by Heath Lynch, Contributing Writer
The release of a new Pixar film as always feels like a big deal in the world of film. The studio has cemented itself as the king of animation over the course of the past two-plus decades. They’re successful in their films’ entertainment value, emotional connectivity, box office draw, and awards accolades. So now here we are with another Pixar offering to take in. Luca is the studio’s newest release, streaming exclusively on Disney+ completely for free, no $30 Premier Access fee. So how does it stack up? Though it might not stack up against Pixar’s greatest masterpieces, Luca is still a colorful and riveting adventure in a a unique, new world that explores the coming-of-age friendships we cherish the rest of our lives.
The Italian Riviera on the coast of the Gulf of Genoa is known for its vibrant towns, rich culture, beautiful scenery, and… sea monsters that terrorize fishermen and wreak havoc on local villages. Underneath the water’s surface, the sea monsters live their daily lives harvesting seaweed and shepherding fish, terrified of the humans above the water. Sea monsters are unique creatures because as soon as they dry off above the surface, they take human form and can hide amongst the people without their knowledge. Though, the moment they touch water, their scales reappear and they revert back to their sea form. We follow Luca, a young sea monster who is bitten by more than a little bit of curiosity when it comes to the human world. He is befriended by another sea monster named Alberto, and together they brave the surface finding new adventures and creating new memories. The question simply becomes, how long can Luca and Alberto keep up their charade before they are discovered for who they really are?
I want to credit this voice cast, especially with our leads being all relatively young. Jacob Tremblay is fantastic as Luca. He brings a level of innocence and reservation to the movie that immediately becomes identifiable to the audience. His vulnerabilities as the metaphorical (and in this movie’s case, literal) fish out of water in a new place is a universal theme that anyone can appreciate. Jack Dylan Grazer is also really good as Alberto as that brash friend who doesn’t seem to have a care in the world, ready to tackle anything head-on, damn the consequences. While his decisions may not always be the best, we still love him in the end for his true loyalty and friendship. Emma Berman is also terrific as the headstrong Giulia. Rebellious and smarmy in her own nature, she is unflinching in her resolve to prove that she is capable of anything, including standing up for the good inside a person. As well, when you have additional talent like Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, and Pixar veteran Peter Sohn on the lineup card, you know you’re in for a treat.
Without going any further, I think it’s best to address the elephant in the room. Luca is going to immediately draw comparisons to The Little Mermaid. Understandably so, as we’ve already seen the House of Mouse tackle the subject of an underwater civilization wanting to be disassociated from the surface world. It’s the story of a young and adventurous spirit having the courage to face their fears and take their chances somewhere other than the fathoms below. There are similarities between the two films, but there’s also enough going on in Luca that’s entirely different, which makes this experience unique in its own right. We trade all of the musical numbers, the battles of royalty and ruling supremacy, and evil witch powers in exchange for what I would consider to be a much more emotionally relatable story about finding yourself and friendship.
We need to applaud the technical brilliance of this picture. Luca is absolutely gorgeous. In recent years, Pixar has put a lot of work towards refining their effects, particularly around lighting and water. Luca is a great showcase for both. The way the sunlight glistens off the surface of the sea is beyond impressive. You would swear it’s real, as if you were watching a nature documentary. There’s real warmth to the colors and tones. The pastels and neons, particularly in the daydreaming sequences, are mesmerizing. Even the rain looks amazing, especially when it splashes sea monsters and magically makes their scales reappear. The cinematography across the board makes this picture bright and vivid. The editing is solid, and even the score is great as it harkens towards Italian overtones and culture. Mix the music with the decoration around the town and the incredibly frequent splicing in of the Italian language throughout the movie, and you will be swallowed up in atmosphere. All of this serves to make the town that Luca takes place in come to life as a character into itself.
The aspect of the film that truly stood out to me was Luca’s unwavering ode to friendship. The whole movie has a real Stand by Me vibe to it where we are reminiscing and remembering about the formative years of our youth, even though the movie is told in the contemporary setting. But that’s the power of this picture. It transports you back to your own childhood; to the times we all went out as kids to go climb trees, scrape our knees, and find ourselves. Where we formulated bonds with our friends along the way. Through thick and thin, we were always there for each other. Sometimes we push each other out of our comfort zones, sometimes we squabble over the right direction in which to go, but we always spiral back towards one another, supporting each other. The more obvious theme work in Luca centers around the idea of being an outsider which can be as a social pariah, or someone who is an introvert in a world of extroverts, or even something as blatant as segregation and racism. The idea that sometimes we are all a bit of an outsider and it’s pushing out against those natural barriers that make us stronger make us more well-rounded human beings.
I will say that Luca did take a little longer for me to build an investment towards than I would’ve liked. The first act seems to struggle with getting its sea legs under it. It doesn’t seem to know what movie it wants to be. Is the movie about underwater culture? Exploring the surface? Friendship? Or is it something else entirely? It dabbles in all of these, while excelling in none of them until it corrects course in the second act. The second and third act almost feel like a different movie at times, as though the script writer and director were fired midway through production and they had to call in an emergency change. As well, that change feels mildly formulaic since Pixar is hitting their standard talking points and emotional rhythm that you would come to expect. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still great, and that’s why we all go out to see the Pixar movies, but virtually nothing in this movie will catch you off guard, and it’s nothing you likely haven’t seen before. Anything that hits you emotionally is something you saw coming 20 minutes earlier, and some of those weighted moments lose their impact due to this predictability.
Luca is an enjoyable adventure centered around prepubescent childhood youth where one looks out at the horizon and sees a world full of opportunities and challenges. It is a coming-of-age tale about friendship that is undeniably entertaining and relatable. Though the first act struggles a bit, and the movie may feel slightly paint-by-numbers, I imagine that many will have a great time. I definitely recommend this journey.
Grade: A-
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