Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Family movie night? There's an app for that

Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Leo

By Jennifer Green, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Tender animated musical has mild innuendo, language.

Movie PG 2023 106 minutes
Leo: Leo the lizard looks out through terrarium glass.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Leo: Turtle and lizard share a terrarium.
  • Leo: A girl holds the class pet, a lizard.
  • Leo: Children in a classroom.
  • Leo: A lizard looks like Godzilla among lego structures.
  • Leo: A boy talks with the lizard on his bed.

Community Reviews

See all
age 9+

Based on 15 parent reviews

Isaac E.
Isaac E. Parent of 8 and 10-year-old
November 21, 2023
age 8+

Highly Recommend!

This movie was incredible. First of all, ignore the other two erroneous reviews in this thread. Ranpo feels like a bot, and Karol wants woke Disney movies over this gem. It was one of the better family films I’ve seen in a long time! It’s up there with Wonder, another great family film. If you want your child to think deeper about the meaning of life and laugh along the way, check this film out. Instant classic. One of the last lines of the movie were representative of the entire film: “find your Leo (a representation of meaningful listening, mixed with prudent advice and dialogue with Wisdom) to listen to you.” Basically, find someone more wise than you, and listen to their advice. You’ll know they are wise because they will listen intently more than they talk. The “Leos” we should look for are able to connect and offer sound advice precisely because they are lovingly listening rather than dictating. I think Ranpo and Karol got it wrong because they weren’t really listening to the message.
kayym1593
kayym1593 Parent of 6-year-old
November 26, 2023
age 9+

Not what I expected.

The movie doesn't get good until about half way through when Leo talks to the children and goes home with them. Majority of the kids in the beginning are entitled and bratty. They say stupid and other phrases that I don't allow my daughter to say. (She is six) which led me to skipping over majority of the film. Leo and the turtle are pretty judgemental at first as well and the jokes are humorous for adults and potentially older children but not younger ones. There is also a scene where Leo tells one of the girls crying is for babies and she shouldn't cry.. that was not okay. Crying is 100% okay, yes later on he tells the kids it is OK to cry, but that scene was cringe when he told her not to. I also didn't necessarily agree to how he kept telling all the kids they *can't say anything to anyone that he talks, and the only reason he is talking to them is because they are special* this was major red flags. I encourage my kid to never keep secrets unless they are good secrets like for a surprise party etc. Not only that but they paint the adults as illiterate and mean. It's funny for sure, my daughter loved when he got stuck on the vacuum. Etc. But other wise I would say to wait for kiddos to be a little older to watch it with them. Unless you plan to skip over a lot of scenes that were not necessary or inappropriate etc. I personally thought it was just OK. I definitely didn't like the bullying, the grouping kids to specific groups, and the way they talked to eachother etc. It got better later on how they acted toward the other but definitely would suggest to proceed with caution with Littles.
See all 15 parent reviews

What's the Story?

LEO the lizard (voiced by Adam Sandler) and Squirtle the turtle (Bill Burr) are the class pets of a fifth-grade schoolroom in Central Florida. When a substitute teacher, the old-school disciplinarian Ms. Malkin (Cecily Strong), takes pregnant teacher Mrs. Salinas' (Allison Strong) place for the year, she starts sending the lizard home with students overnight. Leo discovers he is 74 and thinks lizards only live to 75, so he plans to escape one of these nights. But one by one, he creates connections with the students, who discover that Leo can talk. What's more, he listens, and he makes each one of them feel special and heard, helping them talk through their problems and see that they're not alone in how they're feeling. As a result, the kids start getting along as a group and doing better in school, leading them to earn a spot in a statewide academic competition. Ms. Malkin starts feeling jealous of Leo's connections with the kids and wants to take credit for their success herself.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15 ):
Kids say (7 ):

This heartwarming story about the joys and difficulties of being a kid on the verge of tweenhood features Adam Sandler at his best. In Leo, Sandler puts on his dad hat (in fact, his kids and wife are also involved in this movie) to get at the tenderness parents feel for their kids and the important role caring adults can have in their lives. His lizard Leo is like a rent-a-grandpa for the kids who take him home: someone with a patient ear who has seen it all and has wisdom to impart. Sandler's lizard voice could irritate some, and there are plenty of juvenile Sandler-style jokes, mostly involving bodily emissions, but Leo is all heart. That heart comes across in dialogues as well as through some touching musical numbers.

The film has important messages for kids and could also remind some adults about the very real fears and concerns even young children feel, as well as their parallel needs for more independence and loving support. Life does get more difficult the older we get, as one character warns, and that goes for 10-year-olds too. OK, so maybe Leo's motives aren't entirely altruistic: He wants to escape the classroom, he's concerned about being well-remembered at his funeral, and he's intent on making what he thinks are his last days count. But Leo forgoes his long-desired freedom to be with the kids, and he realizes he needs them as much as they need him. Long live Leo!

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what the different kids learn from spending time with Leo. How does he help them?

  • What is empathy? How do the various characters demonstrate this character strength? How does it benefit each of them?

  • How do Mrs. Salinas and Ms. Malkin differ? Have you had teachers like either of them? Which style do you prefer?

  • The drone following a child around is a parody of some contemporary parenting. For you, what does the drone represent, and how does its presence impact the child?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate