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Dennis Quaid steps into the shoes of Ronald Reagan in a movie about the 40th president’s resilience, vision and faith.

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‘the forge’ is the most polished work from kendrick brothers’, clarion call to discipleship.

Plugged In movie reviews: 'The Forge,' 'The Deliverance,' 'Blink Twice'

“The Forge” is probably the Kendrick brothers’ most complete and polished work. “The Deliverance” is a dark and violent horror film, but we find some positive spiritual messages amid the darkness. You’ll do far more wincing than blinking in “Blink Twice.”

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Read on to get Plugged In on what’s beyond the movie titles and trailers for faith-filled and family-first reviews from Focus on the Family’s Plugged In .

The Forge – In Theaters

In 2002, brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick took $20,000 and the blessing of the church they worked for — Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia — and turned it into a full-length movie. The finishing touches were put on the film “Flywheel” at 6 a.m. April 9, 2003, just hours before its premiere.

Since then, the Kendrick brothers have released eight more full-length movies, and in so doing helped upend and expand the Christian film industry. It seems like every time the Kendrick brothers release a new movie, Hollywood prognosticators are a little flabbergasted by how successful it is. Every few years, we’re reminded that little Christian films can generate big profits.

SEE ALSO: ‘The ripple effect’: Actress Priscilla Shirer shares astounding impact that one person can make

Not that the Kendricks are in this business for the money: They’re in it for the souls. Throughout their career, they’ve kept their focus tightly honed on their audience (Christians) and their mission (biblically rooted encouragement). And while there might’ve been a time when they would’ve enjoyed making a lavish, CGI superhero flick, those days are long gone.

Be sure to listen in to The Plugged In Show , a weekly podcast with lighthearted reviews for parents and conversations about entertainment, pop culture and technology:

“We realize that some people are not going to like our movies, and we are totally OK with that,” Alex Kendrick, director of “The Forge,” told me on “ The Plugged In Show .” “But those that do, [those] that we can encourage and help go deeper in their faith, praise the Lord.”

And that’s really what “The Forge” is all about: An exhortation for Christians to go deeper.

“The Lord doesn’t need more lukewarm churchgoers,” Joshua says. “We need more believers who are wholeheartedly following Jesus.”

Why? Joshua shows us every moment he’s on screen. We see what total commitment costs — and what harvest it reaps. We see how one man can completely transform another man’s life — and how that transformation can exponentially grow. According to the Pew Research Center , 210 million people in the United States identify as Christian. Can you imagine what would happen if every one of those 210 million people were as committed to Christ as Joshua? If they gave so much of their time and treasure?

From an aesthetic viewpoint, “The Forge” is probably the Kendrick brothers’ most complete and polished work. Certainly, this film is made for Christians: The movie’s very clarity of purpose will be a difficult sell for some outside the faith.

But for those within that faith — those who’ve felt Christ’s tug in their lives but perhaps haven’t yet taken the full discipleship plunge — ”The Forge” can be both encouraging and convicting. And it reminds us all that Christ didn’t come just to save us; He came to transform us, so that we in turn can help transform others. He asks us to die to ourselves so that we can help others find new life, and new hope.

Read the rest of the review here . Watch the trailer here .

The Deliverance – Streaming on Netflix

From 2011 to 2012, Latoya Ammons and her family reported strange and frightening occurrences in their home in Gary, Indiana, which they attributed to demonic spirits. The case, documented by the Indianapolis Star , eventually involved social workers, police, and a Catholic priest.

“The Deliverance” draws much of its inspiration from that account. (Latoya Ammons is even mentioned by name during the end credits.) Ultimately, it’s a story about a family trying to survive extreme and outright spiritual darkness.

To the film’s credit, it delivers the point that the only power that can overcome such darkness is found in Jesus Christ. No matter what evil we face, we are assured that Christ has already won the victory — defeating sin and death through His sacrifice and resurrection — and we can share in His victory by putting our faith in Him.

With that in mind, “The Deliverance” strives to tell a redemptive story. But there’s a lot of content issues here that muddy the waters.

In many ways, this is standard R-rated horror fare: dark, disturbing images. Bloody violence. A barrage of foul language and more besides. You’ll have to decide if you want to wade through that to get to this movie’s positive messages.

Blink Twice – In Theaters

Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut is designed to tap into the “Me Too” movement’s passion while making declarative statements about money, abusive power and male toxicity. What it delivers, though, is a lot of Epstein Island-like debauchery blended with “I Spit on Your Grave” style revenge violence.

That’s not to say that there’s absolutely nothing redeemable in the mix. From a purely esthetic perspective there are some solid performances (particularly from lead Naomi Ackie) and a serviceable story twist by movie’s end.

But all in all, this is one miserable island vacation filled with despicable people, profuse alcohol and drug consumption, repugnant rape and bloody murder. And you, dear viewer, are the one who must foot the bill.

Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

Reviews written by Paul Asay , Bret Eckelberry , and Bob Hoose .

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Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

Each month, Plugged In is visited more than 1 million times by people looking for detailed information about what’s really in popular movies, videos, television episodes, songs and games. Entertainment industry ratings only tell you so much. We go deeper, diving into specific content and the meaning behind it. Our award-winning website also offers news and blogs.

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‘Luca’ Review: (Still) A Vivid, Enchanting Animated Tale

The entertainment industry (like the rest of the world) suffered tremendous disruption from the COVID pandemic. There was a major shift in the distribution of movies. Films that were initially slated for theaters were diverted to streaming platforms. Luca , a Pixar film from Disney, was one of those films. It’s been a long time coming, but now the movie is getting its chance in the sun with a release on the big screen.

Luca is the story of a young sea monster named Luca (voiced by Pete the Cat’s Jacob Tremblay). On land with big Vespa-related dreams, Luca meets a fellow sea monster in human form, Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), and the two become fast friends on the adventure of a lifetime in the town of Portorosso and beyond. Both a slice-of-life and coming-of-age film, it is a lighthearted story with friendship at its core. At the movie’s end, viewers will find the courage to silenzio their inner Bruno and perhaps even feel a little less lonely. Luca is a deeply sweet story and also literally a fish, excuse me, sea monster out of water adventure.

Thematically and practically, there are some similarities to 2023’s Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken . But that’s inevitable when you’re dealing with “monsters” who live under the sea. (Anyone feeling the urge to watch The Little Mermaid again?) As sailors would say, it’s a tale as old as time. Luca is reportedly drawn from the storytelling of Italian folklore and mythology, along with the childhood friendships of director Enrico Casarosa on the Italian Coast. At the beginning of the film, there are some nods to that, with rowboat sailors and pirate-looking maps with illustrations of giant tentacled sea creatures.

Luca also sets up these different worlds that our protagonist, by the same name, journeys through – the land and the sea- in an easy-to-understand way. We can empathize with the boy who wants more than tending to his school of branzinos. The movie appropriately captures the fear of the unknown (and Luca’s fear of The Deep) while also capturing the spirit of adventure and growth that are hallmarks of coming-of-age stories. Screenwriters Mike Jones (of Soul ) and Jesse Andrews capture the lightness and the seriousness needed for such a whimsical tale with expert skill.

Because this is Pixar, going into Luca , there’s already a high level of expectation for the animation. But Luca exceeds that by leaps and bounds. Both the character designs and the designs of the Italian Riviera world themselves are gorgeous, but the lighting of all of them gives the film extra warmth. It feels like summer and the Mediterranean, and everything is just more vivid and real. There is an almost poetic lyricism to the animation – it’s bursting with emotion. Some of the landscapes are reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki, especially in Porco Rosso and Future Boy Conan. But don’t worry, there are no pilots turned pigs in this film. Just one very suspicious cat named Machiavelli.

Luca captures innocence and wonders in a heartfelt way. There’s a sequence when Luca is learning about space and the world from Giulia (Emma Berman), and finding out that it’s quite different from the fish-filled sky picture his friend Alberto has painted for him. It is surreal and simply stunning. The animation, from friends traipsing across a moonlit bridge to Luca’s imaginings of his own dance through the rings of Saturno, is alive with imagination.

Ultimately, Luca is worth watching on the big screen as a family, especially if you dream of warmer days. The lighthearted fantasy shows the power of friendships and stepping outside of your comfort zone. After all, who hasn’t had the thought that Vespa is freedom? (Least of all, Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday .) It is a handcrafted tale enough to bring pasta and light to the loneliest fish in The Deep.

Luca is now in theaters and streaming on Disney+.

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The 10 Best Family Movies With Great Acting, Ranked

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A family-friendly film has the difficult task of appealing to multiple generations of audience members while also promoting a heartwarming message at the end of the film. Family movies may vary in ratings, but they are generally safe to watch for people of all ages. Because of that, it can be easy to dismiss these movies as not being as artistic or well-acted as films that are not made to appeal to mass audiences of all ages - but that would be a mistake. There are plenty of family films that have great acting.

A family movie is not quite the same as a kids' movie, which is meant to appeal specifically to children. These films are meant to be enjoyed by everyone and the performances in these films are extremely admirable. Some of the performances in these family movies were nominated for major acting awards. Here are ten essential family films with great acting.

10 'Home Alone' (1990)

Directed by chris columbus.

1990's Home Alone is one of the most beloved family films ever made. When the large and noisy McAllister family is on an airplane to Paris for Christmas vacation, Kate McAllister (Catherine O'Hara) realizes that the family forgot one of their kids at home. Viewers are treated to little Kevin McAllister ( Macaulay Culkin ) spending Christmas alone and fending off burglars who have figured out that the home is only occupied by a mischievous little kid.

There is a reason why Macaulay Culkin was the most sought-after child actor in the 90s: he was really, really good. A child actor with this much raw talent is hard to come by. Home Alone was not his first film, but it was the film that launched Culkin into superstardom . He wasn't the only striking performer in the film. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern bring cartoonish villains to life and Catherine O'Hara anchors the film with a grounded performance of a stressed-out mother.

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9 'Mary Poppins' (1964)

Directed by robert stevenson.

Disney's 1960s movie musical adaptation of the novel series Mary Poppins , the story of a magical nanny, is a wonderful example of a family film that has something for everyone. It has wonderful musical numbers, colorful set pieces, memorable characters, and moving performances by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke as Bert the Chimney Sweep. The entire movie feels like consuming a spoonful of sugar. It's medicine for the soul and fun for the whole family.

Julie Andrews is, as always, captivating onscreen. She plays the titular Mary Poppins and does a wonderful job of exuding joy for her job and taking care of children. The film has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes with several modern reviews commenting on Julie Andrews' iconic performance. In a career of legendary performances, it says a lot that Mary Poppins is considered one of her most memorable characters.

Mary Poppins

WATCH ON DISNEY+

8 'Hugo' (2011)

Directed by martin scorsese.

Martin Scorsese's Hugo is an ode to child cinephiles and how cinema has always felt like magic. Based on the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film follows a 12-year-old boy named Hugo ( Asa Butterfield ) who loves to work with gadgets and clocks. He is an orphan who hides out at the train station fixing clocks. He meets a friend named Isabelle ( Chloë Grace Moretz ) and her godfather, Georges Méliès ( Sir Ben Kingsley ).

Not only is this heartwarming story featuring some elements of real film history, but the performances are incredibly charming. This is a star-studded cast, including its young stars, Moretz and Butterfield, who bring real heart to their characters. Both play orphaned children and shed light on the unique loneliness that comes with that. Couple that with Kingley's mustachioed Méliès and this is one talented trio pulling the audience through the magic of very early filmmaking.

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7 'Mrs. Doubtfire' (1993)

Mrs. Doubtfire has an outlandish plot that is ultimately a hilarious and heartwarming ride. Robin Williams is to thank for that. Robin Williams plays a voice actor whose immature behavior pushes his wife ( Sally Fields ) to ask for a divorce. He has visitation rights with his kids on Saturdays, provided he has a stable job. He wants a job and wants to see his kids, so he dresses up as an old woman to be his wife's housekeeper so he can spend time with his kids.

It sounds extreme, but Robin Williams makes it work. Williams wasn't the first choice for the part, but it is impossible to think of anyone else pulling this off. Williams is perfect in the role! Not only is Robin Williams a force to be reckoned with, but Sally Field's role as his beleaguered ex-wife trying to move on from their divorce is incredibly empathetic. Instead of a harried, workaholic wife, she comes across as a woman at her wits' end who is simply trying to do what is best for her family. The audience grows sympathetic to her character due, in part, to Williams' character also seeing her in this light. These are masterful performances, prosthetics and all.

Mrs. Doubtfire

WATCH ON HULU

6 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)

Directed by victor fleming.

One of the most iconic films ever made, The Wizard of Oz is a cheery fantasy film that has brought families together for decades. An average teenager in Kansas is transported to the fantastical world of Oz. She takes the famous Yellow Brick Road with her new friends to meet the Wizard and asks for his help to return home and help her friends with their requests. It is heartwarming, silly, and colorful (no, it was not the first color film ) and it has endured the test of time.

