab. That’s why he talks to them all in secret.
I guess I get that in terms of why HE wouldn't talk to people, but it becomes weird when you consider animals in general. 'Cause like... if a big group of animals started talking to humans and said "all other animals can do this" and animals showed that they could, then they presumably wouldn't get dissected in a lab because they could communicate on a human level.
Exactly! And the only reason he started talking to them in the first place was because he accidentally yelled in front of one of the kids. So there is a legitimate reason why animals don’t talk to humans- they don’t wanna end up a science experiment!
@@mastermarkus5307 Maybe, but I assume none of them would want to approve Leo in this, since they fear they could still be at risk of death by doctors, even if smaller in that case.
I often argue that we have just as many (or more) dumb adults as we do kids. I mean, kids are meant to make mistakes and learn. Most of us adults really should know better but still make mistakes all the time. I love this movie as it teaches a lot of little lessons, and Leo feels like that old neighbour down the street that's a little odd but is genuinely sweet and wants to see kids happy.
Leo is better than I could’ve expected for an Adam Sandler movie, and the idea of that one kid’s parents being so overprotective they have a drone follow him? That’s an interesting concept!
I feel like Leo comes from a much more sincere place in what it's trying to say than Wish does, and at the end, art that comes from a sincere place is always going to be more enjoyable than something that is just made to be a product to sell. I'm just not used to seeing sincerity from Adam Sandler.
That's what I thought. Leo is no masterpiece but it felt sincere. The songs are weird AF, but they felt sincere. Also... This has to be the more accurate version of prescholers that I have ever seen. The little monsters running around were hilarious.
I knew about Leo before I knew about wish. I saw wish mech all over Walmart and was confused at what it was. goats, giant dolls all the regular Disney stuff, then I saw Leo on Netflix, watched it the night of because I was bored and genuinely had fun.
Sincere as in actually talking to children and giving them advice for them to help themselves rather than fixing their problems with a magic wand (the reason why I don't really like Disney that much)
@jocelynecupcake That isn't exactly what I meant. The fear of getting older and one day dying without accomplishing anything meaningful with your life is a very real anxiety, and likely something the writers felt for themselves. It's a beautiful thing to say that your life can have fulfillment and meaning by being a guide to others, especially kids who are still trying to navigate their own lives and grow into themselves. Wish is just...very vaguely 'your dreams are important' and doesn't even seem to understand what it wants to say to the audience.
@@literalghost you're exactly right on that too! Puss in Boots Last Wish had a similar story about fearing death. That's because those movies were written by actual humans and Wish was written with A.I
Unpopular opinion: I liked the voice Adam gave to Leo! I own several lizards and I feel like that is EXACTLY how they would talk if they could. I understand that it’s annoying to people but I think it fits a lizard perfectly
After all the terrible things Netflix has done with their animated properties the last few years, hopefully the success of this movie will lead to more projects in the future.
Netflix seems to do better when they're a platform to promote something (at least most of the time, considering how they botched the marketing/hype for JJBA: Stone Ocean). Part of the issue is how they measure viewership when planning out their seasons, assuming everyone watches everything through binging (which isn't the best since not everyone takes in art/media that way, especially if they need a lot more breathing room to process things and/or have a life outside of streaming/social media).
You know that weird feeling you have while watching an Adam Sandler movie? That feeling that tells you that (most of) his movies are bad and despite this you still watch them for some reason? Leo has all the reasons that make Adam Sandler kind of charming: he is funny, but he's also caring and sweet in his unique way. Every pros of his talent is all in this movie, both as actor and singer (and screenwriter) I'm glad one of his movies has achieved a good amount of appreciation. He deserves it
His family starred in this movie too--his wife and kids make an appearance, making this, I guess the second animated movie they've starred in together after Hotel Transylvania.
I agree with the plot points were lacking tho. It needed some polish but all in all it was a cute movie I feel I would have thoroughly enjoyed when I was like 12. I enjoyed it for what it was!
Leo is actually a tuatara, a reptile from New Zealand that looks like a lizard, but isn't. And I don't know how this school in Florida got one, because they're a protected species you can't have as a pet. I know, I was surprised when I learned that too. That nitpick aside though, I love this movie. The fact that Adam Sandler made a better, more heartwarming film than Disney did for their 100th anniversary is still so surreal. I never expected a movie from him to be this heartfelt, genuine, or actually funny. I love the concept, the characters, the banter between Leo and Squirtle is golden, and when the movie hits you in the feels, it hits hard. It does get clunky in the 3rd act, but overall it's great.
Well he's pretty much hatched at around 1949. So his parent must be brought to the united states before that. And at that time the law of animal protection isn't perfect yet or exist at all.
That makes sense. I own pet iguanas, and Leo didn't recemble an iguana to me. But how on earth did a school get to keep Leo as a pet??? Are they keeping it a secret or do they nor know he's a protected species?
i know damn well why Leo did good, it's the existential comfort that movie made me CRY because of how much existential dread and terror i've been feeling lately as a very young adult, i've looked it up and typically people to start to feel this in their early 20s, and watching that movie was like someone gently taking your hand and telling you it's okay, not belittling the size of your problems and fears or telling you to just brush it off.. the advice was genuinely good, and for once it's not 'just have a happy mindset,' it's 'make room for the negative feelings to settle, and listen to them, find the cause, and work on it at your own pace' the movie came from sincerity, and at this point that's not something Disney will be able to replicate anymore, at least not very easily
What the fudge, you described it perfectly. This had the most practical life advice I think I’ve ever seen in a kids movie LOL. The lessons weren’t just vague sayings or cliches, they were freaking harsh but true pieces of advice that you’d get from a sassy old grandparent (makes sense since that’s pretty much exactly what Leo IS lol). Like instead of being “follow your heart” or “think positive” or other cliche sayings/catchphrases, the lessons are like: “you talk too much, learn when to shut up and listen so ppl will wanna be your friend!” / “this truth is gonna hurt someone’s feelings to hear, but it’s for your and their own good” / “you’re no more special than anyone else; your dad just likes to spoil you! HAHAHA!!” And somehow it’s actually more comforting that way:)
I think it might also have benefitted from low expectations. People have been trained to expect the lowest common denominator, so when the movie turns out to be decent (based on the reviews; I haven't seen it), people are surprised.
@@benjaminrobinson3842 Both of you are right. Its both comeupance, shock value, and a classic underdog story. Leo of course aint one of Hollywoods greatest, but it managed to do what it wanted to well and earnestly, and actually give people a good time, while the usual bigger players have been disasterous. Especially Disney with Wish, a movie which people had high hopes in and were extremely let down by, vs Leo, which no-one had hopes in, but actualy was a pleasant surprise and competent movie. Leo didnt need to be more, people expected even less of it, yet it delivered on everything it should while the big boys at Disney couldn't.
And to think Leo is literally the 2nd film where Adam Sandler voices a talking animal, Because the last time he did that was when he voiced a talking monkey in Kevin James's "Zookeeper" hell the voice that Sandler used for Leo is literally the exact same voice he used for the monkey.
@@Nyanakaru Well now you know that I have other interests. lol But I never expected you here either just as I thought that you of all people would acknowledge me.
Leo costs $70 million to make but looks like a high-quality disney movie from the early 2010s Wish cost $200 Million Yet it looks unfinished or an Movie that start 2D it was 75 Percent done but they Decided to do 3D but they have 7 weeks to complete it
I genuinely can't get over how ugly Wish is. To me it looks like they made a standard 3d movie, saw the cultural impact movies like Spiderverse and Puss in Boots had, and quickly slapped on a cell shader onto the 3D models to capitalize on this recent trend of using 2d elements
@@monkeymode5652 I haven't watched Wish yet (I didn't even know the movie existed until I was recommended some reviews shitting on it), but the first time I saw some clips from the movie my first, genuine thought was "wait, is it supposed to look like that?". It looks like an upscaled Wii game from 15 years ago, but they don't even have the excuse of hardware limitations like the Wii games had. It kinda reminds me of Skyward Sword, actually, but with way worse art direction.
