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Luca Movie Review

Luca is a 2021 animated fantasy family film directed by Enrico Casarosa. It is one of Pixar’s thinnest, but most enjoyable and charming efforts.

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“We underdogs have to look out for each other, right?“

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Luca is a sea monster boy living underwater. His parents forbid him to go to the surface world until one day he finds another boy who regularly goes there, and the two start a great adventure on the surface involving a bike race. Let’s first state the obvious – the basic pitch here is wildly unoriginal. ‘The Little Mermaid’ influences are evident in the central parent-child conflict, but also ‘Ponyo’ is very much in play. In fact, the movie literally is a living and breathing embodiment of Studio Ghibli in its slice-of-life and coming-of-age elements.

Undoubtedly, Luca has very low agency, suspense and almost no surprises. The slow pace and somewhat uneventful narrative in the bigger scope of things will undoubtedly prove to be a problem for some people along with the movie’s safe treatment of its theme of being different and standing up for yourself in the world. It’s far from Pixar’s usual levels of sophistication and maturity.

However, that isn’t the point here. The film is supposed to be more childlike and more slice-of-life and it works wildly in that area. Actually, this is one of the most purely enjoyable and charming flicks that I have seen in quite a while. It’s a perfect summer movie that should be watched at night and alone for more enjoyment. The repeat value will undoubtedly be low, but for the first go at it, I was utterly beguiled by it.

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Luca and Alberto are two instantly iconic Pixar protagonists. Their friendship is wonderful and the end scene with the two saying goodbye to each other was so touching. Alberto’s backstory was moving and the two being each other’s support in their most difficult period of life was beautiful.

Giulia is a great friend of theirs. She is offbeat, fun and very likable. The trio is so fun together and the best moments in the film are when the three practice for the race. Ercole the local bully wasn’t my cup of tea. He was typically over-the-top and cartoony, but he was necessary I guess for the plot.

Luca isn’t an Italian movie, but it just as well may have been made there as it oozes and breathes Italy in its every frame. First off, the animation. It is absolutely gorgeous to behold. Having an Italian director paid off as the architecture and scenery in Luca is very realistic. The colorful buildings stacked against each other represent the typical Mediterranean architecture while the narrow streets and a hilly town is exactly how these Italian seaside towns look. I have been to Italy a couple of times and I can say that the movie is extremely successful at capturing the feel of the country and the aesthetic.

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The score is also very Italian and wonderfully breezy and charming as is the flick itself. The scene transitions and montages were elevated due to amazing musical choices. The pacing also worked as it was leisurely, but still firmly engaging audiences. It’s even captivating in some scenes, in particular the first moments on land, the Vespa sequences and all the jumps in water and the bike rides through the infinitely charming town of Portorosso (a great nod to ‘Porco Rosso’ indeed). The world building isn’t vast, but the underwater scenes are still striking and it worked to have less emphasis on fantasy and more on coming-of-age drama for a smaller, intimate flick such as this one.