Judy Garland cemented herself as an icon with her portrayal of Dorothy. There are countless stories of Garland's mistreatment by studios, film executives, and cast members while filming The Wizard of Oz . The teenager was going through a great deal of distress when the cameras weren't rolling. It is thus doubly admirable (and tragic) that Garland was able to fight through the abuse she was facing to bring so much innocence and heart to Dorothy's journey through Oz.

The Wizard of Oz

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5 'Stand by Me' (1986)

Directed by rob reiner.

It is a controversial pick for a family film because of its R rating, but Stand by Me is considered a classic for children of the 80s and 90s. The content is dark, but its power as a coming-of-age film has endured due to the performances of the talented kids in the movie. Based on a novella by Stephen King , Stand by Me follows four boys who go on a hike to find the body of a missing child. That's not exactly the standard plot for a family-friendly film!

The four boys are played by Jerry O'Connell , Wil Wheaton , Corey Feldman , and River Phoenix . The film was nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar and two Golden Globes, but critics poured over the performances of the likable young men. The New York Times pointed out that the four boys were "individually likable" in their endearing roles, which helps carry the movie.

Stand By Me

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4 'The Goonies' (1985)

Directed by richard donner.

The Goonies is a beloved child-led film from the 1980s that families continue to watch together. A group of boys tries to save their homes from foreclosure by finding the hidden treasure of a pirate named One-Eyed Willy. This adventure comedy is all about friendship as the boys band together on their sometimes dangerous journey in search of a legendary treasure that may or may not be real.

The Goonies was a launchpad for several young actors who went on to have amazing careers. Josh Brolin , Sean Astin , Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton , and Ke Huy Quan all starred in The Goonies. For many of those young actors, this was the first job in film that they ever had. Their potential is evident with their performances being a huge reason the film is so enchanting. Believe it or not, The Goonies is loosely based on real events . Perhaps the realism behind the story helped the actors ground their performances through such a wild adventure.

The Goonies

3 'are you there god it's me, margaret.' (2023), directed by kelly fremon craig.

Judy Blume's novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is a coming-of-age classic for young women. For years, Blume notoriously shot down requests to adapt her novel into a film. Writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig managed to be the one person to convince Blume to trust her with her work. This was a wise decision on Blume's part because the film Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is nearly perfect! One of the most perfect parts of this film is actress Rachel McAdams playing Margaret's mom.

Rachel McAdams is a fantastic actress with an incredible range. This is, after all, the same woman who brought Regina George to life. She plays a mother trying her best in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret , and it might just be the best performance of her entire career . She is so natural and believable as Margaret's mother that it feels like the role she was meant to play.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

2 'willy wonka and the chocolate factory' (1971), directed by mel stuart.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a delightful family film. A poor boy named Charlie Bucket ( Peter Ostrum ) wins a golden ticket to visit the chocolate factory of an eccentric candy mogul named Willy Wonka. He and his grandpa are awarded a group tour through the factory. As the tour goes on, the other kids become selfish in their desire for candy and get kicked out of the factory in a variety of musically interesting ways until Charlie and his grandpa are the only two left standing.

Roger Ebert said this is "probably the best film of its sort since The Wizard of Oz . It is everything that family movies usually claim to be, but aren't: delightful, scary, exciting, and, most of all, a genuine work of imagination". It is a genuine work of pure imagination, and Gene Wilder 's playful, darkly comic yet soulful portrayal of Willy Wonka has a lot to do with that! No shade to Timothée Chalamet , but Gene Wilder IS Willy Wonka.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

1 'e.t.' (1982), directed by steven spielberg.

Henry Thomas as Elliott with E.T. in his bicycle basket in E.T. The Extra-Terrestial

1982's E.T. is a wonderful family friend about family and one's desire to be "home". Home is where the heart is, whether that heart belongs to an alien or a human! E.T. is an alien who was left behind when his alien family came to Earth to collect forest samples. Elliott, a human boy, finds him and tries to help E.T. go home while evading capture by government agents.

The cast of E.T. is another who's who of young actors who would go on to have amazing careers. Drew Barrymore plays the adorable younger sister to Elliott, played by the delightful Henry Thomas . Thomas was so good as a young actor that his audition tape for E.T. continues to circulate online as an impressive display of his natural talent. In the video , Thomas cries while delivering a passionate monologue trying to save E.T. from government testing. At the end of the audition, Spielberg audibly tells him, "Okay, kid, you got the job."

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

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Movie Review: Quaid looks (and sounds) the part, but ‘Reagan’ is more glowing commercial than biopic

This image released by ShowBiz Direct shows Dennis Quaid in a scene from “Reagan.” (ShowBiz Direct via AP)

This image released by ShowBiz Direct shows Dennis Quaid in a scene from “Reagan.” (Ron Batzdorff/ShowBiz Direct via AP)

This image released by ShowBiz Direct shows Penelope Ann Miller, right, and Dennis Quaid in a scene from “Reagan.” (Beth Dubber/ShowBiz Direct via AP)

This image released by ShowBiz Direct shows Penelope Ann Miller, left, and Dennis Quaid in a scene from “Reagan.” (Ron Batzdorff/ShowBiz Direct via AP)

This image released by ShowBiz Direct shows Olek Krupa, left, and Dennis Quaid in a scene from “Reagan.” (ShowBiz Direct via AP)

This image released by ShowBiz Direct shows Dennis Quaid in a scene from “Reagan.” (Noah Hamilton/ShowBiz Direct via AP)

This image released by ShowBiz Direct shows David Henrie in a scene from “Reagan.” (ShowBiz Direct via AP)

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“Is there anything worse than an actor with a cause?” asks an annoyed Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan’s first wife, early in “Reagan,” the new biopic starring Dennis Quaid.

Well, after watching two more hours of this story, an adoring look back at the man who served two terms as our 40th president, we can report that there is definitely one thing worse: An actor without a movie.

Let’s not blame the star, though. Quaid, who has played more than one president, has certainly got the charismatic grin, the pomaded hair and especially that distinctive, folksy voice down — close your eyes, and it sounds VERY familiar. If he were to appear on “Saturday Night Live” in the role, it would feel like a casting coup akin to Larry David as Bernie Sanders.

But this is not an “SNL” skit, despite the fact that Jon Voight appears throughout with a heavy Russian accent as a KGB spy, but we’ll get to that. This is a 135-minute film that demands a lot more depth. And, so, to co-opt a political phrase from Bill Clinton, whom Quaid also has played: It’s the script, stupid.

Lovingly directed by Sean McNamara with a screenplay by Howard Klausner, “Reagan” begins with a chilling event (and a parallel to a recent one): the assassination attempt on Reagan in Washington in March 1981, only two months after he became president.

There are those who say Reagan cemented his relationship with the public by surviving that attempt; he famously told wife Nancy from his bed: “Honey, I forgot to duck.” In any case, the filmmakers use the event to set up their story, and will return to it later on, chronologically.

But their early point is that Reagan came away from the scare with a divine plan. “My mother used to say that everything in life happens for a reason, even the most disheartening setbacks,” he says. And as he will tell Tip O’Neill, the House speaker, everything from then on will be part of that divine plan.

The yet broader point here is that Reagan, according to this film, was basically solely responsible for the eventual downfall of the Soviet Union, because he showed the people of the world what freedom meant. “I knew that he was the one,” says Viktor Petrovich, the retired spy played by Voight as a narrator figure throughout — meaning the one who would bring it all down. The script is based on Paul Kengor’s “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism,” and Kengor has said Viktor is based on a number of KGB agents and analysts who tracked Reagan for years.

That point is made early and often. The rest is a history reel, with lots of glorious, loving lighting around our star. We go back to his younger years, learning about his mother and what she taught him about faith, and then his Hollywood years as an actor, Screen Actors Guild president (and a Democrat) before fully committing to politics, and the GOP.

We also see a newly divorced Reagan meet a winsome Nancy Davis, who will become his second wife, loving partner and constant companion. Like Quaid, Penelope Ann Miller is a perfectly fine actor who has little nuance to work with here. Together, they embark on the path to political stardom, starting with the California governorship. When they arrive at a neighbor’s home to campaign, the housewife at the door hears Reagan’s “RR” initials and thinks he’s Roy Rogers.

But a decade and change later, Reagan is sworn in as president, beginning his eight years in office. “It became my obsession to understand what was beneath the facade,” says Voight’s Petrovich, explaining why Reagan was so consequential.

Maybe, then, he could let us know?

Because when this movie ends, with the president’s death in 2004 a decade after announcing he had Alzheimer’s disease, we don’t know a lot more than when we began about a figure so influential in American politics.

Sure, we get all the great hits. ”Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” we see him say in 1987 in Berlin, a scene with much buildup.

And it’s fun to see the famous debate lines, like “There you go again,” to Jimmy Carter in 1980, and of course his famously deft deflection of the age issue in 1984, with Walter Mondale. “I will not make age an issue of this campaign,” the 73-year-old president told his questioner. “I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

The line, which made Mondale himself laugh, got Reagan back on track in the race. The movie, not so much.

“History is never about when, why, how — it always comes down to ‘who,’” says Voight’s Petrovich. However historians feel about that, we would have gladly taken a more incisive look at when, why, how or anything else that would give us real insight, instead of an extended and glowing commercial, into who this man really was.

“Reagan,” a Showbiz Direct release, has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association “for violent content and smoking.” Running time: 135 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

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Common Sense Says
Parents Say 65 Reviews
Kids Say 124 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Sweet fish-out-of-water story about friendship, adventure.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 6+?

A Vespa scooter is central to the story and is presented as very aspirational/gl

Kids run away from home, go against rules, and put themselves in dangerous situa

Language is largely of the insult variety: "stinking," "stupido," "jerk," "idiot

Any Positive Content?

It's easy to be scared of things you don't understand, but don't judge others ba

Luca is curious, intelligent, kind, and empathetic. He wants to learn as much as

Central message is about accepting differences, in this case mostly between spec

Viewers will learn a bit about the deep, dark bottom of the ocean, as well as gr

Products & Purchases

A Vespa scooter is central to the story and is presented as very aspirational/glamorous. Like all Disney films, there's plenty of off-screen merchandise, including apparel, toys, games, and more.

Violence & Scariness

Kids run away from home, go against rules, and put themselves in dangerous situations. Physical comedy includes characters lightly hurting themselves as they jump off cliffs, fall off bicycles (with stars shown above head as though dizzy), and get attacked by a suspicious cat. Physical scuffles include pushing, punching, biting, and slapping. In one sequence, a villager repeatedly throws a spear at Alberto and Luca; others threaten them, and they're the target of mean behavior, with verbal bullying including words like "jerk" and "trash." Characters have heated arguments, raising their voices. A kid has to punch his uncle in the heart to get it started again, and his organs are seen through his skin briefly.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language is largely of the insult variety: "stinking," "stupido," "jerk," "idioti," "trash," "loser," "shut up," "pathetic," "what's wrong with you," and "bottom feeder," as well as the swearing stand-in "aw, sharks." The Italian word "mannaggia" is also used, meaning "damn." "Oh God," as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

It's easy to be scared of things you don't understand, but don't judge others based on their differences. You don't have to keep aspects of yourself hidden to be accepted—find those who love you for who you are. Curiosity, empathy, perseverance, and teamwork are great character strengths. It's important to have dreams and goals, as well as a plan to make them come true. Friendships and loyalty are important, as is making sacrifices for those you love. Be curious and learn as much as possible about the world.

Positive Role Models

Luca is curious, intelligent, kind, and empathetic. He wants to learn as much as he can about the surface and beyond. He lies to his parents and puts himself in dangerous situations but atones for his mistakes. Alberto is courageous, as well as a bit reckless, but he's loyal to Luca. He doesn't follow rules, but he doesn't have a parental figure to set any guidance, either. Giulia is clever and shows great perseverance. She also stands up for herself and others and isn't afraid to be herself, even if she doesn't fit in. The three work together as a team to overcome obstacles.

Diverse Representations

Central message is about accepting differences, in this case mostly between species. All human characters are White/Italian; movie is set on the Italian Riviera. Giulia's father, Massimo, is separated from her mother and shares custody. The arrangement is seen to be smooth and happy, and he's supportive and caring toward Giulia. Massimo is also a positive representation of limb difference, having been born with one arm. His character isn't defined by the difference, but by his great skill in fishing and cooking and his kindness toward the kids. Alberto's father isn't shown on-screen but is reported to have abandoned him, and Alberto often behaves recklessly and can feel intensely let down by others as a result. But the idea of chosen family and developing new family structures is shown when Alberto is taken in by Massimo. Giulia is a strong female character who's not restricted by gender stereotypes. She shows a thirst for adventure and has the courage to stand up for herself and her friends. That said, Italian stereotypes are used, particularly with the villain Ercole, who has slicked-back dark hair and a neatly clipped mustache, and arrogantly sits astride his Vespa, gesturing exuberantly and saying "Mamma Mia!"