I don't think Leo looks like a high-quality movie even in 2010 standards but I agree that Wish looks cheap as hell. It's like a video game graphics lol.
What i like about the movie is that its not just a lesson for kids and their problems, but also for parents too and how to talk to your kids about said problems. It's a really wholesome movie, and while it has its problems, it's a movie worth watching
Leo was surprisingly charming and very cute! And yea, it succeeds at being funny without having to resort to immature humor most of the time! Adam Sandler has really been doing better in these recent years with his starring roles, I hope he keeps it up!
I've said this before, but I think my biggest critique is that the ending should have been dedicated to Leo actually passing away. I get it, it's a family film and a lot of parents aren't ready to have that discussion with their kids. But it would have put such a nice bow on every story. Leo will have died knowing his life had meaning, Squirtle will have to take up the torch his own way and become selfless, the sub learns to appreciate the potential she has, and the kids learn to move on. I really question why they went with such a chaotic and fake out ending when the movie could have come full circle by just delivering on it's promise from the start. And there's subtle ways of doing it! You don't have to end the movie on a shot of crying kids, but you could get a glimpse of class in a future year without him, or a reunion of sorts.
I half-agree. My thought for the ending was to have Leo accept that he will die, but deciding that as long as he can spend his final days helping kids, it’ll have been a worthwhile life. Though you COULD combine that with the flash-forward idea…
Leo learning that he isn't gonna die anytime soon does NOT feel like a cop-out tho. Lemme explain. So he spends the whole movie terrified he is gonna die and his goal is to go to the wild. But he starts bonding with the kids, yet still tries to escape a few times, and his initial goal becomes selfish because he would be abandoning the kids. His heart won't allow it so he sacrifices the chance to escape to stay with them. And as he helps the kids more and more, he finds that he is doing something meaningful with his life at last, and that when he dies soon he can be satisfied knowing he made a difference however small. And at this point he no longer even wants to escape, so when Malkin drops him at the Everglades, he is not happy like he WOULD have been at the start of the movie, he just wants to be with the kids again. So, as a reward for his selflessness and good deeds, Leo gains the knowledge that he still has a long life ahead of him. If Leo were to escape at the start of the movie and learned from the wild tuataras that he would live, he would be all "Ok, cool" and would stay in the Everglades without looking back, he wouldn't learn anything and the kids would be miserable. But, since he helped the kids, bonded with them, helped them find their purpose while simultaneously finding his and let go of his selfish goal, him learning much later that he isn't gonna die feels EARNED. It is his reward for all he has done and he is immensely happy, and now that he knows he has a long life ahead of him, he can feel relief at last and he can and WILL help even more kids for decades to come.
When the film was first announced, some many people thought this was going to be another Sandler flop by Netflix. But then everyone was surprised by how heartwarming and somewhat realistic the story was.
I agree about the voice for Leo. It was jarring. However, I do genuinely believe this movie was better than Wish. It had a lot more heart and felt a whole lot more genuine with its theme and story. It felt like a movie for kids that adults could also relate to and the amount of restraint when it came to potty humor was really nice. I think the kindergartner gag was my favorite. It was surprising, but also highly relatable. I was also surprised that it was a musical, but it worked. I wouldn't say they were golden era Disney level quality, but they weren't just repurposed pop songs from the last ten years sung by the VAs. This movie did a better job at doing a Disney/Pixar movie than Disney/Pixar has put out in the past several years and that's just wild.
Exactly! No one expected this movie to be good yet it delivered on everything it should do to tell a nice story. And just as importantly did so at the exact same time as Disney, historically the golden standard on animated story telling, did not manage to do that in favour of corporate greed and patting themselves on the back for their success over and over.
my favorite character was the drone; it doesn't speak, it doesn't have facial features, but it still display so much emotion and personality, i just love it, and it being the mcguffin + the whole breakup and finding new love skin was amazingly funny XD!
Leo is just so cute. Like maybe it’s my old age (of 16) but I really found myself thinking that the whole movie was really sweet. The message is cute, the characters are cute, and the execution is great. It feels like it has actual substance!
Ok? I mean sarcasm fits here they are calling themselves old ironically when they aren't old. If you don't think that fits thats fine but it is a valid interpretation. I think you need to touch grass none of this is very serious
Wish is the type of film Patrick Bateman would adore, whilst Leo is the type of film that if it was released in 2016, it would be one of the biggest films of the year.
Adam Sandler used the otherworldly becursed powers of his partner-in-crime, Rob Schneider (the same powers forcing you to mention him in three separate, unrelated videos in a row) to absorb all the filmmaking talent that Disney is supposed to have. Most logical explanation.
I found Leo by accident the other night and I actually really enjoyed it. Adam Sandler is actually really good at storytelling when he isn't trying too hard to be "wild and wacky" like Eight Crazy Nights.
@@dragons_hook Early on, he thinks tuataras only live up to 75 years, but what he doesn't know until much later is that when bred in captivity, they can live up to a hundred years, but this isn't the case for tuataras out in the wild.
The thing is, that would also mean that there are abunch of tuatara in the everglades lol. That part of the movie makes no sense. Also i didn’t catch it was a tuatara at first(or know what a tuatara was) but it makes alot more sense considering the size of iguanas vs. the size of tuataras. Tuataras probably cant cause quite as much head trauma as an iguana when frozen, can florida trade with new zealand?
@@Greytawnyowl Tuataras are an endangered species from, yes New Zealand, but this is the reason as to why it's technically illegal to keep them as pets. Makes us all wonder how Leo, during the late 1940's and early 50's made it all the way over to North America, when he was still a baby.
I think Leo is mainly thriving off pure comparison. If Wish didn't end this year of otherwise stellar big-budget animation with a whimper we would've just thought Leo was pretty decent for an Adam Sandler flick.
Ok either Disney has accidentally done several things that induce bad luck or Netflix is starting a redemption arc with their animations cause a animated Adam Sandler movie being better then a Disney animated film is concerning to me
This is one of those rare movies where I feel like it could have been a series, have a class pet spend there life acting as a secondary teacher to the students.
I was an animator on this film. I am glad people enjoy the film, but I found it rough to work on. I don’t think I’ll be putting any of my work on my showreel. 😅 if there is ever a Leo 2 I’ll be sure as hell be turning down that contract.
@@n.l.g.6401 not the worst overtime I have experienced thankfully. But it was sure a rollercoaster when it came to finding out what the directors wanted. I honestly could go on for hours but put simply… it is not fun working with three directors that all gave different feedback depending on their moods on that very day without reflecting on what they gave the previous one. 😅 it’s the main reason I would not want to work on a Leo 2, I just don’t want to work with them again. Plus the anim style is not something I enjoyed either. I have never been told to purposefully ignore the fundamentals of appealing animation before on a project 🤣
@@NarutoLover6219well it makes the movie style unique. Thank you for lending a hand in this homey movie. It’s a nice little project and even if you didn’t enjoy it as much, just know your work is appreciated and we hope for the best in your future endeavors. -From an amateur animator who likes lizards 😊
I havent watch Wish yet, but Leo actually made me laugh and care about the characters within the film. Something that Disney, Star Wars and Marvel havent done in a while with their movies. I do think the third act was crazy and unnecessary, but at the end of the day, when I think in "Leo", I remember how I enjoy it, and Im fine with it.
My father has the tendency to just turn the first thing he comes across on Netflix or Prime Video and falls asleep in a matter of minutes; when Leo released he turned it on and fell asleep as usual, but i was HOOKED (despite my father's loudass snoring of course). Leo truly feels like the apex in 3D animation and storytelling, mixing the seemingly innocent looks of Toy Story with a slight human-animal bonding reminiscing of Ratatouille, and without even having Pixar or Disney involved in it. Overall I don't think Netflix is going to take down Disney any time soon, but hopefully Dreamworks and smaller animation projects like these can kick the standards up high enough to get Disney running for its money.
