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Luca (2021)

★★★ — Luca (2021)

Luca was the feature debut of Enrico Casarosa, a Pixar veteran (and Genoa native) who had previously directed the acclaimed short La Luna in 2011. The film is set on the Italian Riviera and draws heavily on Casarosa's own childhood summers there, giving it a more personal, autobiographical flavour than most Pixar productions. It arrived in June 2021 during the tail end of the Covid-disrupted theatrical landscape, and like Soul before it, Pixar released it straight to Disney+ in most markets without a traditional cinema run, bypassing multiplexes entirely. That decision, rather than any creative one, largely explains its modest box office return for a studio of Pixar's scale.

Basically it's "don't judge a book by it's cover" the movie. Luca is a charming little film with some solid laughs for all the family and a sweet message about friendship and acceptance. The animation is beautiful, the Italian seaside setting is lovely, and the coming-of-age story is heartwarming. Like... it's WAY off Inside Out, for example. It’s not quite up there with Pixar’s best. The stakes feel a little low, and while the characters are fun, they don’t quite have the same lasting impact as some of Pixar’s greatest. But as a film about overcoming prejudice and embracing who you are, it absolutely delivers.

Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2021 | Watched: 2022-02-17

View on Letterboxd →

Where to watch (UK)

Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Rakuten TV
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK

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