Luca (2021)

Pixar has, over the decades, built a reputation for animated features that work on at least two levels simultaneously: bright and funny enough to keep children entertained, and emotionally layered enough to give adults something to chew on. Luca, released in 2021, sits comfortably within that tradition, even if it arrived under unusual circumstances. Like Soul before it, the film bypassed a traditional cinema release in most markets and went straight to Disney Plus, a consequence of the ongoing disruption to theatrical distribution during the pandemic period. Set on the sun-drenched Italian Riviera during what feels like a timeless, idealised summer, it follows two young sea monsters, Luca and Alberto, who discover they can pass as human when they come ashore and dry off. What follows is a story about friendship, belonging, and what happens when you hide who you really are from the people around you.

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Enrico Casarosa, an Italian-born animator and Pixar veteran whose short film La Luna (2011) earned an Academy Award nomination and clearly demonstrated his feel for warm, personal storytelling rooted in a European sensibility. With Luca, Casarosa drew on his own memories of childhood summers in Genoa and a formative friendship from that period, and that autobiographical affection comes through in the production design: the terracotta rooftops, the harbour piazzas, the hand-painted quality of the light. It is a noticeably smaller-scaled film than some of Pixar's more ambitious productions, and that appears to have been a conscious choice rather than a limitation. The voice cast is well chosen throughout. Jacob Tremblay, who has shown considerable range in live-action work (as those who've read the piece on Wonder will know), brings a genuine sense of wide-eyed curiosity to Luca, while Jack Dylan Grazer gives Alberto a confident, slightly chaotic energy that makes the friendship feel real. Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph, and the Italian comedian Saverio Raimondo round out a cast that keeps things lively without ever overwhelming the central relationship between the two boys.

Animation fans looking for a point of comparison might find it worth revisiting some of the more unconventional entries in the genre. The hand-crafted warmth of No Dogs or Italians Allowed, another animation rooted in Italian heritage, makes for an interesting contrast in approach, as does the beautifully spare visual language of Josep, a film that shows how much animated storytelling can achieve on a modest canvas. Luca is polished but unremarkable by those more adventurous standards, sitting closer to the mainstream of family animation, though it wears its Italian influences with evident pride and care.

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.

That tension between warmth and weight is something I keep coming back to with this one. There is real craft here, and Casarosa clearly has affection for every cobblestone and fishing boat on screen. For me, the friendship between Luca and Alberto is the film's strongest card, even if the emotional stakes never quite build to the heights Pixar can reach when it is truly firing on all cylinders. It is the sort of film you put on knowing exactly what you are going to get, and there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes a lovely summer afternoon of a movie is all you need. Just do not go in expecting it to stay with you the way the best ones do.

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

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Trailer

▶ Watch the official trailer for Luca (2021) on YouTube

Where to watch

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

Watch in the US
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Fandango At Home
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US

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