I feel like it's kinda like the case of Thomas O'Malley from the Aristocats. He's got like 12 different names from the people who have cared for him. Maybe Squirtle is just his most recent name.
I actually work with kids and Leo really spoke to me honestly because it really got why some kids lie or act out. Wish had nothing, nothing inspiring for kids, nothing really fun for kids and nothing to think about afterwards. Leo has something and though I didn't like the music I still thought it was a good choice to brake up a mostly talk heavy movie
I was surprised by how much I liked it, and honestly felt like Saber undervalued it a bit in his review because he's so burnt out on Sandler and Schneider. It has heart, solid animation, some funny if not memorable songs, and a lot of jokes. Plus, my kids (2, 6, 9) all have enjoyed it enough that it's been the movie night choice twice since it came out. To me it's just below the level of Mitchells Vs. The Machines - an unexpected original IP movie put out on Netflix that ended up becoming a family favorite. Also, I cracked up every time the kindergarteners came on screen! Great recurring joke.
I could've written this comment! The only difference is that I have only one kid, a disabled 5 year old who's got a tough life at times, but thankfully movies are sort of his "thing" that's helped him find joy & learn words when his rare malformations make it hard for speech. I couldn't believe how quickly this movie instantly became his favorite! We have tortoises and pet lizards, so he could actually say words from the movie which was a nice surprise to find. We had a full few weeks of him shouting w/ joy whenever he watched it, yelling, "Turdle!" But yes, reminded me of Meet the Mitchell's in humor and heart. Was enjoyable for adults to watch too! It's about self discovery & how to love our flaws while learning to cope & overcome hardships. Just had to agree with your opinion as a parent watching this movie.
I can't wait to see your land before time video next January. I've been watching/enjoying your videos for over 7 years now and now seen you make a video about the land before time sequels has made me feel really nostalgic for them for the first time in years. And I want to thank you for making great content for so many years ❤ I also have a suggestion for something you could find really interesting and which is also really nostalgic for me and it is an old animated show called *Alfred* *J* *Kwak* . It is an old Dutch animated kids show (that ran from 1989-1991) that touched on some pretty controversial things, pn of which was reItiH (the austrian painter) with a furry crow version of him and it was probably the thing that caused the most amount of controversy towards it at the time. It also has many other qualities that would make it perfect show for you to talk about on your channel :)
Wish’s storytelling to me felt very…manufactured. It was designed to hit story beats, sell toys, look good on posters. It doesn’t have the heart that I saw in the movies that came out when I was growing up. It’s like after Encanto, the soul just up and left. Leo was a great movie though. There was a visible purpose to the story, it wasn’t made for just selling merchandise. The characters were just FUN. A kid with a protective drone that he has to break up with? Hilarious. The one girl who over shares? RELATABLE. The characters had real problems. Real concerns. And Leo was a scaled uncle iron for them. It was heart warming.
Even at the cost of subscription price changes and show/movie cancellations, Netflix has proven itself again to be a massive advantage when it comes to releasing promising animated movies like this just as it was with the release of Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and Nimona.
The whole 'Are people REALLY into this over a Disney movie' bit at the beginning is just... Weird. Like, just because it's Disney that means it automatically has to be better than this other movie cause Adam Sandler, and it's positive ratings are just spite towards Disney? Like that whole thing just felt like some kind of idol worship of Disney in a weird way, like 'yeah no way anyone GENUINELY believes this Adam Sandler movie is better than this Disney movie.' And then at the end it isn't even addressed again. There's no 'yeah I can see why people would actually like this over Wish.' It was all essentially meaningless to the rest of the video, and kind of just left a bad taste in my mouth.
I was shocked that he didn't give his opinion at the end over whether he thought it was better than Wish or not. A bunch of build-up to absolutely nothing.
I surprisingly enjoyed Leo as well! Yes it’s lacking in some areas but it’s overall a heart warming and endearing movie. I enjoy the plot, the music is pretty solid, and all the designs are top tier
Disney: Leo's a Netflix only flick. It has no quality. Critics: Be honest. Disney: I am honest. Critics: How was the Rotten Tomatoes review percentage on this movie compare to yours? Disney: Higher than ours? Critics: There you go.
51st dates, click, happy Gilmore, anger management, eight crazy nights, hotel Transylvania, Leo, and so many more I don’t care what anyone says Adam Sandler is incredibly talented and his movies are amazing. Are every single one of them a box office buster Emmy award nominated instant classic? no. not at all but with only one or maybe two exceptions, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single Adam Sandler movie I would write less than a seven they are all either absolutely hilarious, or incredibly deep or both. I genuinely cannot understand how anyone dislikes Adam Sandler or his movies as a whole. Even if you don’t like the potty humor, that’s usually less than 10% of the overall entire film.
In the Hebrew dub, Leo is voiced by Ido Mosseri. Which is actually kinda sweet since Ido appeared in the 2007 Adam Sandler movie: "you don't mess with the zohan".
Leo was unironically a very good movie. It was a comedy with a plot and style it wanted to execute and it nailed it perfectly. None of the "cringy" things were done accidentally, it has an intended audience (me) and that audience loves it.
People just need to stop looking at the brand and focus more on the content and context being presented to them. Leo had good writing, good animation, and good production. It was a good movie. Wish felt like some poor writing thrown at animators and were told to make it look nice and pretty.
I watched Leo twice within the same number of days because I simply couldn’t believe Adam Sandler could have a movie about a talking class pet make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside
Robert Smigel's done a bit more than just Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. He was also the head writer on Conan, wrote Saturday TV Funhouse cartoons on SNL, helped write Little Nicky, Don't Mess with the Zohan, and the Wedding Singer, and co-wrote the first 2 Hotel Transylvania films.
The one Moment that Made me laugh was in the Song with the entitled girl " My Mom Looks Like Britney Spears." "Mayber after a cupple Beer" That was really good
As someone who works with reptiles, I find the poor husbandry and continuously calling him a lizard when he's a tuatara, a little infuriating. In the same way, they still show fish in bowls in media. Yes, I know it's a childrens film, but this is just a personal thing for myself. Also, there's no way there would ever be a tuatara just vibing in a classroom, haha.
I just watched Leo yesterday and I actually had quite a bit of fun watching it - I was kinda blown away by the fact it actually discussed struggling with home lives, and stuff like divorce or overprotectiveness. They’re very basic things that many young kids deal with, but are things that children’s movies rarely discuss. I do genuinely wish that we got to see Leo helping the kids in more detail, rather than the madness that was the second half of the film. Probably not something I’d watch again, but it was still very fun !
between this and the Disney movie, one has been accused of using AI writers and the other hasn't. I know which one ill be watching. Disney truly fell off.
Leo had such a cute message that I think is amazing for children to hear. It was cute and sometimes funny! ( like when he explained turtle birth ) Overall, the best part of the movie was the message is sends to kids!
What makes this better that Wish is that it's clear human beings with thoughts and ideas made it - as in you could not make the mistake of thinking an AI wrote it.
What I love about this movie is how it validates the kids' personal problems. It's easy to dismiss them with their modern and privileged lifestyle, but every kid no matter where they come from or what year they're living in, needs guidance and wisdom from someone old enough to have seen it all like Leo.
I agree with Saber’s assessment that it’s not an amazing move just a good one, but sometimes it really is nice just to enjoy a simple wholesome movie. It’s like having a cupcake or piece of chocolate cake at the end of a hard work day, nothing special like a gourmet flan or mousse, but a little piece of happiness that you get to enjoy.
I was pretty impressed that this movie actually made it big. Not gonna lie but when I first saw this trailer and well the movie I thought Leo was an iguana but turns out no he’s not. he’s in reptile I cannot pronounce either way still it’s pretty incredible. How is able to give advice to children especially when he had a lot of experience of wisdom over the years of classes come and go.
I don't understand the dislike for Adam's voice acting. The dude has more range then certain other people who've been getting main character roles as of late. I didn't even know it was him until the end of the movie, i was so surprised!!
