“Leo”

With a bar set at rock bottom, my already low expectations weren’t even met by the animated musical “Leo,” a coming-of-age comedy about the last year of elementary school as seen through the eyes of the class pet. The idea feels as stale as the execution, with lazy, unfunny jokes, lousy original songs, and irritating voice performances from the cast.

Leo (voice of Adam Sandler) is a jaded, cynical, 74-year-old lizard who has been living in the same Florida classroom for decades along with his best friend and terrarium mate Squirtle (voice of Bill Burr), a wisecracking turtle. When Leo learns that the average lifespan of his species is 75, he is determined to make the last year of his life count. He and Squirtle devise a plan to escape so they can experience life on the outside, but their ambitions are thwarted when a mean substitute teacher arrives on the scene. Feeling a loyalty to the students, Leo gets caught up dealing with their day to day problems after the teacher assigns each kid a project to take home the class pet. He spends time with different students and learns a lot about their lives as well as his own.

The film is quite juvenile, and it seems designed to be enjoyed by kids in middle school (and younger). The story deals with problems that are specific to the sixth to eighth grade set, and they will likely feel seen by some of the scenarios here. There are plenty of parental jokes that aren’t universal enough to work on a larger scale, especially for those without children. There are a lot of moments that feel like winks to mom and dad that are simply references and not genuine attempts at humor.

The animation is better than average, and the characters look cute and loveable. The voices (all irritating) don’t match the personalities in a way that works, and it’s a shame that the talented animators have their craft wasted on such a disposable piece of entertainment. There are some sweet moments and decent messages in “Leo,” but the story lacks heart and soul, both of which are desperately needed.

By: Louisa Moore