Summary
A pleasantly low-stakes romp from the good people at Pixar. Beautifully rendered backdrops in Italy frame the breezy, child-friendly plotting.
The Pixar name has been synonymous with vividly created animated cinema for the better part of the last three decades. So, after a string of sequels, there’s a small irony that their last three original creations — Onward, Soul, and now LUCA — have primarily been viewed on the streaming circuit thanks to the global pandemic. While it’s lamentable for some that director Enrico Casarosa’s debut feature has been released direct-to-Disney+, this gentle outing might just be perfect for at-home audiences.
The titular Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) is a teenage sea monster who collects trinkets from the surface and longs to be part of that world. When he finally leaves the water, Luca discovers that he transforms into a regular human — and he’s not alone. With fellow monster teen Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), they run amuck in the streets of Italian seaside city of Portorosso and dream of owning a Vespa. Despite the town’s unfriendly attitude to monsters, they befriend misfit Giulia (Emma Berman), who is determined to win the town’s annual triathlon.
For the longest time, the successful Pixar formula boiled down to ‘The Secret Life of [blank] + Fish Out of Water.’ That’s at least partly true this time out, with elements of The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo present in the narrative. Yet there’s no major drama here, at least beyond the constant threat of the lead characters getting wet and exposing their identities. Ostensible villain Ercole Visconti (Saverio Raimondo) is the main antagonist, but he’s more akin to Gargamel or Dick Dastardly.
Many have also read a great deal into the subtext of LUCA, some going so far as to argue the film’s plot is analogous to LGBTQI+ narratives of publicly leading a parallel existence to their true selves. It’s definitely there if that speaks to you, and as we see in documentaries like The Celluloid Closet (1995), coded gay characters have long worked as negative stereotypes and knowing representation in equal measure. The filmmakers have their opinions, but if you see yourself in these characters, and it means something to you, then Casarosa’s film is as multilayered as its gorgeous animation.
Speaking of which, the Pixar touch is not absent from the visuals. At times as low-key as the drama, especially during the comparatively spartan backgrounds of the opening, the visuals never feels anything less than warm and enveloping. Casarosa got his start at Blue Sky Studios on Ice Age (2002) before becoming part of the creative team at Pixar, but is probably best known for his much-loved short film La Luna (2011).
Casarosa brings much of the tone of that film over to LUCA, peppering his lovingly created Portorosso with a bevvy of personal touches and Easter eggs. Posters for the similarly Vespa-themed Roman Holiday (1953) and other cinematic totems give this a timeless feel. At other times, the characters take on classic cartoon tropes, like dizzying fish circling Luca’s head when he’s knocked off a bike.
It might sound dismissive to label LUCA a minor outing from the animation studio, but that’s okay sometimes. Not every outing has to up the ante of the previous one, and this simple coming-of-age story just vibes its way into an all-ages crowd pleaser.
2021 | USA | DIRECTOR: Enrico Casarosa | WRITERS: Jesse Andrews, Mike Jones | CAST: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli, Jim Gaffigan, Peter Sohn, Lorenzo Crisci, Marina Massironi, Sandy Martin | DISTRIBUTOR: Disney | RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 18 June 2021 (Disney+)