Robert Smigel isnt just Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Hes an incrediblly talented and smart writer. If youre a fan of 90s SNL and early Conan, then he definitely left his mark. Having him as writer for Leo probably helped temper Sandlers impulses a bit
13:14 - Am I the only one who wants that dragon hat? Cuz I would like that dragon hat... I would also like to visit that theme park in general, because dragons
I'm not going to lie. If I was in that class as a student, I would've took the turtle.....but that's mainly because my mom and I know how to take care of turtles. It's basically the only type of reptile we know how to care for. Leo would have been dead in my hands by accident. Everyone can care for Leo, but I would just take Squirtle... and probably call him something else, sneak some romaine lettuce and blueberries for him (not iceberg because it has no nutritional value for turtles), and watch anime with him...he looks more like a Franklin to me. 😅🐢
I just watched it and to answer your question - it is. It tackles serious problems in kind, smart way and it leaves your heart warm. It is really worth watching.
5:30 they say in the film that Leo is a tuatura but they live in New Zealand while Leo finds his now species in the Everglades (which has got iguanas living in it.) I guess that's why Leo was misinformed about his lifespan.
Considering what the behind-the-scenes reason is for why Adam Sandler looks so fit in Eight Crazy Nights, this movie feels like the natural conclusion to that where his character learns to deal with growing old. It's a weird parallel I really didn't expect to find in this.
I still need to get around to watching Leo, but just from what I’ve heard it seems like a sincerely heartfelt film. That’s really crazy considering it’s from Adam Sandler of all people lol, but it’s actually interesting to see. I hope Leo’s overall great reception (especially in relation to Wish) in conjunction to more non-Disney films like Nimona helps the trend of making legitimately good movies not aimed at treating kids like dumb viewers but like actual audience members like adults!
Loved Leo soooo much!! The life lessons for the kids and watching them go into effect was super cute. Buuuut the musical numbers were very out of place, except for the dad’s bragging song, that was pretty funny lol
I think a good thing about this movie is that it talks about problems that kids actually relate to, that aren't necessarily that horrible, but they are difficult to go through for kids. Especially if there isn't an adult that would take them seriously and talked through these "small" things with them. But then the movie shows kids that they can talk to someone, and they are capable of working through their troubles on their own as well. And the point about the best thing to do for teachers is to make kids believe that they're capable was an awesome idea too imo. I think that's a really solid concept overall. Of course it could be taken further and they could have done even more with it. There could be some serious themes involved, e.g. there could be a kid who didn't want to take Leo home and it comes out it was because they didn't feel it was safe. Leo could convince them to talk to a safe adult at school and maybe they get the support they need and later in the movie the kid can take Leo to a new home where they aren't afraid anymore. So there could be a general take on more heavy things that a lot of kids experience irl, such as abuse, having to leave with one of the parents, or being taken into a foster home, etc. But honestly I prefer that they made a honest movie with a simple genuine message, that they clearly wanted to make, than if they were to take on things they may not be good at tackling and might end up doing more harm than good with it.
I like the name squirtle for the turtle because it feels very much like the teacher let the children name it when they got it. Its believable kids would name it that even today, but the joke just gets funnier if they named the turtle back in 1998 and its still alive
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Mr saber leo was actual rly good also pls check outthe playground my rodrigo sousa !!
Leo is a tuatara not an iguana
You're gonna get Schneider'd
the kids are in 5th grade
𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕤!
Leo somehow feels more genuine in its goals and themes than Wish. Wish felt like an extended ad for Disney whereas Leo felt like it had a story it really wanted to tell.
👏👏👏👏
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart's farts.
What a timeline we live in where an Adam Sandler movie has more heartfelt moments than Disney 100th anniversary film.
Might have a little to do with Wish being allegedly written by AI.
@@pepperedash4424
What?
People were more interested than funny Adam Sandler lizard movie than the 100th anniversary Disney flick, this truly is the most insane timeline.
Well, the Disney movie was absolute rubbish and such a low blow for their 100 anniversary. So anything is better then wish at this point
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart's farts
Haven't I seen you in the comment section of Disneycember?
@p-__what
@@p-__ what
Leo explicitly states in the movie that the reason animals do not talk to humans is they’ll get dissected in a lab. That’s why he talks to them all in secret.
Yeah he's all like "Don't tell anyone I can talk, they'll send me to a scientist and they'll try to kill me like ET!", which is a valid worry.
I guess I get that in terms of why HE wouldn't talk to people, but it becomes weird when you consider animals in general. 'Cause like... if a big group of animals started talking to humans and said "all other animals can do this" and animals showed that they could, then they presumably wouldn't get dissected in a lab because they could communicate on a human level.
Exactly! And the only reason he started talking to them in the first place was because he accidentally yelled in front of one of the kids. So there is a legitimate reason why animals don’t talk to humans- they don’t wanna end up a science experiment!
@@mastermarkus5307 Maybe, but I assume none of them would want to approve Leo in this, since they fear they could still be at risk of death by doctors, even if smaller in that case.
It's not a valid worry though. A talking animal would be far more valuable alive than dead.
I love children's movies that teach children with respect. Children, while they can be dumb, are smarter then they are often given credit.
I often argue that we have just as many (or more) dumb adults as we do kids. I mean, kids are meant to make mistakes and learn. Most of us adults really should know better but still make mistakes all the time. I love this movie as it teaches a lot of little lessons, and Leo feels like that old neighbour down the street that's a little odd but is genuinely sweet and wants to see kids happy.
Leo is better than I could’ve expected for an Adam Sandler movie, and the idea of that one kid’s parents being so overprotective they have a drone follow him? That’s an interesting concept!
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart's farts
Both interesting and Black Mirror-ish.
What's even more interesting was that the drone is an actual character, and was relevant to the plot. Crazy.
What about “don’t cry cuz other people have problems “ that’s fucking messed up!
@@p-__that's wonderful, congratulations
I feel like Leo comes from a much more sincere place in what it's trying to say than Wish does, and at the end, art that comes from a sincere place is always going to be more enjoyable than something that is just made to be a product to sell. I'm just not used to seeing sincerity from Adam Sandler.
That's what I thought. Leo is no masterpiece but it felt sincere. The songs are weird AF, but they felt sincere. Also... This has to be the more accurate version of prescholers that I have ever seen. The little monsters running around were hilarious.
I knew about Leo before I knew about wish. I saw wish mech all over Walmart and was confused at what it was. goats, giant dolls all the regular Disney stuff, then I saw Leo on Netflix, watched it the night of because I was bored and genuinely had fun.
Sincere as in actually talking to children and giving them advice for them to help themselves rather than fixing their problems with a magic wand (the reason why I don't really like Disney that much)
@jocelynecupcake That isn't exactly what I meant. The fear of getting older and one day dying without accomplishing anything meaningful with your life is a very real anxiety, and likely something the writers felt for themselves. It's a beautiful thing to say that your life can have fulfillment and meaning by being a guide to others, especially kids who are still trying to navigate their own lives and grow into themselves. Wish is just...very vaguely 'your dreams are important' and doesn't even seem to understand what it wants to say to the audience.
@@literalghost you're exactly right on that too! Puss in Boots Last Wish had a similar story about fearing death. That's because those movies were written by actual humans and Wish was written with A.I
Unpopular opinion: I liked the voice Adam gave to Leo! I own several lizards and I feel like that is EXACTLY how they would talk if they could. I understand that it’s annoying to people but I think it fits a lizard perfectly
Hes an old man lizard lol I liked it too. Surprised he didn’t say oh my sciatica lol 😅
@@sewgeekdesigns9113 my beardie Belmont (rest in peace stinky boy) 100% had this voice. He was an old man with a lot of opinions 😂
Maybe I'm biased by growing up with Airheads and Happy Gilmore and the golden era of 90s SNL but I love Sandler as a VA
Agree!
Same here. This is how I imagine lizards like iguanas or bearded dragons to talk. It's perfectly fitting
After all the terrible things Netflix has done with their animated properties the last few years, hopefully the success of this movie will lead to more projects in the future.
