LUCA REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Pixar Animated Studios are at their best when they’re creating films based on original stories that are meaningful and thematic. This is certainly true of their previous animated feature, Soul. Because of its deep and thought provoking story, it was enjoyed more by critics. Pixar’s latest film, Luca, will appeal more to families as it tells a simple story about friendship. 

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Luca is a coming-of-age story about one young boy, Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with pasta, gelato and endless scooter rides. He shares these adventures with his new found best friend, Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.

Luca is directed by Enrico Casarosa who previously made the Pixar animated short, La Luna, which was told a peculiar story about a young boy coming of age. In just six minutes, Casarosa was able to create a meaningful film that featured beautiful animation. A decade later, Casarosa has created Luca which is a warm and enjoyable animated film. Although it doesn’t represent Pixar at their best, it’s far from their worst films and provides viewers with ninety minutes of lighthearted entertainment. Prior to Luca’s release, Casarosa said that he was inspired by Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. The town of Portorosso is a nod to one of Studio Ghibli’s animated films, Porco Rosso. The script, written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, reminded Casarosa of his childhood friend who was called Alberto. However, the main character’s name is Luca as the director didn’t want to use his first name, Enrico. It’s clear that Luca means a lot to Casarosa and I can imagine that it’ll mean a lot to a lot of viewers as well.

Like most of Pixar’s films, the animation in Luca stands out as it’s filled with bright and vibrant visuals. The country of Italy is effectively explored and captured through the stunning animation. Pixar sent several of the film's artists to the Italian Riviera for a research trip, during which they took photos of the area's landscape and people. Luca is rooted in the 50s and 60s, a time that Casarosa has described as a "golden age that feels timeless", with the music and designs inspired from that period "to capture a little bit of this timelessness of summer." Because of its sunny and warm setting, Luca is the perfect summer film.

It is a shame that, like Soul, Luca wasn’t released in cinemas as the animation would’ve impressed more on a bigger screen. Understandably, the producers were also disappointed by Disney’s decision to release it on their streaming service, Disney+, as Disney’s latest animated feature, Raya and the Last Dragon, was released both in cinemas and on Disney+. Although I don’t mind watching films at home, I would have much preferred to have watched Luca at the cinema as they’re the perfect form of escapism. 

Luca is at its most heartwarming when it’s focusing on the friendship that develops between Luca and Alberto. Luca is shy and fearful of leaving his family, however, Alberto is confident and encourages Luca to enjoy their adventures together. The pair meet and befriend Giulia (Emma Berman), who is outgoing and charming. Together, the three become involved in the Portorosso Cup Triathlon, which involves the participants racing by swimming, eating a plate full of pasta and riding a bike to the finish line. Although Giulia has previously entered, she has never won due to throwing up but believes she can finally win with the help of Luca and Alberto. All three of these characters are interesting and fun to watch, with the talented young cast, including Tremblay, Grazer and Berman, impressing with their vocal performances. While the majority of the film focuses on Luca, Alberto and Giulia, Luca’s parents, Daniela (Maya Rudolph) and Lorenzo (Jim Gaffigan) search for him. Their scenes provide viewers with amusing physical comedy as they try and find Luca by splashing children with water. 

A lot of animated films are aimed at children and tell a simple and boring story. Fortunately, that’s not the case with Luca, which, like most of Pixar’s animated films, can be enjoyed by viewers of any age. Children will, almost certainly, enjoy the fun adventures involving Luca and Alberto, with older viewers appreciating the deeper meaning behind some of the themes. By many older viewers in the LGBTQ+ community, the story of Luca hiding his true self has been interpreted as a metaphor for a homosexual struggling to come out. Obviously, because it’s a family friendly film, the relationship between Luca and Alberto is nothing more than platonic, however, it’s easy to see why the film will mean a lot to those in the LGBTQ+ community. Luca will also mean a lot to those who had an important friend during their childhood. 

Luca features bright and warm animation and tells a heartwarming story about friendship and is packed full of adventure.

7/10