Luca Review
Despite its legendary status as an animation studio, Pixar films have been more uneven than most acknowledge. Sure the Toy Story films are universally beloved, The Incredibles lives up to its name, and for my money Inside Out is one of the best animated movies yet made, but there’ve been less-than-stellar entries in the mix as well: Cars 2 and 3, A Bug’s Life, and The Good Dinosaur.
Pixar’s latest, Luca, just came out. And while it doesn’t reach the high, high, heights of Pixar’s best, that lovely, Pixar heart is certainly there, even if it takes a while to get there.
This film is a classic sea-monster-out-of-water tale: Luca is a sea monster living a quiet life under the waves as a shepherd for a family that doesn’t pay him much attention. One day, he meets Alberto, a lone sea monster choosing to live most of his life on land, where sea monsters take on the appearance of humans (unless they come in contact with water). Friendship blossoms, family doesn’t understand, and Luca and Alberto run away to the town of Portorosso to pursue their very Italian dream of riding a Vespa all around the world.
Undersea life is surprisingly unimaginative for Pixar in this one, particularly considering Finding Nemo made the ocean seem so bright, vibrant, and adventurous. Here, the sea is just a metaphor for small farming towns, and it can’t help but feel like a missed opportunity. The main goal of the film is for Luca, Alberto, and their new, human acquaintance Giulia, to win the big race for Vespa money. This Little Rascals-esque “The Big Race Plot” also comes across as a little plain for the minds at Pixar. But while the race is the center of conflict in the film, the actual focus is on the relationships.
I doubt it’s a coincidence that a film about sea monsters takes the time to explore what’s going on under the surface of relationships that seem one-dimensional at first. Seemingly mean parents are actually caring, empathetic, and realistically frightened for their children. Friendships don’t escape unspoken tensions. Even strangers in the street have more going on than meets the eye. The film is very much about the rewards of taking the time to learn more and give others a chance, and once it really gets going, it’s all charm. Luca isn’t the first children’s film about monsters to teach this lesson, but it does it with an abundance of style (you’ll want to pack your bags for Italy immediately) and characters that are easy to grow attached to. The best parts of the film feel like classic Studio Ghibli.
I give it 3.9 Italian Triathlons out of 5. Now streaming on Disney Plus. I strongly recommend it and I also recommend watching all the way through the end of the credits, which provide a wholesome, fun epilogue to the story. So watch it. Watch it like this cat watches its enemies:
