We all know the beauty and magic that a good Pixar movie is able to feature in practically any of their feature films. Even the ones that are less than quality or sub-par there’s always some element that you could pull from that evokes some dazzle of Disney magic. Everybody has their favorite Pixar movie and for the most part there’s usually nothing wrong with whatever that movie might be. Any of the Toy Story movies, Up, Monsters Inc. or even Inside Out, you’re not going to find a lot of Pixar finds how would say “Man, that’s a terrible choice”, because it’s the complete opposite. Pixar is undeniably one of the hallmarks of great studio creativity and while they may have a few duds here and there, the level of quality that they have provided for nearly 20 years is almost unparrallel to, arguably, any other studio that’s cranking out movies. Now, when Disney announced that Luca was hitting Disney+ instead of releasing it in theaters, it probably shouldn’t have shocked a lot considering that it potentially might have been the success that The Good Dinosaur was, in the sense that probably wasn’t going to be a monster success at the box-office. Same thing could be said about Pixar’s previous movie Soul, which despite it being directed by Pixar veteran Pete Doctor, didn’t have the kind of appeal that Inside Out when that was coming out. Be that as it may, Luca was finally able to hit the screen in the comfort of people’s homes and it’s another win for Pixar. It’s enchanting, beautiful to look at and full of magic. It’s not Toy Story or Inside Out level, but it’s full of heart, wonderful characters and timeless messages. It does feel safe, but the themes of friendship and family are incredible.
Set on the Italian Riviera, Luca focuses on a young boy named Luca Paguro, who also happens to be a sea monster that can also morph into a human being while being above the surface. While exploring the local town, Luca comes across another young boy named Alberto Scorfano, who embark on a summer that both of them will never forget.
The one aspect that will continue to be discussed with each Pixar movie is it’s animation. Even if Luca wasn’t a great movie, one thing that can’t be denied is the artistry of its animation. From the shots underwater, to drips of water running down Luca’s face and the town of Portorosso, the animation in Luca is beyond breathtaking. Each Pixar movie seems to be a step above any other animated movie that gets released, even every other Pixar movie before Luca. Watching this movie on mute would be an experience in of itself simply based on how gorgeous and spellbinding the animation is in this movie. Luca isn’t one of Pixar’s greatest achievements that they’ve had, but judging the level of its visual styles is a nice blend of a beautiful Italian painting with a sub-genre of a creature feature.
One thing that Pixar nails almost every time is they always innovate. With almost every movie, they will continue to push forward something new, whether it’s the animation, but more specifically the types of stories and themes that they decide to tackle. They applied heart and perspective to toys in Toy Story, they made our emotions multidimensional in Inside Out and they even took the iconic and adventurous story of The Last Samurai in A Bug’s Life. But one thing Pixar hasn’t explored yet is the coming of age story. In the past, they’ve had characters that are younger than adults whether it’s Russell from Up or Dash from The Incredibles, but kids haven’t been the main focus for a lot of Pixar movies, until Luca came along. With Luca and Alberto being the two main characters and the parents as supporting figures, Luca adds new layers and tools of perspective to children which adds and extra dose of youth and fragility to the movie, thereby making it a lot more profound with its messages.
Luca won’t be in a lot of people’s list when it comes to their favorite Pixar movie, that said it’s a delightful and joyful experience that appeases to everyone across the board. It’s stunning animation, calming music and vibrant characters make Luca another solid entry in the world of Pixar.
My grade for Luca: B+
Zane's take at the Cinema's 