Luca (2021)

 

Luca (2021)

6/10

Starring the voices of

Jacob Tremblay

Jack Dylan Grazer

Emma Berman

Saverio Raimondo

Maya Rudolph

 

Directed by Enrico Casarosa

 

The movie doesn’t break any norms, stand out, or hold the attention of older viewers for long. It plays it safe and avoids taking any risks. This new Disney/Pixar animation is vibrant and colorful, focusing on themes of friendship, jealousy, and the fear of being alone. The innocence of the characters shines through as they dream of freedom, believing a Vespa is all they need to achieve it. There’s no love story here, and the antagonist is so self-absorbed that he doesn’t notice he’s losing the crowd.

Luca is a sea monster—or at least that’s how humans perceive them. These creatures resemble mermaids but transform into human form when they leave the water. Luca is a goatfish herder who dreams of adventure, though his parents do their best to keep him safe in their underwater world. His naivety and fear make it seem unlikely he’ll ever leave home. One day, while herding, he finds a human picture and an alarm clock. That’s when Alberto, another young sea monster, appears and claims the items. Luca follows Alberto, who takes him to the surface, where his body transforms into human form.

Luca panics at first but quickly calms down. He and Alberto become friends, and despite his parents’ warnings, Luca visits Alberto regularly on the surface. Alberto, who claims to be an expert on the human world, fills Luca’s head with fantastical—and often incorrect—ideas. Together, they dream of running away as soon as they can get their hands on a Vespa.

When Luca’s trips to the surface are discovered, his parents threaten to send him to the deep sea as punishment. Luca runs away to Alberto’s hideout, and the two decide to venture into a nearby Italian town. There, they face harassment until Giulia, a spirited young girl, comes to their rescue. The trio forms a team to compete in the local triathlon, hoping to use the prize money to buy a Vespa.

As Luca grows closer to Giulia and learns more about the human world, he becomes eager to explore, which sparks jealousy in Alberto. Tensions rise between the two friends, while Luca’s parents search the human world for their son.

The magic of this film lies in its visuals—the stunning water effects and the colorful depiction of the Italian setting. The narrative also leans into Disney’s familiar trope of single-parent households. Giulia, for instance, spends her summer with her father while her parents are separated. Meanwhile, Alberto deals with abandonment after being left by his father, eventually finding a sense of belonging in the human world—a place sea creatures are taught to avoid.

For me, it took a while to get into the animation, but once I did, it was an enjoyable, if not extraordinary, ride to the end. I feel the mystery could have been preserved instead of wrapping up with a neat, kumbaya ending.

You can catch Luca on Disney+ and in selected cinemas.