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart's farts
@InevitableOption-ic2vx I LOVED Nimona!!! She's a chaotic ball of spunk and the movie was rad! The visuals were so cool!!!
Hopefully Ultraman: Rising and Orion & the Dark are as successful as Leo.
Netflix seems to do better when they're a platform to promote something (at least most of the time, considering how they botched the marketing/hype for JJBA: Stone Ocean). Part of the issue is how they measure viewership when planning out their seasons, assuming everyone watches everything through binging (which isn't the best since not everyone takes in art/media that way, especially if they need a lot more breathing room to process things and/or have a life outside of streaming/social media).
I still haven't gotten over when Netflix canceled Inside Job, but hopefully, the success of Leo and Nimona might knock some sense into them.
You know that weird feeling you have while watching an Adam Sandler movie? That feeling that tells you that (most of) his movies are bad and despite this you still watch them for some reason? Leo has all the reasons that make Adam Sandler kind of charming: he is funny, but he's also caring and sweet in his unique way. Every pros of his talent is all in this movie, both as actor and singer (and screenwriter)
I'm glad one of his movies has achieved a good amount of appreciation. He deserves it
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart's farts.
That’s what I thought! There’s a layer of wholesomeness that you can only find in his movies.
I feel like Adam Sandler makes the crappy low effort but still somehow popular movies to fund the rare actual good movies.
@@Crazyashley42I'm pretty sure he's said exactly this before
His family starred in this movie too--his wife and kids make an appearance, making this, I guess the second animated movie they've starred in together after Hotel Transylvania.
I actually found Leo’s voice endearing. It felt like an old man trying to tell me his well earned wisdom, thats just me tho!
I agree with the plot points were lacking tho. It needed some polish but all in all it was a cute movie I feel I would have thoroughly enjoyed when I was like 12. I enjoyed it for what it was!
Leo is actually a tuatara, a reptile from New Zealand that looks like a lizard, but isn't. And I don't know how this school in Florida got one, because they're a protected species you can't have as a pet. I know, I was surprised when I learned that too. That nitpick aside though, I love this movie. The fact that Adam Sandler made a better, more heartwarming film than Disney did for their 100th anniversary is still so surreal. I never expected a movie from him to be this heartfelt, genuine, or actually funny. I love the concept, the characters, the banter between Leo and Squirtle is golden, and when the movie hits you in the feels, it hits hard. It does get clunky in the 3rd act, but overall it's great.
Well he's pretty much hatched at around 1949. So his parent must be brought to the united states before that. And at that time the law of animal protection isn't perfect yet or exist at all.
That makes sense. I own pet iguanas, and Leo didn't recemble an iguana to me. But how on earth did a school get to keep Leo as a pet??? Are they keeping it a secret or do they nor know he's a protected species?
@@undyne1I think they don't know, the most people that's film are ignorant
Yeah, this is a realy great film.
@@breys-desenhando7642 What I assume is the case, but an entire school? Can't help but nitpick.
Almost immediately finding Leo in the everglades makes sense since I think Leo maybe only moved 50ft from where the substitute dropped him off.
Tuataras also have remarkably slow metabolisms and move extremely slowly too so they can conserve energy and live longer.
Can’t believe Saber didn’t talk about the Drone. It was the best character in the movie.
It's funny how a character with no face or speech can show so much emotion
SO TRUE!! When the drone gets depressed I absolutely died, it just eating the ice cream and putting itself in the trash- pure masterpiece
I've seen you everywhere geardog, YOUR FOLLOWING ME
"Don't worry about him, Eli. He knows he's recyclable."
i know damn well why Leo did good, it's the existential comfort
that movie made me CRY because of how much existential dread and terror i've been feeling lately as a very young adult, i've looked it up and typically people to start to feel this in their early 20s, and watching that movie was like someone gently taking your hand and telling you it's okay, not belittling the size of your problems and fears or telling you to just brush it off.. the advice was genuinely good, and for once it's not 'just have a happy mindset,' it's 'make room for the negative feelings to settle, and listen to them, find the cause, and work on it at your own pace'
the movie came from sincerity, and at this point that's not something Disney will be able to replicate anymore, at least not very easily
What the fudge, you described it perfectly. This had the most practical life advice I think I’ve ever seen in a kids movie LOL. The lessons weren’t just vague sayings or cliches, they were freaking harsh but true pieces of advice that you’d get from a sassy old grandparent (makes sense since that’s pretty much exactly what Leo IS lol).
Like instead of being “follow your heart” or “think positive” or other cliche sayings/catchphrases, the lessons are like: “you talk too much, learn when to shut up and listen so ppl will wanna be your friend!” / “this truth is gonna hurt someone’s feelings to hear, but it’s for your and their own good” / “you’re no more special than anyone else; your dad just likes to spoil you! HAHAHA!!”
And somehow it’s actually more comforting that way:)
I am a kindergarten teacher and I can confirm that the kindergartners in Leo are pretty accurate 😂
My son is a kindergartener and found their design hilarious.
I tell you, the design of the kindergartners always look sooo out of place in the movie, yet that what makes them really hilarious.
As an older sister, I second this.
As an uncle with nieces and nephews and younger cousins I can confirm as well.
This movie is the worst
The musical aspect of it was a jumpscare for me, but everything else was surprisingly good and wholesome
Same
i liked the songs! the one with the kids ages was so sad
Right? They didn't show a single song in any trailer, so that really pulled the rug out from under me XD
Music is fine, not memorable but fine
@@alphabloodpaw3233 "When I was Ten" was pretty catchy though.
I honestly like the feature. It’s not perfect, but it’s just charming, and much better than literally anyone would have expected.
I think it might also have benefitted from low expectations. People have been trained to expect the lowest common denominator, so when the movie turns out to be decent (based on the reviews; I haven't seen it), people are surprised.
@@benjaminrobinson3842 Both of you are right. Its both comeupance, shock value, and a classic underdog story. Leo of course aint one of Hollywoods greatest, but it managed to do what it wanted to well and earnestly, and actually give people a good time, while the usual bigger players have been disasterous. Especially Disney with Wish, a movie which people had high hopes in and were extremely let down by, vs Leo, which no-one had hopes in, but actualy was a pleasant surprise and competent movie. Leo didnt need to be more, people expected even less of it, yet it delivered on everything it should while the big boys at Disney couldn't.
And to think Leo is literally the 2nd film where Adam Sandler voices a talking animal, Because the last time he did that was when he voiced a talking monkey in Kevin James's "Zookeeper" hell the voice that Sandler used for Leo is literally the exact same voice he used for the monkey.
I'm so glad that somebody finally acknowledged that. I had never seen anybody talk about that until now! 🤓
lol, didnt expected you here, anyway, hi!
I enjoyed Zookeeper
@@thema1998 Neither did I! I watched that movie many years ago and didn't even realise the connection.
@@Nyanakaru Well now you know that I have other interests. lol
But I never expected you here either just as I thought that you of all people would acknowledge me.
I actually fell like Leo's voice suited him. It made him actually feel old since irl I've been around old people who actually sounded like that
Leo costs $70 million to make but looks like a high-quality disney movie from the early 2010s
Wish cost $200 Million Yet it looks unfinished or an Movie that start 2D it was 75 Percent done but they Decided to do 3D but they have 7 weeks to complete it
I genuinely can't get over how ugly Wish is.
To me it looks like they made a standard 3d movie, saw the cultural impact movies like Spiderverse and Puss in Boots had, and quickly slapped on a cell shader onto the 3D models to capitalize on this recent trend of using 2d elements
@@monkeymode5652 I haven't watched Wish yet (I didn't even know the movie existed until I was recommended some reviews shitting on it), but the first time I saw some clips from the movie my first, genuine thought was "wait, is it supposed to look like that?". It looks like an upscaled Wii game from 15 years ago, but they don't even have the excuse of hardware limitations like the Wii games had. It kinda reminds me of Skyward Sword, actually, but with way worse art direction.
I don't think Leo looks like a high-quality movie even in 2010 standards but I agree that Wish looks cheap as hell. It's like a video game graphics lol.
