Disney and Pixar’s Luca – A Beautiful Friendship Story (Early Review)

The many collaborations between Disney and Pixar have generated some of the best animated films of all time. Their latest film, Luca, may not reach that pantheon of animation but is still a beautiful story in its own right. Foregoing a theatrical release for one on Disney’s Disney+ streaming platform, it is a shame that many won’t get the chance to see it on the big screen. Regardless of what kind of screen viewers choose to watch the film, they will still be treated to some truly gorgeous animation, overflowing in lush and bright colors and detail. While the film may not have the kind of scale as some of the past Disney and Pixar films, its story of friendship and self-discovery is sure to resonate with viewers though one can’t help but want a little more from it, not necessarily succeeding at everything it set out to do. Clocking in at just over 90 minutes, the film is definitely on the shorter side which had something to do with that. Nevertheless, some superb voice acting make it a journey worth watching.

Luca tells the story of a young sea monster named Luca (Tremblay) who lived just below the surface of the ocean but could disguise himself as a human while on land and a human boy named Alberto (Grazer) who didn’t know Luca’s secret over the course of a summer on the Italian Riviera. For as long as he can remember, Luca has longed for whatever was outside of his ocean home and has aspirations for something more from his life, inching closer and closer to the surface much to the chagrin of his overprotective mother Daniela (Rudolph) who deemed the surface too dangerous. That being said, his curiosity still led him to the surface and Alberto. Unsurprisingly, the surface did not seem nearly as dangerous as it was made out to be as the two boys had more in common than they may have thought. There was an adjustment period, however, as the surface world was certainly overwhelming for him.

Whether or not that world would be accepting of him remained to be seen as the nearby town shared a long-running fear of sea monsters and people often feared what they did not understand. Either way, he better not get wet as it would turn him back into a sea monster. Living a double life on the surface and underwater was a challenge in and of itself but staying dry proved to be just as challenging. As much as Luca wanted to get out there and experience the outside world and be more like a human, he would need Alberto’s help though before that, he needed to be pulled out of a funk of loneliness and isolation. Suffice it to say that the former’s energy and enthusiasm was all he needed to start moving on although that was only the beginning as far as they were concerned as they still needed the means to pursue their dreams. This quickly became the focus of the film which in turn took away from the greater themes the film tried to present and tested the relationship of Luca and Alberto. Coming full circle by the end, the impact was not nearly as strong as it could have been.

As mentioned, the animation in Luca was gorgeous, full of lush, vibrant color and detail be it its characters both human or creature (and sometimes the transition from one to the other) or environments both above and below the surface. Meanwhile, the film goes all in with its Italian inspirations which could be felt throughout as the film felt as much as a love letter to the country than a monster-themed friendship tale. Ultimately, the best part of the film was the superb voice acting across the board, led by Tremblay and Grazer as Luca and Alberto respectively. Tremblay was compelling to watch as Luca, bringing vulnerability and youthful energy to the role. Grazer, on the other hand, as Alberto brought that same kind of energy but with a level of pain and sadness underneath.

At the end of the day, Luca, while not without its problems, will certainly hit the right spot this summer.

still courtesy of Disney

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.