Luca (2021) Review

Luca, which can be currently streamed on Disney+, marks the first feature-length directorial debut for Enrico Casarosa. But this is not the first time he’s working for the Pixar Animation Studios, given his prior experience in directing the 2011 Oscar-nominated short film La Luna and served as a storyboard artist for some of the Pixar animated features such as Ratatouille (2007) and Up (2009).

Partially taking a cue from The Little Mermaid except for the protagonist here isn’t a female mermaid but rather a young Italian male sea monster (Jacob Tremblay voicing the title character). He lives under the sea and spends most of his time shepherding the little fishes (yes, they even bleat like sheep). He is always curious about what’s up on the surface.

But his overprotective parents (Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan) warned him not to go near the surface. Apparently, the people from the surface or more specifically, the 1950s little town of Portorosso on the Italian Riviera happen to fear the sea monsters.

Of course, being a curious kid, Luca eventually ignores his parents’ warning and swim above the surface one day following a chance encounter with another young sea monster named Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer). An independent and freewheeling boy, Alberto is particularly keen to find out more about the human world and wants Luca to join him.

Upon reaching the surface, they can magically turn into a human form and would stay camouflaged as long as they do not come in contact with water. Luca and Alberto subsequently made their ways to the town, where they get to know a tomboyish human girl named Giulia (Emma Berman).

They even got themselves involved in the Portorosso Cup, an annual triathlon event that includes swimming, a pasta-eating competition and a bicycle race. Winning the cup would mean they have the chance to buy their dream Vespa scooter so they can ride wherever they want. The three of them agree to work together as a team and determine to beat the arrogant bully and undisputed champion, Ercole Visconti (Saverio Raimondo).

Despite being a Pixar film, Luca lacks both originality and creativity that defined the studio in the first place. Instead, the film treads familiar ground that touches on a coming-of-age story about two best friends exploring the outside world together, which in this case, the Portorosso town.

I have to admit the earlier part of the film feels pedestrian but thankfully picks up the pace once it focuses on Luca and Alberto on the dry land. And while the familiarity stays on throughout the rest of the film, Casarosa along with screenwriters Jesse Andrews (2015’s Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) and Mike Jones (last year’s Soul) manage to make the story feels both charming and relatable. The film does a good job delving into the power of friendship and self-discovery between Luca and Alberto. Luca also happens to be a film about embracing diversity and acceptance since the two of them are depicted as outsiders trying to fit in with the human population in the town.

Besides Luca and Alberto, two well-realised protagonists in the film, Giulia is a great addition as well. It’s fun to watch the three of them helping each other as a team as they train hard for the competition. Their chemistry is undeniable while the voice acting including Jacob Tremblay’s Luca, Jack Dylan Grazer’s Alberto and Emma Berman’s Giulia deserve equal mention.

Luca works well as a comedy too, namely how different types of cheese are used in some of the amusing dialogues. This is particularly evident each time Giulia expressed her shock or surprise by exclaiming the likes of “Santa Mozzarella!” and “Santo Gorgonzola!” Then, there’s the introduction of comic relief in the form of a big bully voiced by Saverio Raimondo as Ercole.

Likewise, the visual quality is stunning. Case in point includes the beautifully animated backdrop of the bright and sunny Portorosso town. Remember not to click away once the end credits roll since Luca includes a post-credits scene.