What i like about the movie is that its not just a lesson for kids and their problems, but also for parents too and how to talk to your kids about said problems. It's a really wholesome movie, and while it has its problems, it's a movie worth watching
Leo was surprisingly charming and very cute! And yea, it succeeds at being funny without having to resort to immature humor most of the time!
Adam Sandler has really been doing better in these recent years with his starring roles, I hope he keeps it up!
Adam Sandler is just like DreamWorks, he is way more talented than he gives credit for, but he also likes to make a lot of crap too.
@@damonlam9145Nobody is perfect, but it’s not ok to overrate.
I've said this before, but I think my biggest critique is that the ending should have been dedicated to Leo actually passing away. I get it, it's a family film and a lot of parents aren't ready to have that discussion with their kids. But it would have put such a nice bow on every story.
Leo will have died knowing his life had meaning, Squirtle will have to take up the torch his own way and become selfless, the sub learns to appreciate the potential she has, and the kids learn to move on. I really question why they went with such a chaotic and fake out ending when the movie could have come full circle by just delivering on it's promise from the start.
And there's subtle ways of doing it! You don't have to end the movie on a shot of crying kids, but you could get a glimpse of class in a future year without him, or a reunion of sorts.
They should've hired you as the writer, istg
I guess it would make the children sad. And the producers who would love to see a sequel/cinematic universe.
I half-agree. My thought for the ending was to have Leo accept that he will die, but deciding that as long as he can spend his final days helping kids, it’ll have been a worthwhile life. Though you COULD combine that with the flash-forward idea…
Maybe so but when we watched it we were dreading him dying. Too sad!
Leo learning that he isn't gonna die anytime soon does NOT feel like a cop-out tho. Lemme explain. So he spends the whole movie terrified he is gonna die and his goal is to go to the wild. But he starts bonding with the kids, yet still tries to escape a few times, and his initial goal becomes selfish because he would be abandoning the kids. His heart won't allow it so he sacrifices the chance to escape to stay with them. And as he helps the kids more and more, he finds that he is doing something meaningful with his life at last, and that when he dies soon he can be satisfied knowing he made a difference however small. And at this point he no longer even wants to escape, so when Malkin drops him at the Everglades, he is not happy like he WOULD have been at the start of the movie, he just wants to be with the kids again. So, as a reward for his selflessness and good deeds, Leo gains the knowledge that he still has a long life ahead of him. If Leo were to escape at the start of the movie and learned from the wild tuataras that he would live, he would be all "Ok, cool" and would stay in the Everglades without looking back, he wouldn't learn anything and the kids would be miserable. But, since he helped the kids, bonded with them, helped them find their purpose while simultaneously finding his and let go of his selfish goal, him learning much later that he isn't gonna die feels EARNED. It is his reward for all he has done and he is immensely happy, and now that he knows he has a long life ahead of him, he can feel relief at last and he can and WILL help even more kids for decades to come.
I'd say Adam is on his way to redeeming himself for Eight Crazy Nights. Not quite, but he's getting there
Adam Sandler is just like DreamWorks, he is way more talented than he gives credit for, but he also likes to make a lot of crap too.
I hope he gets more animated movies like Leo or atleast a 2nd one
It’s a rollercoaster of a career. He’s made it up from the bottom.
He very much deserves this too. He's an awesome humble man off screen and deserves every bit of positive light he gets.
Adam Sandler deserves this redemption arc, he's one of the most wholesome celebrities out there, top 10 at least.
When the film was first announced, some many people thought this was going to be another Sandler flop by Netflix. But then everyone was surprised by how heartwarming and somewhat realistic the story was.
I agree about the voice for Leo. It was jarring. However, I do genuinely believe this movie was better than Wish. It had a lot more heart and felt a whole lot more genuine with its theme and story. It felt like a movie for kids that adults could also relate to and the amount of restraint when it came to potty humor was really nice. I think the kindergartner gag was my favorite. It was surprising, but also highly relatable. I was also surprised that it was a musical, but it worked. I wouldn't say they were golden era Disney level quality, but they weren't just repurposed pop songs from the last ten years sung by the VAs. This movie did a better job at doing a Disney/Pixar movie than Disney/Pixar has put out in the past several years and that's just wild.
Exactly! No one expected this movie to be good yet it delivered on everything it should do to tell a nice story. And just as importantly did so at the exact same time as Disney, historically the golden standard on animated story telling, did not manage to do that in favour of corporate greed and patting themselves on the back for their success over and over.
my favorite character was the drone;
it doesn't speak, it doesn't have facial features, but it still display so much emotion and personality, i just love it,
and it being the mcguffin + the whole breakup and finding new love skin was amazingly funny XD!
"Sorry I'm late, I drowned in dinosaurs for a few weeks" is the excuse of all time, and it works
Leo is just so cute. Like maybe it’s my old age (of 16) but I really found myself thinking that the whole movie was really sweet. The message is cute, the characters are cute, and the execution is great. It feels like it has actual substance!
@@SmokingDatCrackI think they are being sarcastic
@@tristantries9211 you don't know what sarcastic means
Ok? I mean sarcasm fits here they are calling themselves old ironically when they aren't old. If you don't think that fits thats fine but it is a valid interpretation. I think you need to touch grass none of this is very serious
@@tristantries9211 telling me to touch grass when you were the one who started this unnecessary argument is peak hypocrisy. stfu 💀🙏
@@SmokingDatCrack no they do. And yes I was being sarcastic
I loved Leo, even some of the things he talked to the kids about I felt were meaningful to me as an adult.
Wish is the type of film Patrick Bateman would adore, whilst Leo is the type of film that if it was released in 2016, it would be one of the biggest films of the year.
Adam Sandler used the otherworldly becursed powers of his partner-in-crime, Rob Schneider (the same powers forcing you to mention him in three separate, unrelated videos in a row) to absorb all the filmmaking talent that Disney is supposed to have.
Most logical explanation.
I found Leo by accident the other night and I actually really enjoyed it. Adam Sandler is actually really good at storytelling when he isn't trying too hard to be "wild and wacky" like Eight Crazy Nights.
Leo is not an iguana, he’s a tuatara.
Ah! That explains the lifespan!
@@dragons_hook Early on, he thinks tuataras only live up to 75 years, but what he doesn't know until much later is that when bred in captivity, they can live up to a hundred years, but this isn't the case for tuataras out in the wild.
The thing is, that would also mean that there are abunch of tuatara in the everglades lol. That part of the movie makes no sense. Also i didn’t catch it was a tuatara at first(or know what a tuatara was) but it makes alot more sense considering the size of iguanas vs. the size of tuataras. Tuataras probably cant cause quite as much head trauma as an iguana when frozen, can florida trade with new zealand?
@@Greytawnyowl Tuataras are an endangered species from, yes New Zealand, but this is the reason as to why it's technically illegal to keep them as pets. Makes us all wonder how Leo, during the late 1940's and early 50's made it all the way over to North America, when he was still a baby.
Yes, I just commented that before I seen ur comment lol
I think Leo is mainly thriving off pure comparison. If Wish didn't end this year of otherwise stellar big-budget animation with a whimper we would've just thought Leo was pretty decent for an Adam Sandler flick.
Ok either Disney has accidentally done several things that induce bad luck or Netflix is starting a redemption arc with their animations cause a animated Adam Sandler movie being better then a Disney animated film is concerning to me
I wouldn't say accidentally 😅
Probably both
As someone whos on top of the Disney BS, believe me, their failure is NOT accidental.
Well they did try to desecrate a civil war memorial-
Honestly Disney losing to a Netflix movie starring Adam Sandler is just sad
My farts are better than Saberspark and Saberfart's farts.
It's not sad when Mr mouse didn't let an Father put spiderman on their kids grave.
Punch Drunk Love exists, so it's not that nuts imo.
sometimes even the strongest empires fall
@@Sonque123that was just awful
The fact that I genuinely laughed at the some parts of the movie and felt relatable moments from scenes was honestly a good experience 8/10 movie
This is one of those rare movies where I feel like it could have been a series, have a class pet spend there life acting as a secondary teacher to the students.
I was an animator on this film. I am glad people enjoy the film, but I found it rough to work on. I don’t think I’ll be putting any of my work on my showreel. 😅 if there is ever a Leo 2 I’ll be sure as hell be turning down that contract.
Ooh, how rough? Are we talking hellish hours, last minute overhauls, management drama?
@@n.l.g.6401 not the worst overtime I have experienced thankfully. But it was sure a rollercoaster when it came to finding out what the directors wanted. I honestly could go on for hours but put simply… it is not fun working with three directors that all gave different feedback depending on their moods on that very day without reflecting on what they gave the previous one. 😅 it’s the main reason I would not want to work on a Leo 2, I just don’t want to work with them again.
Plus the anim style is not something I enjoyed either. I have never been told to purposefully ignore the fundamentals of appealing animation before on a project 🤣
@@NarutoLover6219well it makes the movie style unique. Thank you for lending a hand in this homey movie. It’s a nice little project and even if you didn’t enjoy it as much, just know your work is appreciated and we hope for the best in your future endeavors.
-From an amateur animator who likes lizards 😊
@@NarutoLover6219 sounds rough buddy,
i hope you'll manage to find work under some less wishy-washy producers in the future _:'3
@@NarutoLover6219 Oooooooh >. < I'm curious, what fundamentals did they tell you to ignore?
I havent watch Wish yet, but Leo actually made me laugh and care about the characters within the film. Something that Disney, Star Wars and Marvel havent done in a while with their movies. I do think the third act was crazy and unnecessary, but at the end of the day, when I think in "Leo", I remember how I enjoy it, and Im fine with it.
My father has the tendency to just turn the first thing he comes across on Netflix or Prime Video and falls asleep in a matter of minutes; when Leo released he turned it on and fell asleep as usual, but i was HOOKED (despite my father's loudass snoring of course).
Leo truly feels like the apex in 3D animation and storytelling, mixing the seemingly innocent looks of Toy Story with a slight human-animal bonding reminiscing of Ratatouille, and without even having Pixar or Disney involved in it.
Overall I don't think Netflix is going to take down Disney any time soon, but hopefully Dreamworks and smaller animation projects like these can kick the standards up high enough to get Disney running for its money.
When someone falls, it’s the best opportunity to rise in the field with the new competition.
If I had a nickel for everytime an Adam Sandler movie is more liked than a Disney movie.... I would only have one nickel.
But it's weird that it happened once.
I was genuinely surprised that this was a great family film. This renewed my faith in Happy Madison Animation in the future!
Leo lowkey made me tear up with how sentimental it is at times
A classroom turtle being named Squirtle is really funny but also doesn’t make sense if he’s 75 years old?
Maybe he was renamed as classes came and went. I'm sure some 90s kids could have called him Leonardo because of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
I feel like it's kinda like the case of Thomas O'Malley from the Aristocats. He's got like 12 different names from the people who have cared for him. Maybe Squirtle is just his most recent name.
I actually work with kids and Leo really spoke to me honestly because it really got why some kids lie or act out. Wish had nothing, nothing inspiring for kids, nothing really fun for kids and nothing to think about afterwards. Leo has something and though I didn't like the music I still thought it was a good choice to brake up a mostly talk heavy movie
I was surprised by how much I liked it, and honestly felt like Saber undervalued it a bit in his review because he's so burnt out on Sandler and Schneider. It has heart, solid animation, some funny if not memorable songs, and a lot of jokes. Plus, my kids (2, 6, 9) all have enjoyed it enough that it's been the movie night choice twice since it came out. To me it's just below the level of Mitchells Vs. The Machines - an unexpected original IP movie put out on Netflix that ended up becoming a family favorite.
Also, I cracked up every time the kindergarteners came on screen! Great recurring joke.
I could've written this comment! The only difference is that I have only one kid, a disabled 5 year old who's got a tough life at times, but thankfully movies are sort of his "thing" that's helped him find joy & learn words when his rare malformations make it hard for speech. I couldn't believe how quickly this movie instantly became his favorite! We have tortoises and pet lizards, so he could actually say words from the movie which was a nice surprise to find. We had a full few weeks of him shouting w/ joy whenever he watched it, yelling, "Turdle!"
But yes, reminded me of Meet the Mitchell's in humor and heart. Was enjoyable for adults to watch too! It's about self discovery & how to love our flaws while learning to cope & overcome hardships. Just had to agree with your opinion as a parent watching this movie.
I can't wait to see your land before time video next January.
I've been watching/enjoying your videos for over 7 years now and now seen you make a video about the land before time sequels has made me feel really nostalgic for them for the first time in years.
And I want to thank you for making great content for so many years ❤
I also have a suggestion for something you could find really interesting and which is also really nostalgic for me and it is an old animated show called
*Alfred* *J* *Kwak* .
It is an old Dutch animated kids show (that ran from 1989-1991) that touched on some pretty controversial things, pn of which was reItiH (the austrian painter) with a furry crow version of him and it was probably the thing that caused the most amount of controversy towards it at the time.
It also has many other qualities that would make it perfect show for you to talk about on your channel :)
Wish’s storytelling to me felt very…manufactured. It was designed to hit story beats, sell toys, look good on posters. It doesn’t have the heart that I saw in the movies that came out when I was growing up. It’s like after Encanto, the soul just up and left.
Leo was a great movie though. There was a visible purpose to the story, it wasn’t made for just selling merchandise. The characters were just FUN. A kid with a protective drone that he has to break up with? Hilarious. The one girl who over shares? RELATABLE. The characters had real problems. Real concerns. And Leo was a scaled uncle iron for them. It was heart warming.
Even at the cost of subscription price changes and show/movie cancellations, Netflix has proven itself again to be a massive advantage when it comes to releasing promising animated movies like this just as it was with the release of Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and Nimona.
I just appreciated this movie for the generally positive portrayal of reptiles. I need more positive reptile movies.
The whole 'Are people REALLY into this over a Disney movie' bit at the beginning is just... Weird. Like, just because it's Disney that means it automatically has to be better than this other movie cause Adam Sandler, and it's positive ratings are just spite towards Disney? Like that whole thing just felt like some kind of idol worship of Disney in a weird way, like 'yeah no way anyone GENUINELY believes this Adam Sandler movie is better than this Disney movie.'
And then at the end it isn't even addressed again. There's no 'yeah I can see why people would actually like this over Wish.' It was all essentially meaningless to the rest of the video, and kind of just left a bad taste in my mouth.
I was shocked that he didn't give his opinion at the end over whether he thought it was better than Wish or not. A bunch of build-up to absolutely nothing.
I surprisingly enjoyed Leo as well! Yes it’s lacking in some areas but it’s overall a heart warming and endearing movie. I enjoy the plot, the music is pretty solid, and all the designs are top tier
I think Leo cleared up the reason why it's such a taboo to talk to humans and that is due to them fearing experimentation or something like that.
Disney: Leo's a Netflix only flick. It has no quality.
Critics: Be honest.
Disney: I am honest.
Critics: How was the Rotten Tomatoes review percentage on this movie compare to yours?
Disney: Higher than ours?
Critics: There you go.
51st dates, click, happy Gilmore, anger management, eight crazy nights, hotel Transylvania, Leo, and so many more
I don’t care what anyone says Adam Sandler is incredibly talented and his movies are amazing. Are every single one of them a box office buster Emmy award nominated instant classic? no. not at all but with only one or maybe two exceptions, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single Adam Sandler movie I would write less than a seven they are all either absolutely hilarious, or incredibly deep or both. I genuinely cannot understand how anyone dislikes Adam Sandler or his movies as a whole. Even if you don’t like the potty humor, that’s usually less than 10% of the overall entire film.
In the Hebrew dub, Leo is voiced by Ido Mosseri. Which is actually kinda sweet since Ido appeared in the 2007 Adam Sandler movie: "you don't mess with the zohan".