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Educational Value

Viewers will learn a bit about the deep, dark bottom of the ocean, as well as gravity and different astronomical facts. Reading books and trying new things are encouraged as ways to learn about the world.

Parents need to know that Luca is Pixar's film about two sea creatures who leave their watery homes to discover the wonders of the surface in a small village on the Italian Riviera. It's a sweet coming-of-age story about courage, curiosity, empathy, perseverance, teamwork, and friendship—specifically, that of Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay ) and Alberto ( Jack Dylan Grazer ). There's a bit of silly body humor (nose- and ear-picking), as well as occasional insults in both English and easily understandable Italian, like "trash," "stupido," "idioti," and "jerk." Kids run away from home, lie to parents, and don't follow rules, putting themselves in dangerous situations. Physical comedy includes injuries from stunts like jumping off of cliffs and trees, riding a bike too fast down a hill, and getting in tussles. Scared villagers wield spears and harpoons, and one throws his at the main characters. Another character likes to use his big knife to chop up fish, much to Luca and Alberto's dismay. Parents and kids who watch together will be able to discuss the movie's appealing setting and its themes, particularly the importance of evaluating others for who they are, not because of their differences, background, or heritage. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (65)
Kids say (124)

Based on 65 parent reviews

First Pixar Disappointment

Teaches kids to lie and do dangerous stuff, what's the story.

LUCA takes place at the Italian seaside, where the titular character is the son in a family of sea creatures. Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay ) follows his parents' ( Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan ) rules not to go near the dangerous surface, until he comes across a stranger collecting treasures. Luca follows the boy, Alberto ( Jack Dylan Grazer ), to the shore, where they both transform into humans. Luca and Alberto become fast friends, sharing dreams and plans that involve what Alberto claims is the best prize among humans: the Vespa scooter. When Luca's family catches on that he's been hanging out above water, they threaten to send him to the depths of the ocean with his angler-fish Uncle Ugo ( Sacha Baron Cohen ). Frightened, Luca and Alberto run away to the nearest human town, Porto Rosso, where they meet outgoing Giulia ( Emma Berman ), who tells them that they could buy a Vespa with the cash prize from the town's annual race: a triathlon involving swimming, cycling, and eating pasta. The boys team up with Giulia—who's come in second several years in a row to an overconfident, rude villager named Ercole (Saverio Raimondo)—and move in with her and her intimidating fisherman father (Marco Barricelli). They must also do everything they can to keep from getting wet, lest the sea-monster-fearing villagers try to spear them.

Is It Any Good?

This heartfelt, gorgeously animated adventure is a short and sweet reminder of sun-filled summer days with new friends. The setting of Luca is so vivid that audiences may well want to book a flight to the Italian Riviera for some amazing pasta, clear seas, and the charm of winding cobblestone streets, marble fountains, and quirky townsfolk. Tremblay is a wonderfully expressive voice performer, making Luca's intellectual curiosity and general awe come to life. Grazer's Alberto is a confident and impetuous counterbalance to Luca's thoughtful and initially hesitant personality. Berman also impresses as Giulia, who really wants to win the race but is even more excited to make new friends. The supporting Italian cast is strong, as are Rudolph and Gaffigan, who at this point are almost default choices as funny parents. And audiences will laugh aloud at Baron Cohen's brief but hilarious role as Luca's uncle from the deep.

Luca 's themes are reminiscent of those in Finding Nemo and Finding Dory , The Little Mermaid , and even Onward . The boys turn into friends who are more like brothers, discovering both the joys and the dangers of the human world, and their adventure is filled with memorable views under the sea. Tender, sweet, and also funny, with silly physical comedy and an amusingly suspicious cat (Giulia's kitty looks just like her dad, right down to what looks like a mustache), the movie is full of warmth and has a few moments that tug at the heartstrings. It's also lovely to see a single father who belies his intimidating appearance by cooking delicious meals, teaching the boys the skills needed to fish, and supporting his daughter in her dream to compete in Porto Rosso's big annual race. Families with kids of all ages will enjoy this adorable addition to Pixar's excellent list of films.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Luca 's message about family and friendship. What does Luca learn about what makes a family? Kids: Who do you consider to be part of your family?

How do characters' actions demonstrate curiosity , empathy , teamwork , and perseverance ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Discuss how the movie portrays Giulia's father's limb difference. Does it impact his character? Why is it important to see people with disabilities represented in popular culture? Can you think of other examples?

Did you find any parts of the movie scary or upsetting? If so, why? What bothers you more: danger/action, or conflict between characters?

A central theme of the movie is difference and accepting others for who they are. Why is this an important message? What differences might it extend to in the real world?

Movie Details

On DVD or streaming : June 18, 2021
Cast : Jacob Tremblay , Jack Dylan Grazer , Emma Berman
Director : Enrico Casarosa
Studios : Pixar Animation Studios , Walt Disney Pictures
Genre : Family and Kids
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Friendship
Character Strengths : Curiosity , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
Run time : 95 minutes
MPAA rating : PG
MPAA explanation : rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence
Award : Common Sense Selection
Last updated : July 2, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Luca Parent Guide

This good-hearted family film pulls in a net filled with positive messages about acceptance, inclusion, education, and courage..

Disney+: Luca and Alberto are sea monsters with dreams of experiencing life on land. When they come out of the water, they assume human forms and explore the Italian Riviera while enjoying madcap adventures with a girl named Giulia.

Release date June 18, 2021

Why is Luca rated PG? The MPAA rated Luca PG for rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

If you ever thought sea monsters enjoyed lives of mystery and excitement beneath the waves, think again. Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and his undersea family have a humdrum existence focused on herding fish, raising show crabs, harvesting seaweed, and avoiding “land monsters”.

Following in the fins of Ariel, Disney’s insatiably curious mermaid, Luca is fascinated by the world above the water – but thanks to his mother’s (Maya Rudolph) fearful warnings, he’s also terrified by it. When a rebellious fellow sea monster named Arturo (Jack Dylan Grazer) throws Luca onto the beach, the hesitant young ocean dweller assumes human form and guiltily falls in love with life as a land lubber.

Luca is the latest feature film by Pixar, and it upholds the Disney studio’s reputation for animation. The village of Portorosso is lovingly rendered, with the golden charm that has led generations of tourists to fall in love with Italy. The ocean and sky are drawn with clarity and light, and few scenes are more magical than those where the two meet. Also well done are the transformations between human and sea monster as scales turn seamlessly into hair and skin and then back again.

As for the script, the quality is more variable. On the bright side, the humor is aimed straight at a young audience without the usual fart and butt jokes. On the downside, the story drags at times and doesn’t always have the magical feel that I expect from a Pixar film. That’s not to say that this is a bad film – it’s a fine choice for families – but Pixar has made such great films that “good” can feel like a bit of a letdown.

Luca is also good, if not great, in terms of negative content with the sole issue being a fair bit of plot related violence. Scenes of peril for sea monsters will upset sensitive kids, but are unlikely to be a problem for anyone else.

Thankfully, Luca is also awash in positive themes for viewers of all ages. The obvious one is an emphasis on not judging others based on the groups to which they belong. The villagers are terrified of sea monsters but once they get to know their aquatic neighbors, they learn to accept them. Young Luca learns about the wide world, and desperately longs to go to school, delivering an un-subtle message about the benefits of education. Arturo also gives Luca and young viewers a lesson about overcoming their fears (which he names “Bruno”) and yelling “Silenzio, Bruno” prior to doing frightening things. As long as this example encourages pushing through anxiety and not reckless risk-taking, it’s a great take-away from the film. With messages this strong, Luca could well be the catch of the day.

About author

Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for luca.

Luca Rating & Content Info

Why is Luca rated PG? Luca is rated PG by the MPAA for rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence

Violence: There are frequent scenes of peril involving sea monsters and humans with harpoons. There are several scenes involving fistfights with pushing and shoving included. A boy mentions the possible death of a lost fish. A fish spits out some small fish she has swallowed. A character makes vague reference to murders of sea monsters by humans. A youthful character is briefly frightened by someone dressed up as a deep sea diver. Boys have accidents with wheeled vehicles they have made. A character needs to be punched in the heart. A sea monster talks about whale carcasses floating around. Women hit boys with their purses. A man bullies children and tries to push one in a fountain. A man chops the heads off of fish. Sexual Content: None noted. Profanity: None noted. Alcohol / Drug Use: Boys are supercharged after drinking mugs of espresso.

Page last updated March 12, 2022

Luca Parents' Guide

Why are the villagers so afraid of sea monsters? Have any of them ever seen one? Have you ever heard frightening stories about people you have never met? Where do you think the stories come from? How can you find out if they are true?

Why does Luca run away from home? What motivates his parents’ behavior? How do you think they could have behaved differently to resolve their differences?

Ercole bullies Giulia and the boys relentlessly. Why does it take so long for the other kids and teenagers to stand up to him? What finally brings an end to his bullying? How can you help kids you know who are being bullied?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

A sea monster and a girl become friends in the picture book Lula and the Sea Monster by Alex Latimer.

Kids have an undersea adventure in A Crack in the Sea by H.M. Bouwman and Yuko Shmimizu. This story bring sea monsters in contact with a boy who can speak to fish and twins with magical powers.

A scary undersea creature frightens people in Thomas Taylor’s Malamander. With a mythical half man/half fish and a gothic atmosphere, this story can give fun frights to older elementary readers.

Related news about Luca

Coming to Disney+: June 2021

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preview for Disney and Pixar’s Luca – official trailer (Disney+)

Luca review: Pixar's new movie is a truly lovely and funny tale of friendship

Grab some gelato and enjoy.

It's not a typical summer holiday season for obvious reasons, so if you're not going away, you can visit the Italian Riviera from your own home thanks to Pixar's Luca .

The new original movie from the iconic animation studio has skipped cinemas in the majority of the world to become a Disney+ exclusive, like fellow Pixar offering Soul . However (again, like Soul ), don't take that as a slight on the quality of Luca as you'll wish you could see it on the big screen.

Director Enrico Casarosa and the incredible craft team behind Luca truly transport you to Italy with a timeless and heartfelt tale of friendship, one where you'll swear you can smell the sea air and taste the gelato.

Although since this is Pixar , if you're tasting some salt too, that'll probably be from the tears you're crying. (Happy tears at how lovely it all is, fortunately, we're not talking Toy Story 3 or Inside Out trauma here.)

jacob tremblay and jack dylan grazer, luca

Watch Luca on Disney+

By Pixar's standards, the setup for Luca is refreshingly simple as we follow Luca (Jacob Tremblay) on an unforgettable summer with his newfound best friend Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) in the fictional seaside town of Portorosso. That's it really, but it's not a criticism – it allows a focus on the characters that elevates the laughs and tears.

Luca and Alberto's summer isn't too different to one we'd all have experienced at some point in our childhood. Ours might have been at a Butlin's resort, rather than the Italian Riviera, but we've all made an instant best friend – the duo also meet Giulia (Emma Berman) to make it a trio – and tried to do as little as possible with our parents. We might even have taken part in a local competition, as Luca does.

There's a relatability to our own life in Luca , as there is in the best Pixar offerings. One big difference is that we probably weren't hanging out with sea monsters at Butlin's, although maybe they just transformed into a human as Luca and Alberto do. It adds a peril to their summer adventures, but conflict and darker moments are kept to a minimum.

A lot was made pre-release that Luca could be the first Pixar movie about gay characters, but as Casarosa said earlier this year, it's about friendship, not romantic relationships . For some, it could be seen as a missed opportunity in not making the movie an explicitly queer coming-of-age tale. You could definitely read into it that way, though, with Luca and Alberto being 'outsiders' who are unable to show their true selves.

Romance just isn't on the cards in Luca though, even when Giulia enters the picture and starts to show Luca the wonders of learning. Up until then, Alberto is Jay from the Inbetweeners without the sex references, sharing his false knowledge with Luca while being supremely confident he's right. It's his ego that's bruised when Giulia comes along, not his heart.

This slight friction leads to Luca 's most dramatic moment, but as with most of the conflict in the movie, it's swiftly resolved. Casarosa is more keen to just let us hang out with the trio and have fun, adding a delightful underdog sports movie vibe with their challenge to beat the villainous local bully Ercole (Saverio Raimondo) in the Portorosso Cup race.

emma berman, jacob tremblay and jack dylan grazer, luca

With its relatively straightforward plot, Luca relies on its characters to bring the laughs and the heart. There's a nice balance between the anxious Luca, the overconfident Alberto and the headstrong Giulia that makes you root for them, but you'll end up finding your favourite character in the colourful supporting cast.

Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan are excellent as Luca's parents Daniela and Lorenzo and get a hilarious subplot, while Sacha Baron Cohen brings a dose of weird as Uncle Ugo who lives in the deep and survives on "whale carcass". The standout though is Giulia's lovable father Massimo (Marco Barricelli) who instantly goes into the all-time list for best animated dads.

You think you know what you're getting with Massimo, but Casarosa delights in subverting your expectations. It's because of Massimo that the movie's overall message of acceptance lands so well, with a simple gesture in the finale that just tugs the heartstrings so hard. It doesn't hurt that he comes with a brilliant cat too.

That idea of subversion could also apply to the gorgeous animation of Luca, which is unlike other Pixar movies you've seen. We know the studio can deliver impeccable photorealistic worlds, but there's a hand-drawn, 2D quality to a lot of Luca 's world that adds character to the town of Portorosso, where even the water doesn't always splash the same way twice.

The style adds to the timeless feel of the movie as it evokes memories of classic Disney animations. Luca is inspired by Casarosa's childhood and this approach means there's a personal touch to the animation, where you can almost imagine the artist's fingerprints on it. You'll want to have soaked it all in on a cinema screen, but it's a beautiful world even on the small screen.

Luca 's story of friendship might be simple and predictable, but it's effectively done and told with a lot of heart. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll wish Portorosso was real so you could visit it one summer.

Luca is available to watch now on Disney+ .

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Pixar’s “Luca,” an Italian-set animated fairy tale concerning two young sea monsters exploring an unknown human world, offers the studio’s hallmark visual splendor, yet fails to venture outside of safe waters. After story artist credits on big-time Pixar titles like “ Ratatouille ” and “ Coco ,” “Luca” serves as Enrico Casarosa ’s first time in the director’s chair. Borrowing elements from “ Finding Nemo ” and “ The Little Mermaid ,” Casarosa’s film follows two young Italian sea “monsters,” Luca ( Jacob Tremblay ) and Alberto ( Jack Dylan Grazer ). The former spends his days shepherding the little fish populating his seabed village away from fishing boats. But at night, as he lies awake in his seaweed bed, he dreams of living on the surface.

Looming against his desires are his mother ( Maya Rudolph ) and father’s ( Jim Gaffigan ) fear from living by a human, sea-monster-hunting oceanfront village. Nevertheless, dry world affectations fall to the ocean floor: an alarm clock, a playing card, and a wrench. These items draw Luca closer to the surface. As does Alberto, an older, confident amphibian boy who now lives alone in a crumbling castle tower by the beach, and claims his father is temporarily traveling.

If you’re wondering how these creatures with fins, scales, and tails can could live on among humans without being discovered, writers Jesse Andrews (“ Me and Earl and the Dying Girl ”) and Mike Jones (“ Soul ”) have a tidy solution for that. Rather than an evil witch granting him a human appearance, a la “The Little Mermaid,” the sea monsters here can naturally, magically turn mortal. Their ability isn’t controllable, however, as touching water reverts their skin back to their real scaly exterior. But for Luca, such power dangles greater temptation over him.

Once on dry land, Alberto and Luca form a quick bond. They dream of buying a vespa and traveling the globe together. Their plans nearly come to a halt, however, when Luca’s frightful parents threaten to make him live his oddball Uncle Ugo ( Sacha Baron Cohen , essentially using his Borat voice in a fish) in the trenches. Instead, Luca runs away with Alberto to the town of Portorosso. There, they come across Giulia ( Emma Berman ), a red-headed, independently minded tomboy with dreams of winning the Portorosso cup—a traditional Italian triathlon consisting of swimming, cycling, and eating pasta—and her one-armed, burly father Massimo ( Marco Barricelli ). In a bid to earn enough money to buy a Vespa, the boys pair with Giulia to win the cup away from the evil five-time champion Ercole Visconti ( Saverio Raimondo ) and his goons while an entire town lays a bounty for sea monsters on their heads.

The most distinct current coursing through “Luca” is freedom: that’s certainly what the Vespa represents, the ability to be unrestricted not just by sea, but by land too. The other thread winding around the folklorish narrative, however, is identity, or the people who truly are behind our public faces. The villainous Ercole is initially and seemingly well-loved, as though ripped from an Italian magazine. We soon discover that his love, somewhat like Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast” (another Disney flick attuned to true identities) actually rules through intimidation. The measured eroding of his care-free, buoyant persona into the narrative’s real monster is predictable yet satisfying.

The premise of the film also literally disguises Luca and Alberto as humans amongst the fish hunting Portorosso community. But in a deeper sense, many secrets lurk within Alberto, from the whereabouts of his dad to his general knowledge. He portrays himself to Luca as a world-weary traveler, the kind of friend who swears they’ve been to a place a million times, but has only walked past it. He also tells the impressionable Luca how the stars are actually fish swimming in a vast black ocean, that school is unnecessary, and to ignore his “Bruno” (or the tiny scared voice inside your head). His outsized confidence papers over his clear insecurities, especially as Luca first grows closer to Giulia and later thinks for himself.

Similar to Ercole’s unsurprising turn to villainy, Alberto’s bubbling insecurities imbue the film’s second half with an air of fait accompli and drag the initial animated delight to the deep depths of boredom. Why do another narrative about a girl stuck in the middle of two best friends? Why cast Giulia’s rich arc, a competitive girl pitched as an outsider, to the back seat? Without exploring her narrative, the primary story flows through the motions. And the ending, meant to recover some of her spark, only serves to tether her importance to the two boys. That is, the guys win, but really, we all win.

“Luca” certainly isn’t without its charms. A visual splendor of blue and orange lighting blankets over the seaside setting, giving the sense that if I were to merely hug the screen it would warm me for days. Minute bits also land, like the fish that make sheep sounds, and the hilarious ways Luca’s mother and father careen through the town trying to find their son, throwing random children in the water. And Dan Rohmer’s propulsive, waltzy score recalls the fairytale vibes he breathed in “ Beasts of the Southern Wild ” on tracks like “ Once There Was A Hushpuppy .” But “Luca” retreads too much well-cultivated ground and reworks so many achingly familiar tropes as its best qualities sink to a murky bottom. While some material may hit with younger audiences, “Luca” makes for Pixar’s least enchanting, least special film yet.

Available on June 18 on Disney+.

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels is an Associate Editor at RogerEbert.com. Based in Chicago, he is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and Critics Choice Association (CCA) and regularly contributes to the New York Times , IndieWire , and Screen Daily . He has covered film festivals ranging from Cannes to Sundance to Toronto. He has also written for the Criterion Collection, the Los Angeles Times , and Rolling Stone about Black American pop culture and issues of representation.

Jacob Tremblay as Luca Paguro (voice)
Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto Scorfano (voice)
Emma Berman as Giulia Marcovaldo (voice)
Maya Rudolph as Daniela Paguro (voice)
Jim Gaffigan as Lorenzo Paguro (voice)
Marco Barricelli as Massimo Marcovaldo (voice)
Saverio Raimondo as Ercole Visconti (voice)
Sandy Martin as Grandma Paguro (voice)
Catherine Apple
Jason Hudak

Cinematographer

David Juan Bianchi
Enrico Casarosa
Jesse Andrews

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Luca First Reviews: Decidedly Small-Scale Pixar, but a Triumph Nonetheless

Critics say pixar's latest plays it safer than usual, but it still boasts the spectacular visuals, moving story, and important themes we've come to expect..

TAGGED AS: Disney , Disney Plus , Film , films , movies , Pixar

Pixar is such a quality brand that even its “lesser” products prove to be essential for fans of their animated output. The studio’s latest feature, Luca , is arguably on that lower tier, according to critics — not among Pixar’s best but still better than most alternatives — hence the high Tomatometer score we’ve come to expect, even if there isn’t quite as much of the excitement we usually find in the reviews themselves. Some critics think that it’s too basic, while others believe its lack of complexity is a good thing. And some critics trust that there’s more to the movie than what’s on the surface and it requires repeat viewings to properly appreciate it. Fortunately for anyone hoping to find out, Luca can be watched over and over on Disney+ starting this Friday, June 18.

Here’s what critics are saying about Pixar’s Luca :

How does it compare to other Pixar movies?

Luca leans far lighter in tone and effect, but it’s no less memorable. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

Luca is easily Pixar’s most intimate and laidback effort since Ratatouille. – Keith Watson, Slant Magazine

The last fifteen minutes of Luca might go down as one of the best endings Pixar has ever produced. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

This might be Pixar’s most childlike and cartoony offering. – Brian Roan, The Film Stage

More of The Good Dinosaur or Onward level for me, Luca doesn’t quite reach the potential that I have grown to expect from Pixar. – Christie Cronan, Raising Whasians

While some material may hit with younger audiences, Luca makes for Pixar’s least enchanting, least special film yet. – Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com

(Photo by Pixar)

Is it just a simpler Pixar movie than we’re used to?

Luca is nowhere near as complex or deep as other Pixar fare and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. – Doug Jamieson, The Jam Report

All the more satisfying for its simplicity… the rare Pixar movie that doesn’t feel like it’s been thought to death. – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

It is rigorously unphilosophical in a way that proves to be its greatest strength. – Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

By going back to basics, we get a real connection with these characters. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

Luca has the look and feel of a more disposable flick, but that’s just on the surface. Beneath, it has the beating heart of a classic family tale in the making. – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

Luca never quite rises beyond being adorable — and hey, these days, adorable is fine —there’s something that just isn’t there. – Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

How are the visuals?

The real magic of Luca is its visuals… The richness of the settings in both realms is a constant source of pleasure. – David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

Looking like a hand-drawn fairy tale book come to animated life, Luca has a captivating visual style with every detail popping. – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

The gorgeous animation of Luca … is unlike other Pixar movies you’ve seen. – Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

It’s been a while since they’ve done anything visually distinct and felt vastly different from the rest of their fare. Thankfully, Luca is that breath of fresh air. – Rendy Jones, Rendy Reviews

Pixar’s Luca is proof once again that cartoon movies keep getting better and better with the technology. – Christie Cronan, Raising Whasians

(Photo by )

Does it bring on the usual waterworks?

For much of this film, you’ll be thinking Luca will be one of the rare Pixar movies not to make you cry. But… [it] may just leave you in a puddle of tears. – Doug Jamieson, The Jam Report

Yeah, it’s cliched to say “I got misty-eyed in a Pixar movie,” but damn by the way they invest you with the friendship, it’s difficult not to find yourself feeling all warm and fuzzy. – Rendy Jones, Rendy Reviews

Happy tears at how lovely it all is, fortunately, we’re not talking Toy Story 3 or Inside Out trauma here. – Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

I watched twice and no Inside Out or Up equivalent eye watering… Luca misses the Pixar emotional pull for me. – Christie Cronan, Raising Whasians

Are the characters memorable ?

Giulia’s lovable father Massimo, who instantly goes into the all-time list for best animated dads. – Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy

A translucent anglerfish who Sacha Baron Cohen turns into one of Pixar’s funniest characters in less than two minutes of screen time. – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

As always, the Pixar magicians create a wonderfully populated world: I particularly enjoyed the cat character, who stares fixedly as only cats can. – Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

How is the screenplay?

With all of its wit and perfectly interwoven story threads and running gags, [the script] bears all the hallmarks of the best of Pixar’s story trust. – Brian Roan, The Film Stage

The script… like all the best Pixar movies, laces touching life lessons and delicate helpings of sentiment into what’s essentially a caper. – David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

Why do another narrative about a girl stuck in the middle of two best friends?… The primary story flows through the motions. – Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com

Unfortunately, there’s also an episodic, shaggy-dog quality to the plotting that undercuts Luca’ s emotional beats. – Keith Watson, Slant Magazine

Are its themes up for interpretation ?

This really is a metaphorical film. The sea monsters could be any of us who feel different. Maybe they’re a metaphor for the LGBTQ community. – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

It’s the kind of metaphor that could be applied to a hundred different situations, but there’s an inherently queer subtext bubbling beneath the surface. – Doug Jamieson, The Jam Report

Very relatable for anyone who is within the LGBTQ+ community… [and also] works for a universal audience who may not identify as LGBTQ+ but can relate to someone who is. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

[It] serves as a kind of all-purpose allegory, where audiences are free to narrow in on its queer subtext, its rebuke of xenophobia, or its triumph against any facet of small-mindedness. – Clarisse Loughrey, Independent

Its themes of coming-of-age resemble too much of Pixar’s existing catalog — and without a narrative that really makes these themes feel fresh. – Nicole Clark, IGN Movies

It never settles on exactly what it wants to say… It never makes a cohesive, powerful point. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

Who is Luca ultimately for?

