Film: Luca

 

GENRE: Animated
RATING: PG for language, rude humor
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 41 minutes
PLATFORM: Disney+
STARRING: Jacob Tremblay (Room, Wonder, Dr. Sleep, Good Boys)
Jack Dylan Grazer (It, Shazam), Emma Berman (newcomer)
DIRECTOR: Enrico Casarosa (La Luna – Pixar short)
WRITERS: Jesse Andrews (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) and
Mike Jones (Soul)
PLOT: A couple sea monsters infiltrate an Italian Riviera town in order to get their hands on a Vespa.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Love Pixar. Did not know much about this film.

STORY STUFF: While the first quarter of the film seems like a carbon copy mix of The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo, the rest of the story is quite endearing. I enjoyed watching the friendships grow as the plot progressed. The villain was a little weak for my taste and I wish some of the other townspeople had more quirks. An overall entertaining romp, something I definitely expect from the people at Pixar.

ACTING STUFF: Grazer is perfectly cast as ‘know-it-all’ Alberto. His voice is fantastic and reminded me of his Shazam role. The other kids are sweet and natural. The parents are also incredibly well cast. Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan are very fun as the parents trying to discover their son in human form. Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) seems unnecessary as Uncle Ugo and I definitely didn’t need his post end credit scene. I like the actor but why waste your time with such a small role? 

ARTISTIC STUFF: The Pixar animation is awesome as usual. Always like their use of texture and set design. Love the character design of Giulia’s father, which is reminiscent of Casarosa’s La Luna father. This film has an obsession with Vespas. I wonder if their sales will increase.

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Pixar and value friendship
UPCOMING REVIEW: Black Widow