Leo was unironically a very good movie. It was a comedy with a plot and style it wanted to execute and it nailed it perfectly. None of the "cringy" things were done accidentally, it has an intended audience (me) and that audience loves it.
leo feels like it should’ve came out like 10 years ago but i also love it
The thing that made this movie work for me was the cynical and meanspirited humor, the scenes with Ms. Malkinson in the begining was gold
Another upload so soon is such a gift!! Love your videos Saber! 🔥🔥✨✨ Watching your channel throughout the years has inspired me to make my own. ☺️
People just need to stop looking at the brand and focus more on the content and context being presented to them.
Leo had good writing, good animation, and good production. It was a good movie. Wish felt like some poor writing thrown at animators and were told to make it look nice and pretty.
I watched Leo twice within the same number of days because I simply couldn’t believe Adam Sandler could have a movie about a talking class pet make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside
Robert Smigel's done a bit more than just Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. He was also the head writer on Conan, wrote Saturday TV Funhouse cartoons on SNL, helped write Little Nicky, Don't Mess with the Zohan, and the Wedding Singer, and co-wrote the first 2 Hotel Transylvania films.
The one Moment that Made me laugh was in the Song with the entitled girl
" My Mom Looks Like Britney Spears." "Mayber after a cupple Beer"
That was really good
As someone who works with reptiles, I find the poor husbandry and continuously calling him a lizard when he's a tuatara, a little infuriating. In the same way, they still show fish in bowls in media. Yes, I know it's a childrens film, but this is just a personal thing for myself. Also, there's no way there would ever be a tuatara just vibing in a classroom, haha.
I just watched Leo yesterday and I actually had quite a bit of fun watching it - I was kinda blown away by the fact it actually discussed struggling with home lives, and stuff like divorce or overprotectiveness. They’re very basic things that many young kids deal with, but are things that children’s movies rarely discuss. I do genuinely wish that we got to see Leo helping the kids in more detail, rather than the madness that was the second half of the film. Probably not something I’d watch again, but it was still very fun !
between this and the Disney movie, one has been accused of using AI writers and the other hasn't. I know which one ill be watching. Disney truly fell off.
Leo had such a cute message that I think is amazing for children to hear. It was cute and sometimes funny! ( like when he explained turtle birth ) Overall, the best part of the movie was the message is sends to kids!
What makes this better that Wish is that it's clear human beings with thoughts and ideas made it - as in you could not make the mistake of thinking an AI wrote it.
What I love about this movie is how it validates the kids' personal problems.
It's easy to dismiss them with their modern and privileged lifestyle, but every kid no matter where they come from or what year they're living in, needs guidance and wisdom from someone old enough to have seen it all like Leo.
I watched it and it is really good, surprisingly.
I agree with Saber’s assessment that it’s not an amazing move just a good one, but sometimes it really is nice just to enjoy a simple wholesome movie. It’s like having a cupcake or piece of chocolate cake at the end of a hard work day, nothing special like a gourmet flan or mousse, but a little piece of happiness that you get to enjoy.
Never thought I say this But LEO is a lot better then Disney's WISH and LEO has a good moral around it
I was pretty impressed that this movie actually made it big. Not gonna lie but when I first saw this trailer and well the movie I thought Leo was an iguana but turns out no he’s not. he’s in reptile I cannot pronounce either way still it’s pretty incredible. How is able to give advice to children especially when he had a lot of experience of wisdom over the years of classes come and go.
I actually liked wish more than leo.
OWLS OF GAHOOL MENTIONED! That was my favorite movie as a kid and I want to watch it so bad!!!
Leo is a Tuatara, not an Iguana
tuatara can live up to 100 years but Iguanas only live up 20 years
Some interesting context that I would like to add:
Iguanas are considered an invasive species in South Florida.
I don't understand the dislike for Adam's voice acting. The dude has more range then certain other people who've been getting main character roles as of late. I didn't even know it was him until the end of the movie, i was so surprised!!
really? It sounds a lot like the rest of Sandler's silly voices. I think Dracula's voice is one that doesn't sound too obvious
Robert Smigel isnt just Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Hes an incrediblly talented and smart writer. If youre a fan of 90s SNL and early Conan, then he definitely left his mark.
Having him as writer for Leo probably helped temper Sandlers impulses a bit
Bingo. Glad people give Robert credit, really funny guy.
I watched this while eating dinner, I thought it was pretty decent and my family liked it too! What a silly movie.
The uhh.. movie, not the video.
13:14 - Am I the only one who wants that dragon hat? Cuz I would like that dragon hat... I would also like to visit that theme park in general, because dragons
Just the synopsis alone is Wonderful, such a nice idea
I'm not going to lie. If I was in that class as a student, I would've took the turtle.....but that's mainly because my mom and I know how to take care of turtles. It's basically the only type of reptile we know how to care for. Leo would have been dead in my hands by accident. Everyone can care for Leo, but I would just take Squirtle... and probably call him something else, sneak some romaine lettuce and blueberries for him (not iceberg because it has no nutritional value for turtles), and watch anime with him...he looks more like a Franklin to me. 😅🐢
Adam's voice for Leo almost sounded like a Jerma impression voice at some points
I just watched it and to answer your question - it is. It tackles serious problems in kind, smart way and it leaves your heart warm. It is really worth watching.
Is Leo Actually THAT Good? - YES, IT IS!!!
5:30 they say in the film that Leo is a tuatura but they live in New Zealand while Leo finds his now species in the Everglades (which has got iguanas living in it.) I guess that's why Leo was misinformed about his lifespan.
I just love underdog films like that. Looks like it's gonna suck, turns out to be good.
Considering what the behind-the-scenes reason is for why Adam Sandler looks so fit in Eight Crazy Nights, this movie feels like the natural conclusion to that where his character learns to deal with growing old. It's a weird parallel I really didn't expect to find in this.
Well LEO is a lot more pleasant to look at more then Disney's WISH
I still need to get around to watching Leo, but just from what I’ve heard it seems like a sincerely heartfelt film. That’s really crazy considering it’s from Adam Sandler of all people lol, but it’s actually interesting to see. I hope Leo’s overall great reception (especially in relation to Wish) in conjunction to more non-Disney films like Nimona helps the trend of making legitimately good movies not aimed at treating kids like dumb viewers but like actual audience members like adults!
watched it the other day, wasnt expecting it to be a musical but honestly??? Itwas REALLY well made and written.
Loved Leo soooo much!! The life lessons for the kids and watching them go into effect was super cute. Buuuut the musical numbers were very out of place, except for the dad’s bragging song, that was pretty funny lol
I loved Leo for what it is, i don't know who Adam Sandler is or why it matters so much that he's the lizard;
I think a good thing about this movie is that it talks about problems that kids actually relate to, that aren't necessarily that horrible, but they are difficult to go through for kids. Especially if there isn't an adult that would take them seriously and talked through these "small" things with them. But then the movie shows kids that they can talk to someone, and they are capable of working through their troubles on their own as well. And the point about the best thing to do for teachers is to make kids believe that they're capable was an awesome idea too imo. I think that's a really solid concept overall. Of course it could be taken further and they could have done even more with it. There could be some serious themes involved, e.g. there could be a kid who didn't want to take Leo home and it comes out it was because they didn't feel it was safe. Leo could convince them to talk to a safe adult at school and maybe they get the support they need and later in the movie the kid can take Leo to a new home where they aren't afraid anymore. So there could be a general take on more heavy things that a lot of kids experience irl, such as abuse, having to leave with one of the parents, or being taken into a foster home, etc. But honestly I prefer that they made a honest movie with a simple genuine message, that they clearly wanted to make, than if they were to take on things they may not be good at tackling and might end up doing more harm than good with it.
I think a multi-million dollar movie from Disney losing to an Adam Sandler lizard movie is really funny and depressing lmao
I like the name squirtle for the turtle because it feels very much like the teacher let the children name it when they got it.
Its believable kids would name it that even today, but the joke just gets funnier if they named the turtle back in 1998 and its still alive