While Disney and Pixar’s Luca is fun for the whole family, there are some very important messages for children laced throughout the film. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

Luca is entertainment for all ages as its bright colors and fast-moving action will appeal to the kids while the humor and themes should speak to older viewers. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

While there are a few moments that may be a little tense for younger kids… I recommend Pixar’s Luca for kids as young as 5-6 years old. – Christie Cronan, Raising Whasians

Will it remind us of any other films ?

Luca is the closest that Pixar has ever come to capturing the ineffable spirit of a Studio Ghibli film. – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

The smooth, rounded character designs are something more akin to the stop-motion work of Aardman Animations. – Doug Jamieson, The Jam Report

There are obvious shades of The Little Mermaid in this fairy tale-like story… but Luca plays like a deliberate inversion of that Disney classic. – Keith Watson, Slant Magazine

Luca is The Little Mermaid without the heart, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs without the laughs. – Roger Moore, Movie Nation

Is it rewatchable?

Expect to visit this destination more than once. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

Since it’s so dense and layered, my guess is it’ll only improve, solidify and blossom with multiple viewings… I do want to watch it again. – Germain Lussier, io9.com

It’s also so fabulously summery that you shouldn’t be surprised if you return to it over and over for that sunny feeling. – Deirdre Molumby, entertainment.ie

Will Luca leave us hopeful for Pixar’s future ?

Luca should be the model going forward for Pixar, with character driving entertaining stories instead of big concepts that fail to execute and leave you feeling hollow by the end (looking at you Soul ). – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

[It] hopefully anticipates how the monolithic animation house will continue to create more intimate fare now that it can use Disney+ as a safety net. – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

Luca releases in theaters and streams on Disney+ on June 18, 2021.

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Luca review: Pixar film is a sweet Italian passport

Luca (streaming on Disney+ today) is small-fry Pixar, a sunny Mediterranean trifle set in a postcard Italian village by the sea. But it's a winning one, too: the tenderhearted tale of a blue-gilled fish-boy who dreams of dry land, and all the things that human boys there get to do. (Ride Vespas, eat gelato, go to school.)

All his young life, Luca (voiced by Good Boys ' Jacob Tremblay ) has been taught by his wary parents (Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan) to fear the tail-less, two-legged beasts who live above the surface. But curiosity keeps pulling him toward the shore — and a bold fellow fish-boy named Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) gladly drags him the rest of the way. Alberto is a classic Huck Finn type, a freckled swashbuckler and cheerful fount of misinformation. (What are those twinkling lights in the sky? Anchovies! How does gravity work? Walk off that cliff and find out!)

Both boys are entranced by motorbike ads torn from magazines, and soon their attempts to build their own lead them into the nearest town, where the preening local bully (Giacomo Gianniotti) scoffs at their desire to win the annual Portorosso Cup — an extremely Italian triathlon involving a swim race, a pasta-eating contest, and a bicycle route. But the pair find at least a temporary home when a scrappy little girl named Giulia (Emma Berman), who lives nearby with her kindly fisherman father, takes them both in as de facto foster brothers and fellow teammates in the race.

While the boys happily plunge into their new lives above the waterline, they also have to caution against getting wet: Every passing rainstorm or backsplash from a boat means exposing their true fishy nature to the townspeople — including Giulia's boulder-sized dad — who have learned to fear and loathe the sea monsters they've always suspected are lurking offshore, even if they've never found conclusive proof.

Luca's parents, too, won't let their son go lightly; they'll take human form to find him if they have to, and their plan is to send him down to the safety of his uncle (a great, way-too-brief Sacha Baron Cohen cameo) in the deepest trenches of the ocean, where's there's nothing to do but passively inhale whale carcass all day. If they can catch up to him before the race, there will be no Vespa, no land friends, no more learning about astronomy and cats and pesto.

That's truly about all there is to the plot, but Italian-born director Enrico Casarosa, a longtime staffer at Pixar, infuses every frame with a pure kind of love for his home country (he's pretty much the best tourism-board proxy since Luca Guadagnino exported Call Me By Your Name ). The story's bright swirl of Pixar pixie dust, jangle soundtrack, and gentle lessons on accepting otherness and learning to move past fear feel like a temporary passport: a sweetly soulful all-ages dip in la dolce vita. Grade: B+

Luca Movie Review & Summary: A Pleasant Little Tale Of Friendship

Luca is a coming of age Pixar Animated Movie. It revolves around a boy trying to explore the world with his friend Alberto by his side.

Luca Movie Plot

Luca revolves around a sea creature who yearns to explore the world of land after having spent the better part of his childhood in sea. However the creatures on land aren’t particularly fond of these “Sea Monsters”. So when he wanders into this world, he is in for a world of adventure.

Luca Movie Cast

Jacob Tremblay as Luca
Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto
Emma Berman as Giulia

Luca Movie Review

Luca is all kinds of fun, indeed. While I have been wanting them to really dig into the lore aspects of animation and churn something super original like Coco, Luca is still a worthy contender which tickles your emotions and makes you smile.

As I have said before, Animated movies have sort of fallen into the formulaic aspect of it all, and yes, Luca feels formulaic and the same old story progression or Disney and Pixar movies have been relying upon for all these years, but again, it works and majorly appeals to the audience that it targets (including me), so who am I to say anything. Luca is a world inhabited by Sea Monsters and Humans, so the dynamic of fear is mutual and each one of them is afraid that the other one’s going to hunt them.

Luca (Voiced by Jacob Tremblay) has spent his early childhood beneath the seas and like any other person who has never explored the world, he is curious, enthusiastic and yearning to go into the light of the sun and ride on a Vespa. This yearning for Vespa actually comes from one of the sea scavenger he meets while chasing a gramophone.

Alberto (Voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer) is an experienced land animal, by that I mean, he has no problem going in and out of water anytime he feels like, and he even has a house on a broken tower on the land. So this friendship nurtures as they wander on land in search of adventures and, more importantly, a shining Vespa. A Vespa which could transport them to any part of this world and let them explore each and every nook and corner, without anyone keeping them in a cage.

Luca Movie: Simple Yet Effective

Luca has very booklike animation if that makes any sense, its somewhat detailed but in order to bring the magical beauty out of the seaside of Italian Riviera, it presents the waters and the sun in their most basic and pure forms. The scope for world-building isn’t the priority in this setting and it doesn’t need to go to extreme details in its animation like Coco needed.

With its simplistic story, it prioritizes a friendship and their relationship and the tropical waters of Italy look unbelievably pleasant. They basically transported me into a little vacation of my own, behind my Laptop. I know, that’s just sad. But yeah, the animation is subtle and without trying too many new things, concepts and themes, it elevates the beauty of the world.

The friendship between Luca and Alberto is the main focus of the plot and it’s pretty amazing how both the voice actors do a tremendous job in bringing out the emotions. For Luca, he has always been scared. The whole plot has milestones which he needs to achieve, like getting out of the water, making friends, going into the feared “People Town”.

Alberto on the other hand, is a complete contrast of Luca. He never second guesses anything that he does, no matter how ridiculously wild or dangerous it is. He lets the nature judge the consequences for him. And this heartwarming blend of Caring too much and Not Caring at all, gives birth to this amazing friendship.

Both of them have their own sorrows and as we move ahead we discover certain depths of these protagonists, and they ultimately revolt that flame of an undying friendship. And yes, it makes one emotional to the core, because every good Animated movie has to make you cry now. It has become a rule for the studios, but one thing I can be sure about is that those tears are more often than not, always of Joy.

The world, despite all of it’s beauty does fall a bit shallow perhaps. The characters are nice and the main antagonist, is nothing but a goofy bully who thinks everyone loves him. But leaving that aside, it becomes really Linear and straightforward, especially when the same concept and progression has been repeatedly used in so many movies now. After all these years and all this time of watching these movies, linear progressions are hardly surprising anymore. They don’t make you go, ‘Ha!’ in excitement and giddy optimism and that is also a testament of somewhat weak worldbuilding that movies like Pixar’s Luca, fall prey to.

The climax was a tear jerker but it also felt like the circumstances were forcing it to be one. There were some farewells which felt like they were there just to get the audience a bit more teary eyed. Luca could have had an ending where there aren’t any particular farewells and frankly, I would have been alright with that, but forcing a weird scenario just to separate people isn’t the best way to go about it in my opinion.

Maybe the writers could have crafted a better reason or maybe they should have just left. But coming back to what I said, it isn’t a good animated movie if it doesn’t make you cry.

Luca is gorgeous and the relationship of Luca and Alberto triumphs in this ride. It does nothing new, but for both, the audience which is accustomed to Pixar Movies and the audience whose first animated movie is going to be Luca, there is a lot to like in it for everyone. It’s more than worth it to experience it for the light hearted, sweet natured flick it is, and even when my heart craves for something deeper, I had an absolute blast watching Luca.

Luca Movie Critical Reception

Luca stands at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes with the Consensus being, “Slight but suffused with infectious joy, the beguiling Luca proves Pixar can play it safe while still charming audiences of all ages.” It has a Metascore of 71.

The Movie Culture Synopsis

Luca is Pixar going light and hearty at the same time. It is sure to bring a smile on your face and you witness this heartwarming friendship unfold. It isn’t anything out of the ordinary though, for the better or the worse.

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'Luca' Review: Pixar's best since 'Coco'

Pixar's newest original film 'luca' offers a powerful coming-of-age adventure..

Luca and his friend in Alberto in Pixar's "Luca".

What to Watch Verdict

'Luca' is the best film Pixar has released in a few years, and establishes director Enrico Casarosa as a formidable part of the studio's next phase.

The sweet and tender tone of the story

The happily low-stakes adventure driving the action

The Italian-infused soundtrack

The Aardman Animations-esque character design

Only being able to stream the film on Disney+ is a letdown

Some of the film's elements recall many other Pixar films

At heart, just about every Pixar film is about the value and necessity of friendship. From the rivalry-turned-bro-down of Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear to the strange connection between Carl Fredricksen and an eight-year old Wilderness Explorer, Pixar films have explored friendship in vastly different ways through over 25 years of films. So in some ways, their latest original film Luca sets out to walk a very familiar path with its core relationships. But this film is surprisingly tender and sweet, an endearingly low-stakes story that's all the more real and keenly felt in spite of two of its lead characters being walking, talking, swimming sea monsters living off the coast of Italy.

Luca is the name of our lead, a shy but curious young sea monster voiced by Jacob Tremblay. Luca and his family are, like the “land monsters” they’re sometimes terrified of, Italian. His family's proud of living underwater. But Luca is in desperate need of a true friend and the opportunity to do anything new, and when he encounters the outwardly confident Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer of It ) floating around in a deep-sea diving suit, he’s compelled to follow his new pal above the surface of the water. There, he’s surprised to learn that he, and any sea monster like him, transforms into a human...as long as he’s not wet. Luca and Alberto both share a dream of traveling beyond their underwater homes, and their growing friendship becomes the foundation for a summertime-set exploration of the human world.

Pixar films don’t often have world-ending stakes -- it’s not like Marvel movies where every human life is often at stake in one way or another. But something about the mission on which Luca and Alberto embark -- wherein they team up with a human girl to win the Portorosso Cup, a triathlon in the small village overlooking their watery home, in hopes of winning a Vespa -- is charming in exactly how minimalistic it feels. The story, credited to Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, feels as small-stakes as that of the 2011 short La Luna , whose director Enrico Casarosa has now made his feature debut with this film. Luca isn’t about anything more than two friends testing the boundaries of their relationship and growing stronger in the process, which is both extremely relatable and a welcome shift from films that seem steeped in death, such as Soul and Onward .

Luca and Alberto in the village of Portorosso in

But Luca doesn’t need to be about anything else. As a coming-of-age story, it stands out far more than some other recent Pixar entries, and has the distinct sense of having been inspired by Casarosa’s own childhood. Fans of La Luna may also recognize some similarities in the Aardman Animations-inspired character design -- Luca, when he’s human, looks much like a slightly older version of that short’s lead, and a gruff one-armed fisherman in the village of Portorosso has the same bushy-eyebrowed look of the father from the same short. Luca wears its cultural inspirations on its sleeve, but without ever feeling like a cut-rate ripoff. Some of the inspirations are obvious enough for anyone with a healthy enough awareness of animation -- Portorosso is no doubt named in homage to Hayao Miyazaki’s excellent animated film Porco Rosso (itself set in Italy), and a good deal of the human/sea monster connection recalls Miyazaki’s Ponyo .

The magic of this movie is that it transcends formula. The ingredients of a Pixar animated feature are all quite evident here, yet Luca is fresher, more vibrant, and more heartfelt than recent stories from the studio that either dredge up unnecessary sequels to excellent early films in the studio’s history or seem to be marking off boxes from a checklist. And unlike Soul , a heady entry that failed to effectively grapple with the race of its lead character, Luca is distinctly a film the whole family can enjoy, with a greater emphasis on the younger set.

