Luca and his best friend Alberto experience an unforgettable summer on the Italian Riviera. But all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.
- Released: 2021-06-17
- Runtime: 95 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
- Stars: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli, Jim Gaffigan, Peter Sohn, Lorenzo Crisci, Marina Massironi, Luigi La Monica, Sandy Martin, Giacomo Gianniotti, Elisa Gabrielli, Mimi Maynard, Sacha Baron Cohen, Francesca Fanti, Jonathan Nichols, Enrico Casarosa, Jim Pirri, Arturo Sorino
- Director: Enrico Casarosa
Comments
- southdavid - 9 April 2024
Luca Brasi Sleeps with the fishes.
I was very happy to see that Disney were to give short run cinematic releases to the quarantine films, the three that were released on Disney Plus during the covid outbreak. I missed "Turning Red" unfortunately but saw "Soul" last month and made it to "Luca" this weekend just gone. Whilst not quite as strong as "Soul" I really enjoyed "Luca" too.
Luca Paguro (Jacob Tremblay) is a sea monster, living off the coast of the Italian town of Portorosso, with his parents and grandmother. He meets Alberto Scorfano (Jack Dylan Grazer) another sea monster who, though a similar age, lives alone on an island in a rundown lighthouse. After Alberto convinces Luca to come out of the water, where, provided they remain dry, they appear like normal human boys, the pairs combined love of Vespas embolden them to head to town. They meet Giulia (Emma Berman) and together the trio agree to compete in a local children's triathlon event, where the prize is enough money for rundown scooter.
It's actually a fairly simple story of acceptance and bullying hidden within the strange confluence of 1960's Italian culture and sea monsters. They hide who they are, as best they can, to fit in and learn about who they really are and what they want. It looks great, there's a little tweak to the usual Pixar style that makes it feel almost stop motion in its movement, with everything just a little bit more rounded than in other films.
It maybe says something about the other films that Pixar has made, more than this one, but the only real negative that occurs to me is that it's only dealing with those issues like bullying or acceptance, and not grappling with the fundamentals of the human experience like say "Coco" or "Soul" do.
I enjoyed "Luca" though and thought the characterisation and performances were really strong. - yairtzvi-51277 - 16 December 2023
One of the classics of the new generation
Luca is amazing! An exciting work that moves you to tears. Unforgettable works such as "Dumbo", "Inside Out", "Snow White" and more. I am writing this review almost three years after this movie came out, And it's still my favorite movie. The story is very simple, and it's amazing how Pixar made it. The animation is great, perfect in every detail: from a single hair on the head to the coax of a fish swimming in the sea. In addition to the unique charm of the animation and the story, the music of this movie is mesmerizing and adds to the atmosphere of this movie, I can listen to the voiceline of this movie for hours, it's delightful. The wonderful animation, the charming story and the mesmerizing music, this is what makes this film (in my opinion) the best animated film ever.
(PS: The town where this movie takes place exists in reality, a magical place like the movie; its name is Portofino. I plan to fly to Italy and visit there) - verolisa-96256 - 1 August 2023
One of Disney's best films
Honestly, Luca has become one of my favourite Disney films. Many may say it was not a deeper release but in my opinion, there were quite a number of gems in this movie. For eg. In the end. Alberto stays with Luca's father and this isn't a coincidence, in reality it seems to me that Alberto has finally gotten the father figure he wanted for so long. This movie is light and exceptional for a Disney film. It is one of my go to movies when I just want to escape and go into a fantasy world. It is witty, fun and anyone can enjoy it. I'm not one to rewatch movies often but Luca certainly has me constantly coming back. - andyajoflaherty - 8 August 2022
Heartwarming under the surface...
A cute little animated film about 2 sea monsters who discover if they leave water they turn human, and as such want to explore the world. However, just like every single mermaid film ever if they get wet they regain their aquatic form, and inevitably this results in many situations where they attempt to hide their true origins from the humans. Its nothing new, but the film is bulging with larger than life characters and a lot of heart. Recommended... - TheLittleSongbird - 27 May 2022
Pixar in Italy
Have loved Pixar for years, well ever since seeing the first two 'Toy Story' films and 'A Bug's Life' when they first came out. Pre-2010 their films were consistently never less than very good and their best efforts outstanding. Pixar did start to vary post-2010, especially in the sequels, but the past seven years or so has seen some of their best work in 'Inside Out', 'Coco' and 'Soul'. Did like the concept for 'Luca', even if it was not a creative one.
'Luca' turned out to be very, very charming and very high quality. It is not one of Pixar's best films by all means, other films of theirs are more creative conceptually and deeper and more complex emotionally and is not as good as their previous two films 'Soul' and 'Onward'. At the same time, there is more than enough to 'Luca' to stop it from being lesser Pixar, a list that includes most of the sequels post-2010 and 'The Good Dinosaur'.
There is not an awful lot that is wrong with 'Luca'. It is very slight and takes its time to get going.
Also thought that the portrayal of the bullies was overdone and on the stereotypical side.
On the other hand, the animation is stunning. Especially the vibrant colours and beautiful Italian landscapes, while the characters expressions and movements are nuanced and natural. The music is a nice mix of stirringly upbeat and poignant-sounding in the quieter moments. As well as having an affectionately Italianate sound. The script is smart and knows its target audience without trying too hard to appeal to them or anybody outside it. The humour is genuinely amusing, while there is plenty of heart without being too sentimental.
While the story is slight and not perfectly paced, it makes great nostalgic use of the Italian setting and doesn't resort too much to cultural stereotyping. Appreciated its handling of the messaging too, the messages are great and relatable ones that have a lot of resonance and relevance that could easily have been preachy but not once does the messages of loyalty, friendship and respect feel forced or condescending. There are plenty of sight gags that come thick and fast and they are genuinely funny, but there is a warm heart and poignancy too. Particularly in the friendship between the three leads. The characters are worth engaging with, only the bullies don't quite come off, while the climax has plenty of excitement. The voice acting is dynamic and emotive with the accents not coming over as too stereotyped.
In conclusion, very good. 8/10.
