Hello and welcome,
As Many of you know I am a big Pixar fan so it’s no surprise that Luca was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. When Disney announced that Luca was going straight to Disney+ at no additional cost I was equally excited and disappointed because, on the one hand, I will be getting the new Pixar movie for free, not including subscriber price (given the economics and the number of titles on there you still end up getting it for free). However, on the other hand, I wouldn't get to see it in the theater. (On a side note, Disney did screen it in the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood but I live About 41 hrs. or 2,724.5 mi. away so it did not make anywhere near financial sense for me to have gone LOL). Luca may have been the movie to get me back in the theater, which I still have not returned to just yet. With that out of the way, let’s begin
Background
This is the 1st movie directed by Enrico Casarosa. He did however direct the 2012 Short La Luna and watching the short you can definitely see that it is the same guy even if I did not tell you. Luca Apparently is based on Casarosa’s childhood (for the record, as far I know he is not a Sea monster but I have not seen him in water so I cannot be sure). This is also the 1st Pixar movie to be made mostly in homes due to a little thing called a pandemic
Plot
Luca (Jacob Tremblay), a young sea monster living off the coast of the Italian city Portorosso is forbidden by his parents (Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan) to approach the surface, fearing that humans might hunt him. Luca meets Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), a fellow sea monster child, who lives alone above the surface and he encourages Luca to adventure out of the ocean, showing him that sea monsters look exactly like humans when dry, but return to their true forms when wet (Don't overthink it). Upon discovering their son's actions, Luca's parents plan to send him to live in the bottom of the ocean with his uncle Ugo (Sacha Baron Cohen). Luca and Alberto run away to Portorosso to find a Vespa and travel the world. The boys run afoul with Ercole (Saverio Raimondo), the local bully and a young girl Giulia (Emma Berman) helps them escape. In hopes of winning the money needed for a Vespa, the boys and Giulia form a team for the triathlon, which involves swimming, pasta-eating, and biking.
Opinion
To start off, the plot is not the most original. The story is a combination of several overdone plots such as Luca's parents not wanting him to go up to the surface (The Little Mermaid anyone)? You also have an unlikely friendship and a team of underdogs needing to win a competition. Ironically it is not the plot driving the movie but it is the characters. Luca, as a protagonist, has a well-defined goal which is freedom. The other characters are there to help Luca meet his goal of freedom and to drive home the other themes of friendship and being yourself (oh if you can not tell, the sea monsters are a metaphor for that). All the characters are likable (in the case of Ercole you love to hate).
In a way, this is almost like a Studio Ghibli Movie as they are not known for original plots. It is the characters, themes, and animation that are the reason why Studio Ghibli is known as one the best and most original studios in the world (You know Enrico Casarosa is a big Studio Ghibli fan because the city is named Portorosso as in Porco Rosso). The animation is amazing but it is Pixar, would you expect anything less? The designs go for a more cartoony look but not too cartoony to make It look off, that is one the major differences between hand-drawn and CGI.
Overall Luca is a wonderful movie, well I cannot say that it is one of Pixar’s best, it is still a great movie with characters and themes so strong that I have already watched it twice. (To be honest, another reason why I watched twice was scheduling, so much to watch and so little time). I have no major problems with it so I am glad to give it the highest rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Pixar Made a better CGI Studio Ghibli Movie than Studio Ghibli did.
Goodnight, and Bee Happy!™
Mr.Bee
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