In the early advertisements, much was made online about how the relationship between Luca and Alberto was reminiscent of a gay romance such as Call Me By Your Name . (This film’s lead sharing a first name with the director of that romance only helped the connections.) Though Casarosa has been quick to clarify that the friendship is intended to be platonic, it’s equally easy to see subtextual allusions to the way each of them needs the other being deeper and more profound than simple friends. The same goes for a key moment near the end when a local bully decries Luca and Alberto, simply for being different. On the surface, that comment is simply about Luca and Alberto being sea monsters. But if you’re looking for something beneath the surface, it’s there in the film, not just the marketing.

Romantic or not, Luca is a lovely ode to the power of friendship. Luca and Alberto do fit the mismatched-buddy archetype now standard in Pixar’s films, but they break out of those same molds thanks not only to the great voice work from both Tremblay and Grazer, but because the script and direction treat them as truly three-dimensionally emotional characters. Luca is, putting it simply, the best film Pixar Animation Studios has made since Coco , if not surpassing that one as well. It’s a genuine shame that such a beautifully animated and richly emotional film won’t be available to see on the big screen. The good news is that it’s going straight to Disney+ without a premium upcharge. But frankly? Luca would be worth the upcharge. It’s a perfect summer story.

Josh Spiegel is a freelance cultural critic who has been published in Slashfilm, SyFy, ScreenCrush, The A.V. Club, The Hollywood Reporter, The Washington Post and others. His favorite films include Singin’ in the Rain , The Rocketeer , Pinocchio and A Matter of Life and Death. His favorite TV shows include Ted Lasso , Only Murders in the Building , Deadwood and Lost . He lives in Phoenix with his wife, two sons and too many cats.

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Pixar's Luca Is a Sweet Summer Flick, but Here's What to Know Before Watching With Kids

LUCA, from left: Alberto, Luca, 2021. Disney /Courtesy Everett Collection

Disney Pixar's latest feature film, Luca — which was released straight to Disney+ — is a sweet coming-of-age story about a young boy and his newfound best friend who spend a summer having adventures on the Italian Riviera. But they have a pretty big secret: they're both sea monsters who live below the island, and can only take on their human form when dry. It's a fun and entertaining story that has so many lessons weaved in about friendship, acceptance, fitting in, and overcoming your fears; but there are definitely a few other elements you may want to know about before watching with your young children.

Before you have a family movie night with your little ones, read on to see the notes we had while watching Luca , which is now streaming on Disney+ .

What to Know Before Watching Luca With Your Kids

Luca and his friend Alberto are constantly in danger. Whether Alberto is throwing himself off a tall structure to "test gravity" or the boys are facing a situation in which water is involved, thus threatening to expose their true identities to the fishing town, there's a fair amount of peril. However, everything is fleeting, and the duo always manage to come up with a (usually hilarious) way to protect themselves.
Luca and his friends are bullied. Luca and Alberto's human friend, Giulia, is introduced while being bullied by an older boy. The same character continues to torment all three kids throughout the film, putting them down, making fun of them, and telling them that they're not good enough. This same character turns out to be a huge proponent of spearing spotted sea monsters, so he also technically threatens Luca and Alberto without knowing they're the sea creatures he's hunting.
Luca betrays Alberto. Luca largely centers on friendship and how to be a good pal, but Luca and Alberto definitely go through some rough patches inspired by jealousy. There's a fight between them at one point, and later, Luca betrays Alberto in a truly jaw-dropping moment. There's nothing to really "look out for" here, but if you're watching with young kids who are developing their own friendships, some of this is worth noting as an aside.
There isn't much representation. All of the characters in this movie are white, so as far as racial diversity, there isn't any. Giulia's dad, however, has a limb difference.
Luca disobeys his parents in pursuit of his dreams. Despite them warning Luca not to go above the surface, he continuously defies his well-meaning parents. However, we also find that their sheltering of him was hindering his potential, so there's a lot to be learned from both perspectives. Again, not really anything to look out for, but Luca's behavior and choices could be worth debriefing with your own young kids.
There's a fair bit of untranslated Italian. Throughout the film, the characters often use Italian expressions and phrases, and 99 percent of them go untranslated. It's not a huge deal and doesn't take away from the story, but as someone who does speak Italian and caught each little quip, it's a shame to not see subtitles so that everyone can understand and enjoy each line.
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What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Male merman creature tries to steal some items, grandmother lies about her grandson’s whereabouts when he comes home late one night, teenage boy has been abandoned by his father, boy disses his friend, but the two reconcile, and man has an arm tattoo.

More Detail:

Pixar’s new animated comedy, LUCA, is about a young teenage boy who visits a beautiful seaside Italian town with his newfound friend, but all their fun is threatened by a deep secret: they are both sea monsters from another world just below the ocean’s surface. Instead of movie theaters, Disney decided to release LUCA for free on its Disney+ streaming service. LUCA isn’t as spectacular a production as the best of Pixar’s animated classics, but it’s a perfectly delightful, heartwarming, funny family movie with appealing characters where friendship overcomes prejudice and sinful pride.

The movie opens on a small boat at night on the ocean, where two Italian fishermen discuss fairy tales about sea monsters. They’re fishing near a small, isolated island where, legend has it, the sea monsters live. One of the men winds up an old Victrola phonograph to play a beautiful aria. Luca, a young teenage sea monster, startles the two men when he tries to take some things on the boat, including a wrench and a playing card. Everybody gets scared, Luca accidentally gets caught in the fishermen’s net for a moment, and the record player tumbles into the ocean.

Luca goes back to his family’s house under the sea, where he’s the shepherd for a school of small fish they tend. His mother warns him about going near the surface where the deadly land monsters live. “The curious fish get caught!” she says.

Despite his mother’s admonition, Luca becomes curious about the objects he tried to steal from the boat the night before, which have landed near the seaweed field the family’s fish like to eat. In the nearby distance, Luca spies the little Victrola record player that fell overboard. He swims over to the Victrola to inspect it, but behind him a man in an old-fashioned diving suit and helmet comes up and says boo. Luca cowers, but the man approaches him and takes off his helmet, and it turns out he’s just a young teenage sea monster like Luca. The boy starts talking while he puts some of the human objects on the ocean floor into a bag. The boy accidentally takes Luca’s shepherd’s staff and swims away, but Luca swims after him. The boy swims to the isolated island and uses the staff to pull Luca onto the beach. Immediately, Luca starts to change into a human boy, as does the new boy.

Luca finds out that the new boy, whose name is Alberto, has been living on the island as a human by for a long time. Alberto lives in the ruins of an old lighthouse at the top of the hill that comprises the island. He collects things from the land monsters that have fallen into the ocean. Luca discovers how to get the Victrola started, then notices that Alberto has a poster of a red Vespa motor scooter. Alberto tells Luca the Vespa is the greatest thing the land monsters have invented and will take a person anywhere in the “stinking world” you want to go. The ad says that, “Vespa is freedom.”

Luca looks around the room at all the junk Alberto has collected. He asks, “Are you gonna make one? It looks like you have all the parts.”

Alberto says sure, why not, and the two boys begin building their own Vespa, but without the motor of course. They keep building scooters to ride down the hill on the island and into the ocean. One day, however, Luca falls asleep. He rushes home where he learns that his parents have discovered he’s been visiting the land. They want to send Luca away to live in the deep ocean with his Uncle Ugo, but Luca runs away.

He and Alberto decide to pose as human land monsters in the nearby town, called Portorossa. They figure that’s the only place they can get a real Vespa to travel the world.

In the town, however, they run afoul of the local bully, an older teenager named Ercole, who owns a fancy red Vespa. Luca is saved from getting a dunking in the town fountain from Ercole by a young teenage girl named Giulia. From her, they learn that Ercole is not only town bully, he’s also the perennial winner of the town’s annual triathlon race of swimming, bicycling and eating a large plate of pasta. When they learn the winner of the race will also receive some prize money, Luca and Alberto decide to enter the race and win it so they can buy their own Vespa. They convince Giulia to run the race with them. She can do the swimming, Alberto can eat the pasta, and Luca can ride the bicycle.

Alberto and Luca’s plans hit a couple snags when Luca’s parents come looking for him, and Alberto becomes jealous of Luca’s friendship with Giulia.

Though not as spectacular and masterful as Pixar’s best movies, LUCA is a breezy, funny, heartwarming animated adventure. Ercole, the town bully, is a totally conceited, selfish boy who thinks he’s God’s gift to the world. Meanwhile, Alberto and Luca are in danger of being killed by the townspeople if their true identities as sea monsters are discovered. Ultimately, however, Alberto and Luca’s friendship, and the friendship they develop with Giulia and her father, overcomes the town’s prejudice and Ercole’s selfish pride.

Some people are reading the story of LUCA as an LGBT allegory where two boys have to hide their secret identity from the world to protect themselves from danger. It’s possible, we suppose, to read the movie that way. However, there’s nothing salacious in the movie’s content supporting this interpretation, unlike the three homosexual and cross-dressing scenes in Disney’s live action remake of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Review: ‘Luca’ is Pixar, Italian style — and one of the studio’s loveliest movies in years

Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) in a scene from the Pixar movie "Luca."

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The key theme of “Luca,” Pixar’s funny and enchanting new feature, is the acquisition of knowledge — and the realization of how liberating, if painful, that knowledge can be. The charming insight of this movie, directed by Enrico Casarosa from a script by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, is that nearly everyone has something to learn. Luca (Jacob Tremblay), a kid who finds himself in a strange new land, must master its mystifying rules and traditions to survive. He has an impetuous friend, Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), whose know-it-all swagger is something of a put-on: Like Luca, he’s lonely and adrift in a world that turns out to be bigger, scarier and more wondrous than either of them could have imagined.

For their part, the animators at Pixar have imagined that world with customary ingenuity and bright-hued splendor, which makes it something of a shame that most audiences will have to watch the movie on Disney+. (It’s playing an exclusive June 18-24 engagement at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.) The filmmakers’ most exquisite visual creation here is Portorosso, a fictional village on the Italian Riviera presumably not far from Genoa, Casarosa’s birth city, which inspired his 2011 Pixar short, “La Luna.” In the director’s hands, Portorosso plays host to a parade of well-worn but lovingly deployed cultural clichés. The townsfolk navigate the sloped, cobblestoned streets on bicycles and Vespas and enjoy a diet of gelato, pasta and seafood. And speaking of seafood: The fishermen who trawl the surrounding waters always do so with harpoons at the ready, lest they encounter one of the fearsome sea monsters rumored to dwell just offshore.

The movie confirms and debunks those rumors in the opening minutes, plunging beneath the surface and into a neighborhood of underwater dwellers whose webbed and scaly humanoid bodies might well seem fearsome at first glance. But within seconds of meeting Luca — whose natural curiosity spurs varying degrees of protectiveness from his worried mom (Maya Rudolph), absent-minded dad (Jim Gaffigan) and slyly antiauthorian grandma (Sandy Martin) — it’s clear that there’s nothing remotely monstrous about him or the mildly cloying, sometimes hilarious family sitcom he initially seems to be inhabiting.

Alberto and Luca explore a cave in the Pixar movie "Luca."

Fortunately, “Luca” enters brighter, bolder territory at precisely the moment Luca himself does. In a scene that brings to mind Pinocchio experiencing his first moments of sentience or Ariel testing out her new legs, Luca swims to the surface and discovers a world of wonderment, including the wonderment of his own body. Outside his aquatic habitat, his scales, fins and tail magically vanish and he takes on human form. Every sea creature like him possesses these adaptive powers of disguise, including his new buddy, Alberto, who’s been living above the surface for a while and gives Luca a crash course on ambulatory movement, direct sunlight and other dry-land phenomena.

That makes “Luca” a fish-out-of-water comedy in the most literal sense, governed in the classic Pixar tradition by whimsical yet rigorously observed ground rules. A splash of water will temporarily restore Luca and Alberto (or parts of them) to their underwater forms — a shapeshifting conceit that allows for a lot of deftly timed, seamlessly visualized slapstick mischief. Early on, at least, the two friends have little to fear as they run around a deserted isle, basking in the sunshine and dreaming of future adventures on the open road. Only when their curiosity gets the better of them do they muster the courage to sneak into Portorosso, risking exposure and even death at the hands of locals who are more sea-fearing than seafaring.

Various farcical complications ensue, some of them cutely contrived but all of them deftly worked out, and enacted by a winning array of supporting players. These include a gruff but hospitable fisherman, Massimo (Marco Barricelli), and his plucky young daughter, Giulia (Emma Berman), who persuades Luca and Alberto to join her team in the local triathlon. That contest, whose events include swimming, biking and (of course) pasta eating, provides “Luca” with a conventionally sturdy narrative structure and an eminently hissable villain named Ercole (Saverio Raimondo).

