Pixar’s latest animated feature follows the titular Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and his friend, Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), who are sea monsters that turn into humans when they land on the surface. Luca spends his days herding goatfish that are populating his seabed village. His parents (Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan) forbid him to go to the surface because they believe it is dangerous for sea monsters to meddle with humans. After disobeying their wishes, Luca meets Alberto and is introduced to human objects and the unknown world of the surface dwellers. The pair dream of buying a Vespa and exploring the world, whether by land or by sea. When Luca’s parents discover that he’s been to the surface, they try to send him to the deep seas with his uncle (Sacha Baron Cohen). Luca and Alberto escape to the island of Portorosso and meet a young girl named Guilia (Emma Berman) who wants to win the Portorosso Cup Triathlon, so the duo joins her in hopes of using the prize money to buy their dream Vespa.
Enrico Casarosa’s directorial debut Luca is a story about friendship, acceptance, chasing big dreams, overcoming fears, and disobeying a parent’s orders — all the elements that are familiar in a Pixar movie. The best part of this animated feature is Luca and Alberto’s friendship. Their shared dreams are charming and adventurous. Their chemistry is well balanced, as Alberto lives on his own in his hideout and dares to look at the world differently, while Luca is timid and scared. However, when Luca meets Alberto, he overcomes his fear of trying out new things in the surface world. He learns how to build a Vespa from scrap materials, drives off a ledge despite his fears of hurting himself, and learns how to ride a bike on a steep lane. The biggest fear he overcomes is learning how to be accepted in the town of Portorosso.
Luca and Alberto’s charming friendship blossoms as they end up depending on each other to finish the race. For Alberto, it’s letting go of the fear that people would disappear without telling him. For Luca, it’s finally admitting to himself that he can accomplish great things when he believes in himself. Their connection is the emotional drive of the movie, and even when their friendship is on the rocks, everything falls back together. However, while the movie focuses on the duo’s friendship, Guilia and her journey are sidelined. Guilia’s goal is to win the race and defeat the local bully. Her friendship with them is not important in the third act. She mostly acts as the motivator for Luca and Alberto to win the race together. Despite this budding friendship, it’s predictable and recyclable.
The script, written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, encapsulates the emotional energy of Luca, Alberto, and Guilia. The sentiments of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness are beautifully written, especially in regards to Alberto’s emotional journey. Alberto hides his emotions behind his energetic persona, but deep down his fear of abandonment is captured with a sense of delicacy that grips the viewers’ hearts. Guilia’s words of encouragement and her determination to bring out the best in Luca and Alberto is charming. She’s loud and snappy at times, but it’s only because she cares about them. When Guilia finds out that Luca is a sea monster, she tells him to leave, fearing that he might be in danger too. There is a sense of kindness and understanding within Guilia’s personal conflict, especially in a town that hunts sea monsters like Luca and Alberto.
Luca is set on the beautiful coast of the Italian Riviera and the movie captures the landscapes and backdrops splendidly. The character designs are unique, incorporating a cartoon-ish look which is completely different compared to the other animated features by Pixar. The landscapes of the small town swim with gorgeous blues and greens, and the colors just fly off the screen. The viewer completely immerses themselves in the visual splendor and it is impossible to look away for a moment, in case any of it is missed.
Luca echoes a lot of the same tropes from Pixar’s other animated features. Last year’s Onward was about two elven brothers who go on an adventure to resurrect their dead father. This fantasy quest deals with a parent who’s running after them to make sure that they are safe. In Finding Nemo, when Nemo is captured by divers, Marlin teams up with Dory to swim through the vast ocean to find his son. In the case of Inside Out, Joy and Sadness set out to find Riley’s core memories which are lost in the long-lost memory area. All of these Pixar characters deal with identical themes of overcoming fears, parental difficulty, or running away to complete their desired goal. In Luca, when the titular character’s parents learn of his disappearance, they go to Portorosso and assume their human forms to find their son. The parents in each of these movies have a sense of protection and responsibility to keep them safe as they believe that their children are not meant to explore the dangerous world on their own.
Luca seems like a missed opportunity to bring a new ‘spark’ to the already iconic catalog of Pixar animation. It radiates the fun and childlike energy that is expected of any Pixar movie, as well as the studio’s fantastic visual splendor. However, Luca is not special. It does not offer anything different or new to the mix. The themes of parental difficulty, letting go, and overcoming fear are all running themes that were repeated in last year’s Onward. The movie does not reach its full potential regardless of how much Luca and Alberto wish to dream big with their bright eyes. These familiar themes have been seen before in movies such as Finding Nemo, Toy Story, and Coco. Even with Luca’s dynamic premise and grand visual splendor, it is not special. Perhaps Pixar’s magic is dimming slowly.
