Whereas animated films are made with the sole purpose of entertaining young audiences, the filmmakers behind them generally seize the opportunity to deliver thoughtful messages to young kids along with pushing for representation of different cultures. Some of the more recent films made by Disney/Pixar which have done such to hugely satisfying results are Coco, Soul, and Raya And The Last Dragon. With their newest animated feature Luca, Pixar takes things one step further with a story that admirably glorifies Italian heritage while carrying a heartfelt message regarding a person wanting more out of life with them striving for such with the support of friends.
The plot for Luca takes place on a small island on the Italian Riviera where a young sea monster ( Voiced by Jacob Tremblay) whose anxious to find his place in the world, beyond his watery home, forms an unlikely friendship between a human and another sea monster disguised as a human. Lucas plot is one that that serves two purposes with the first being an empowering celebration of Italian Culture, and the second being a story revolving around two people who want more out of their regular lives while leaning on each other for support. The film handles both sides of its plot extremely well despite the familiarization of the whole human befriending non-human angle that's been done before numerous times, despite still proving to be effective. Although it may feel a bit safe coming from Disney, Luca is a stunning piece of animation that's not only charming to watch but feels like an enchanting journey for young audiences.
What helps make Luca such a fun-spirited experience are the fantastic voice performances from its main cast. Their efforts prove significant in adding much enthusiasm and heart to the story. The key performance comes from Jacob Tremblay in the films main role as 12-year old Luca Paguro, whose curious about the world above water. Tremblay makes his character appealing with him conveying the right emotions for his character. He crafts a young character whom young audiences can empathize with. The same can also be said about Jack Dylan Grazer as Luca's best friend and sea monster Alberto Scorfano. Grazer plays his character as being free-spirited and enthusiastic in his desire to explore the human world. Him and Tremblay share natural chemistry with the two working terrific together. Emma Berman is completely charming as misfit Giulia Marcovaldo, who befriends Luca and Alberto. Saverio Raimondo proves effective as repeat champion and local bully Ercole Visconti, who comes across as being full of himself and believing that everyone loves him despite others pointing out that he's too old to race. Both Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan deliver noteworthy voice performances as Luca's mother and father Daniela and Lorenzo with Marco Barricelli as Giulia's soft-hearted father Marco Barricelli. Other noteworthy voice acting performances include Sandy Martin as Luca's grandmother Grandma Paguro and Sacha Baron Cohen as Luca's uncle Ugo Paguro. The efforts of Luca's cast plays a huge role in why the film is delightful to watch with them adding both emotion and humor to the story.
Like any other Disney or Pixar release, Luca's animation is mesmerizing with director Enrico Casarosa crafting a visually stunning world that's absorbing for young audiences to watch along with cleverly incorporating Italian culture. The films visuals look sharp with the underwater scenes being gorgeously designed, making it a shame that it didn't receive a 3D release in theaters. The Italian Rivera background is so colorful and beautifully created that audiences will feel the urge to jump through the screen and walk the streets from the marble fountains to winding roads, and characters eating delicious pasta. The film never feels slow with the pacing keeping the plot consistently moving with the music consisting of Italian Pop hits, which emphasize the stories cultural background. As both a visual piece and storytelling, Casarosa does a fine job of delivering an experience which audiences can marvel over while presenting Italy in a form that feels larger-than-life.
The writing for Luca is fairly decent with the script revolving heavily around the theme of friendship along with being different, abandonment, betrayal, dreams, and freedom all weaved together into the story. Even though the writing does a serviceable job of telling the story and the characters all feel thoroughly fleshed out, it can't help but rely on a familiar formula regarding the stories friendship between a human and two sea monsters disguised as people which screams comparisons to Tom Hanks Splash, as well as other Disney classics such as Finding Nemo and Dory, The Little Mermaid, and Onward. Unlike some of Pixar's recent dramatic works, Luca doesn't aim to be a tearjerker right from the start and steadily builds it's emotions throughout the film with the progression of two main characters to the point of them being practically brothers, not just friends. Through their experience, both not only discover the dangers of the human world but also the joys of such with the latter being infectious in terms of delivering genuine laughs and charm to the audience. Luca's script never feels preachy with its themes regarding friendship and acceptance with the films eventual conclusion, feeling like a fitting payoff. Although it isn't the most original film to come from Pixar as it relies on past efforts to help assemble its own plot, the story still plays as being an effective fish-out-of-the-water tale that's funny in all the right places, while tugging at the audiences heartstrings (Something that Pixar continues to demonstrate masterful skill at).
As a piece of Pixar animation, Luca is immersive and will have audiences aspiring to take their own personalized trip to Italy with how impressive the film sells its setting. It may walk a familiar beat in terms of story, but the audience will find themselves connected with the main characters and themes. The key to Luca working as another stellar Pixar piece, is the fact that it possesses a heart of its own while showing sincerity in its storytelling. There's much that the film offers both young and adult fans here, that make it an experience worth enduring with the whole family. As it stands, Pixar's Luca is currently the best animated film of 2021 with it containing breathtaking visuals and surprising amounts of emotion. For fans of Pixar, the groundbreaking animated studio does it again.
Final Verdict: Stream It
Images Courtesy Of Disney
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