Ercole’s last name is Visconti, one of countless movie allusions the filmmakers have tucked into the margins of the frame, most of which — the town’s sly nod to Hayao Miyazaki’s “Porco Rosso” aside — will prove catnip for lovers of Italian cinema in particular. There’s a boat named Gelsomina , a likeness of Marcello Mastroianni and a whole subplot devoted to fetishizing the Vespa, burnishing a vehicular-cinematic legacy that already includes “Roman Holiday” and “La Dolce Vita.” And those are just the explicit, deliberate references. When the trailer for “Luca” dropped months ago, more than a few wondered if Pixar had made a stealth PG-rated riff on “Call Me by Your Name,” Luca (!) Guadagnino’s drama about the pleasures of first love and the lush Italian countryside.

Luca and Alberto visit a town on the Italian Riviera in the movie "Luca."

They have and they haven’t. Like most kid-centric studio animation, “Luca” has little time for romance and no room for sexuality. Luca and Alberto’s bond, though full of intense feeling and subject to darker undercurrents of jealousy and betrayal, is as platonic (if not quite as memorably cheeky) as the odd-couple pairings of Buzz and Woody, Marlin and Dory. And yet the specific implications of Luca and Alberto’s journey, which forces them to hide their true identities from a world that fears and condemns any kind of otherness, are as clear as water — too clear, really, even to be classified as subtext. “Luca” is about the thrill and the difficulty of living transparently — and the consolations that friendship, kindness and decency can provide against the forces of ignorance and violence.

Liberating oneself from those forces is a matter of individual and collective responsibility, and “Luca” is nuanced enough to understand that everyone shoulders that responsibility differently. Luca’s mom and dad, voiced by Rudolph and Gaffigan as lovably bumbling helicopter parents, must let go and loosen up, but their instinctive caution is hardly misplaced. Alberto’s stubborn devil-may-care attitude offers an admirable corrective, but that fearlessness is shown to mask a deeper sort of denial, an insularity that refuses to consider the full scope of the world’s possibilities. What makes Luca this story’s namesake hero is that he’s able to absorb the best of what his friends and family pour into him; though small and lean (and sometimes blue and green), he stands at the point where their best instincts and deepest desires converge.

By the same token, “Luca” the movie may look slight or modest compared with its more extravagant Pixar forebears; certainly it lacks the grand metaphysical ambitions of the Oscar-winning “Soul” (whose director, Pete Docter, is an executive producer here). But that may explain why it ultimately feels like the defter, more surefooted film, and one whose subtle depths and lingering emotions belie the diminished platform to which it’s essentially been relegated. “Luca” is big in all the ways that count; it’s the screens that got small.

Rated: PG, for rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Playing: Starts June 18, El Capitan, Hollywood; also on Disney+

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Justin Chang was a film critic for the Los Angeles Times from 2016 to 2024. He won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in criticism for work published in 2023. Chang is the author of the book “FilmCraft: Editing” and serves as chair of the National Society of Film Critics and secretary of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn.

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Luca (2021) Review

SILENZIO BRUNO!

Pixar Studios has become the premiere powerhouse animated studio for nearly the past twenty-five years; producing some of the more memorable and beloved animated feature films that have seeing a theatrical release. While other studios have indeed produced hits (i.e. DreamWorks, Illumination Entertainment, Blu Sky, Warner Bros Animation, etc.), Pixar, a subsidiary company underneath the Walt Disney Studios banner, has capitalized on being the leading studio of children’s animated feature films; utilizing the bright and color world of cartoon storytelling to be made for the young audience, but finds a way into the hearts of older viewers; sparking strong themes of family, childhood, love, life, and difference of opinions. Some of their films, including Toy Story , Finding Nemo , Monsters Inc , Up , Inside Out , and Coco have certainly demonstrated this notion as well as strong family friendly films of quality stock such as Cars and The Incredibles . Now, following the Award-winning success of 2020’s Soul , Pixar Animation Studios (as well as Walt Disney Studios) and director Enrico Casarosa present their 24 th animated feature with the movie titled Luca. Does this latest film stand tall and proud in Pixar’s illustrious animated library or does it fail to meet the high standards from the studio’s signature pedigree of children’s entertainment?

Deep within the ocean depths, Luca (Jacob Tremblay) is a young sea monster who tends to his family farm, dealing with secure routine that keeps him safe, which pleases his parents, Lorzeno (Jim Gaffigan) and Daniela (Maya Rudolph). However, that doesn’t sit well with Luca, who is curious about life on the surface, discovering human artifacts around the area, but he’s aware that creatures like him are hunted by the surface-dwelling humans. Curious about lies beyond, Luca comes close to the surface and makes contact with Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), another fellow sea monster who’s made a home for himself in Portorosso, a nearby Italian fishing village Joining his new pal with their dry-skin hum appearances (appearing as regular teenage boys to everyone else), Luca is eager to learn about this forbidden world, making plans to travel the world with Alberto on their own Vespa as their mode of transportation. The boys are soon joined by Giulia (Emma Berman), who’s happy to have company as she trains for the Portorosso Cup, a local village race that’s dominated by Ercole (Saverio Raimondo), a local bully who sense something off about the two newcomers. As the trio of friends train for the Portorosso Cup, Luca begins understand the world around him with Giulia’s guidance, which draws jealousy from Alberto.

THE GOOD / THE BAD

Sorry if the opening paragraphs sounds quite familiar from what I wrote in my review Onward and Soul as well as this paragraph. It definitely fits both reviews in what I want to say. So….it goes without saying that when a Pixar movie gets released, there is reason to het excited for. As mentioned, (but it’s almost common knowledge), Pixar Studios have certainly become the “leading” animation studio for a better part more of two decades. I certainly grew up with their movies, with the original 1995 Toy Story capturing my ten-year-old attention with its then state-of-the-art CGI animation and memorable characters. After that, I remember seeing the change in Disney’s releases (the latter half of their “Renaissance Era”) and the rise of Pixar’s animated features, with Pixar becoming the more dominant powerhouse than its parent company. Much like how Disney had their signature style of princesses, musical songs, and colorful animal sidekicks, I love how Pixar has their own personal signature; mixing ever stunning 3D animation and wholesome storytelling together in way that never undermines their quality of cinematic filmmaking as well as well-rounded entertainment for all. Plus, the tender themes and message that many of their theatrical releases promote are highly valuable and indeed more memorable than any other children’s cartoon movies out there. Some of my personal favorite Pixar releases have Toy Story 3 , Monsters Inc , Inside Out , Incredibles , Coco , and Finding Nemo . That being said, Pixar certainly has had one or two missteps along the way, with such movies like Cars 2 in 2011 and The Good Dinosaur in 2015, which are, more or less, considered the “black sheep” of the Pixar category. In addition, I personally think that Pixar relies too heavily on trying to expand upon its already established as brand / series (i.e., Toy Story , Cars , Incredibles , etc.) and needs to focus a bit more creating original content. However, that’s a minor quibble. In the end, Pixar Animation Studios still continues to be one of the premiere animated studios out there and has no sign of stopping anytime soon. And that’s a good thing!

This comes back around to talking about Luca , a 2021 animated film and Pixar’s latest feature film endeavor. I think it was sometime during 2020 (roughly during the summer months) that a first image of this 2021 project was showcased, with a few tidbits of the upcoming project…. stating that the movie was going to be set during over the course of summer in the Italian Rivera locale. It was until a few months after that the film’s first movie trailer dropped and showed how the movie was going to look like and introducing the feature’s main characters and plot. Taking away from that, I was pleasantly surprised. The animation looked a bit more simplistic compared to 2020’s Soul, but the animation itself still looked amazing, with plenty of bright colors and a level of detail that only Pixar could achieve. Plus, I had a feeling that the movie was going to have that classic Pixar signature within its narrative. Thus, I was happy to see Luca , which I saw on Disney+ streaming service. While I did see the movie during its initial opening / release weekend, I got a little bit distracted with work, which is why my review for this movie is been done after the movie itself has been home released on DVD / Blu-Ray / 4K Blu-Ray. So, what did I think of Pixar’s latest film? Well…. I liked it. While the movie wasn’t exactly the best Pixar movie out there, Luca is still a smaller scale venture that has plenty of heart and colorful fun in children’s entertainment. This “fish-out-of-water” isn’t as the best, but its endearing and heartwarming to watch.

Luca is directed by Enrico Casarosa, who worked majority his career as a storyboard artist for several animated films like Ice Age , Robots , Up , and Ratatouille . While he directed the short film for Pixar titled La Luna , Casarosa makes Luca his directorial feature film debut with this project. To that end, I think that he does a great job; approaching the movie with a sense of wonder and amusement and really nothing to compare his past endeavors to. The result is something that works quite well and, while the movie stumbles in a few areas (see below), I do have to commend Casarosa for his effort in making Luca such an entertaining and friendly feature film to watch. As a whole, Casarosa makes the film quite easy to digest in almost all aspect, so that young viewers all the way up to adults can view the movie and come up with mostly the same understanding of the feature. There are some deeper means to explore, but for the most part, Casarosa keeps the film “small” and is more of a character focus rather than narrative driven. This makes the Pixar signature style of heartfelt emotion come across as a bit thin, but the translation still works and provides plenty of context. In truth, Luca is a small family friendly adventure; utilizing the friendship mantra to frame the story and with the Portorosso Cup being the adventure-esque aspect for the film to navigate towards. Also, Casarosa makes the movie has a sweet / charming aspect that ultimately works; making the film enjoyable from start to finish. Plus, like several Pixar movies, Casarosa makes Luca have a very timeless feeling and doesn’t get hampered down by annoying / obnoxious pop culture references throughout; making the feature’s story / setting very unique and one-of-a-kind that could be set in a variety of time eras. Additionally, the usage of the Italian Rivera and Italian culture is a welcomed sight and love how it is all incorporated into the movie; embracing the culture aspect through various ways of architecture, music, speech dialect, and other nuances. The film’s s comedy is pretty enjoyable as well, with Casarosa staging plenty of sight gags and comical jokes throughout the movie. Plus, as a sidenote, I love the whole “silenzio Bruno!” gag as I personally say all the time to my co-workers while at work.

The story of Luca is rather simplistic in nature and, while that might be a problem in the grand scheme of Pixar’s library, especially compared to his past endeavors, the smaller-scale narration does somewhat work and gives its focus on the relationship between its main lead characters (i.e., Luca, Alberto, and Giulia). This, of course, goes into the whole friendship between Luca and Alberto, which does come close to being something a bit more intimate as lovers….as some people might be interpret it. I definitely can see it and why people think that, but it doesn’t really cross the line and doesn’t become explicit as some parents might be concerned before letting the children watch it. That being said, I do like how this aspect in Luca is rather ambiguous and can be interpreted differently by various people. So, I’ll let the viewer decided on that factor. For me, I didn’t bother me it wasn’t and if it was…. I embrace the idea. Also, the thematical themes of kindness, friendship, and tolerance / acceptance are present in the film and its something that I fully embrace with the feature’s narrative as a universal lesson / commentary message.

As for the film’s presentation, Luca is top notch and delivers some amazing visuals throughout the entire movie. For starters, the movie has a very unique looking compared to the standard / traditional look that Pixar recent animated features. The movie has more of a picture-esque oil painting nuances throughout its backdrop setting and the result is something truly amazing to see. The Italian countryside setting is gorgeous and definitely adds to the film’s appeal; majestically drawing into its visual animation with vibrant colors. Thus, the seaside town of Portorosso (in and around the area) is truly something to marvel and adds to the feature’s identity of culture. As for the characters, the animators decided to choose for a more exaggerated and comical looks / shapes one would fine in an old comic strip or Saturday morning cartoon series from a few years back. The result is something quite different, but definitely works, drawing the characters (both major and minor ones) with very expressive and comical looking faces that work with the story being told as well as the periodical comedy / drama beats throughout. All of these makes Luca look very colorful and vibrant, which I really do have to give credit to the art direction team as well as the visual CGI animators for bringing this film’s world to life. Lastly, the film’s score, which was composed by Dan Romer, creates a very beautiful soundtrack for Luca , which combines a mixture of classic animated tones and melodies (accustomed for this endeavor) as well as Italian-esque sounding musical composition. The result is something is great and definitely adds to the feature’s culture depiction and presentation.

There are some problems that I had with Luca that, while not completely derailing the project, hold the film back from reaching that Pixar reach that so many of their past endeavors have achieved. How so? Well, perhaps the most prevalent one that many will agree on is that Luca in general isn’t the best movie that Pixar has produced. That’s not to say that the movie is well-made and heartwarming to watch, but the film itself lacks the certain expectations that is set by Pixar’s signature style of storytelling. Narratives like Coco , Up , Inside Out , and Soul have very complex themes and overtones that help elevate the story and the movie itself to be poignant and meaningful. Luca, however, does really achieve that notion; opting for a smaller-scale / low-stakes narrative instead of toiling around with big ideas and more thought-provoking moments for its character to have. You know what I mean…. Pixar’s signature style of large-heart moments / tearjerker scenes that tug on the heart strings, including Up’s opening sequences, Bingbong’s farewell in Inside Out , Jesse’s backstory in Toy Story 2 , and so on and so forth. Luca just doesn’t have any of those moments and sort of undermines the signature style that the studio is well known for doing in almost all their features. That might not be a big deal that ruins movie, but I was expecting a lot more of emotional narrative driven plot points for the film to have and they never came. Thus, Luca , despite a lot of positive moments the movie has, doesn’t quite measure up to some of its bigger hits.

Additionally, looking beyond the emotional omissions, Luca does lack a few points within its undertaking and execution of its story / movie path. Most of these points derive from the feature’s script, which was penned by Casarosa as well as Jesse Andrews, Simon Stephenson, Mike Jones, Julie Lynn, and Randall Green. As a whole, the movie is sweet and charming, but fails to impress in certain areas as the script’s limitations hamper the feature. This includes such ideas like the underwater world, which is lacking depth and insight, and some of the character-built moments that are shared between Luca and Alberto as their friendship is just an instant “click” via shared dreams and not really earned. Plus, there backstories are a little bit cookie cutter and thinly drawn; lacking the complexity some of Pixar’s lead characters are really known for. From a director’s standpoint, Casarosa sort of rushes things / events in the movie that make the movie feels uneven. As mentioned, the underwater world where Luca and his parents’ dwell is a bit ambiguous and could’ve been easily expanded upon. Additionally, certain plot points during the second and third act are sort of rushed and quickly solved and don’t really feel earned. These problems make the film feel a bit clunky in a few areas and not as whole as some of Pixar’s past features. That’s not to say the movie is enjoyable and entertaining, but the problems are there and holding the film back as I kind of expected a bit more from Pixar.

While those criticism points might weigh the opinions down on the movie, the voice talents for Luca are solid across the board; something that Pixar is quite known for and certainly help deliver some fun and colorful charismatic voicework for these animated characters. Leading the charge of the movie are the great acting talents of Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer, who play the central main characters of Luca Paguro and Alberto Scorfano. Tremblay, known for his roles in Room , Wonder , and Good Boys , has always played the more timid-like character in his past endeavors and thus plays it again with his portrayal of Luca. That’s not to say that he plays the character in a predictable way, but Tremblay certainly knows how to layer the charm and innocent curiosity within Luca, and it comes off as a great character. Likewise, Grazer, known for his roles in IT , Shazam!, and We Are Who We Are , is great as Alberto, providing a more confident bravado than Tremblay’s Luca and delivers some great character moments throughout. As mentioned, the relationship between Luca and Alberto is core of the film and, while some of it is handled in a clunky manner, the vocal chemistry between Tremblay and Grazer is nothing short of brilliance; working well together rather than repelling each other.

Of more secondary characters, the character of Giulia Marcovaldo, a young resident in Portorosso, comes up as the strongest. Voiced by young actress Emma Berman ( Go! Go! Cory Carson ) is sort of consider to be the third main character in the movie; acting as the friend to both Luca and Alberto and adds that extra insight of character dynamic that drives a wedge between the two boys (in a very innocent way, of course). All in all, Berman is great as Giulia and, while she doesn’t have whole lot of experience compared to Tremblay and Grazer, she handles herself well and it comes off within her character. Additionally, actor Marco Barricelli ( Holy Silence and The Book of Daniel ) does a great job in the role of Giulia’s tough father, Massimo Marcvaldo. Likewise, the seasoned acting talents of actress Maya Rudolph ( Bridesmaids and Sisters ) and comedian / actor Jim Gaffigan ( The Jim Gaffigan Show and Chappaquiddick ) are a welcomed sign in Luca as they provide the voices for Luca’s concerned sea monster parents, Daniela and Lorenzo Paguro. Both Rudolph and Gaffigan come from a comedic background and shows that throughout the movie, but also have enough warmth in their voices for parental figures. Thus, they are great in the movie as Luca’s parents and definitely anchor the feature as the two “veterans” acting talents of the feature. Lastly, actor Saverio Raimondo ( Dov’e Mario? and Finché c’è vita c’è Speranza ) does a great and humorous job as Ercole Visconti, a local bully in Portorosso who acts as one of the main antagonists in the film.

The rest of the cast, including actor Sacha Baron Cohen ( Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and Les Miserable ) Luca’s uncle / Lorenzo’s brother Ugo Paguro, actress Sandy Martin ( Ray Donovan and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ) as Luca’s grandmother / Daniela’s mother Grandma Paguro, actress Marina Massironi ( Letters to Juliet and Padri e figli ) as the lady who runs the Portorosso Cup race (and sponsor it) Mrs. Marsigilese, and actor Peter Sohn ( Monsters University and Ratatouille ) and Lorenzo Crisci ( Grotto ) as Ercole’s two henchmen followers Ciccio and Guido, make up the rest of the supporting players in the movie. While some do have large parts than others, all of these acting talents still give great smaller character roles to the feature. Lastly, I do have to admit that perhaps my favorite character in the entire movie is the character of Machiavelli, Giulia / Massimo cat. The cat is only a minor character, but I love it and certainly has become a meme online.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Curious to see surface world and explore it, Luca, along with fellow sea monster Alberto, have summertime vacation in the town of Portorosso by evading enemies and making friends in the movie Luca. Director Enrico Casarosa’s directorial feature length debut film is the latest film to be release from Pixar; showcasing a film about friendship and chasing dreams within the backdrop setting of Italian Rivera. While the movie struggles to carry Pixar’s signature style of big emotional poignancy and feels clunky in a few areas, the film itself is still highly enjoyable from its unique visual flairs of animation, cultural nuances, great likeable characters, a small / yet fun story to tell, and solid voice acting. Personally, I liked the movie. Yes, I will admit that it wasn’t Pixar’s best work, especially coming off the heels of 2020’s Soul, but it is still a very sweet and charming animated feature from the illustrious studio. Thus, my recommendation for the movie is very favorable “recommended” as I’m sure kids of all ages will love and appreciate this film (as it is a great family movie to watch) as well as adults. I just hope that Pixar doesn’t turn this movie into franchise as it would ruin the charming appeal of what the Luca movie truly is…. if you know what I mean. In the end, while it isn’t the absolute “slam dunk” movie that has been released from Pixar, Luca is still a very endearing and smaller scale cartoon adventure to get lost in; providing some quality animation and a strong message of lasting friendship.

4.0 Out of 5 (Recommended)

Released on: june 13th, 2021, reviewed on: august 30th, 2021.

Luca is 95 minutes long and is rated PG for rude humor, language, some thematic elements, and brief violence

Luca preview: How a real-world friendship inspired Pixar’s sea monster story

Fresh off a pair of Academy Award wins for its 2020 animated feature Soul , Pixar will bring its next adventure, Luca , to the screen in June 2021. The film follows the adventures of a pair of young friends in a seaside town on the Italian Riviera who are harboring a big secret: They’re both sea monsters who have left their underwater home to explore the human world.

Directed by Enrico Casarosa ( La Luna ) and inspired by the summers he spent on the Italian coast with a rebellious childhood friend, Luca features the voices of Jacob Tremblay ( Room ) and Jack Dylan Grazer (It) as Luca and Alberto, respectively. After being warned against leaving the sea by his family, the curious, 13-year-old Luca encounters Alberto, a fellow sea monster fascinated by life on the surface. The discovery that they can pass as human while out of the water kicks off a series of adventures that shape their lives and who they become while building the foundation for a long friendship.

Digital Trends got an early look at 30 minutes of footage from Luca and spoke to Casarosa about the very personal story behind Pixar’s next, charming film.

Digital Trends: Pixar’s films are typically inspired by a certain set of universal experiences, but Luca also seems very personal for you, Enrico. What was the inspiration for the story?

Enrico Casarosa: I always think of our stories as two sides coming together. There’s the personal, the heart, the part that’s going to make you emotional and make you care. And then there’s the fantastical and imaginative that makes it a Pixar movie and transports you somewhere.

So these two different ideas came together in the inspiration for Luca . One part of it is a real place where I grew up, and how beautiful that place is. I wanted to take people to the Italian Riviera. And the other part was a “what if?” idea. What if there are sea monsters hiding off the coast, and what if there’s more than meets the eye with them?

And in this case, the audience is introduced to the Italian Riviera through Luca’s experiences, since it’s new to him, too.

Exactly. I love that we have a protagonist who experiences this little Italian town for the first time, because it gave us the opportunity to have this wonderful, lyrical, romantic look at the region. And we could really create a love letter to the details — from the beauty of the wind in the trees to a little sign in town.

How did your own childhood friendship shape Luca’s experience in the film with Alberto?

My best friend Alberto and I met when I was around 11 years old and it really changed my life. I was an introvert, so I really wanted a protagonist that struggles with his own wishes. He is curious and creative, but he’s not allowing himself to explore those parts of himself. So I thought that would be really interesting: Looking at how we help each other change and grow.

When I started talking about my friendship, it seemed like a lot of people could relate to the idea of opposites attracting and cross-pollinating, and kind of being architects of who we become — particularly when you spend so much time together. I really wanted to talk about those special friendships along with this crazy, mystical side of it.

When the story is based on a personal experience, you can’t often adapt it exactly as you remember it and make it work. So how did the story evolve from your childhood memories to what we see on the screen?

Stories like this usually change based on what we discover the story wants to be. When you pitch it the first time, it’s more like a sketch of the idea — the heart of it. But then over time, you see what it wants to be and what the characters want to be. The heart of it — in this case, the relationships — doesn’t change too much.

For example, we started with a trio of sea monsters originally. But we ended up feeling like it was more important to focus on just Luca and Alberto’s relationship. That was one little adjustment: We realized that the goofy third wheel we started with was fun and all, but it didn’t let us focus on the really important relationship. That’s how you start finding out what the movie wants to tell you.

What are some of the ideas and lessons you’re hoping audiences will take away from the film?

The big one for me is an appreciation for the friendships of our youth. When you’re a kid, there is so much to learn from your friends. And you can find the courage to help each other, too. Asking for help from your friends is such a courageous thing.

On the other side, as kids, there’s so much insecurity. It’s not just about fear. [In Luca ], we talk about having to “silence the Brunos in your head” as this wonderful, silly way to talk about the imposter syndrome we all feel and the voices of insecurity in our heads. It felt very meta for us to talk about that in the film, because we still deal with them as adults. It’s not like they completely go away.

And then the other side, of course, is that these sea monsters ultimately need to show themselves, right? They need to be okay with showing their differences. And that wonderful metaphor always felt right. As a kid, you feel odd and a bit out of sorts. So that becomes a big journey in our movie: Getting to a sense of self-acceptance and acceptance in these two very different worlds.

Pixar’s Luca will premiere June 18, 2021, on the Disney+ streaming service.

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Hollywood is (still) in its superhero craze, and in the past, it’s had a zombie craze, a vampire craze, a slasher craze, and more. The entertainment industry also pumps out a yearly supply of generic Christmas movies that are always the same, and formulaic rom-coms have been released virtually unchanged since the 1960s. Clearly, Hollywood doesn’t care if it repeats itself over and over again. So then, why do we get so few monster movies?

The realism of most genres definitely has its place in film since it can help add emotional weight to a story. But c’mon, how many bitter dramas and gritty noirs can a person watch before they want something big, loud, colorful, and epic?

With the long Labor Day weekend ahead, Disney+ will be an excellent platform to enjoy some movie nights. The streaming service has a diverse film catalog, spanning genres from fantasy to sci-fi and superhero to comedy. Disney is undoubtedly best known for its kid-friendly content across live-action and animation, but it has content for grown-ups, too.

While there are plenty of timeless hits in that department for some wholesome family evenings, it's the popular franchises like the MCU and Star Wars that most subscribers keep watching again and again. For the relaxing Labor Day weekend, these Disney+ picks include Lucasfilm’s two best franchises and some more Marvel and mutant-themed adventures to chase after Deadpool & Wolverine. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Audio / Video

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COMMENTS

Movie Review: Luca
Pixar's latest (now available as a premium rental on Disney+) focuses on a friendship between two sea-creature boys who take on human form for a series of adventure…
Luca
He's a little older than Luca, and yeah, he came from the sea himself. But Alberto lives all by his lonesome on dry land, and he considers himself "kind of an expert" on the whole terra firma thing. When he yanks Luca out of the water, he knows full well the kid's going to change into a human form—just like he did.
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But yeah, the animation is subtle and without trying too many new things, concepts and themes, it elevates the beauty of the world. The friendship between Luca and Alberto is the main focus of the plot and it's pretty amazing how both the voice actors do a tremendous job in bringing out the emotions. For Luca, he has always been scared.
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