Movie Review: Luca

 

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.

Are you guys are familiar with Disney's The Little Mermaid, you know, the movie about a mermaid princess named Ariel who first seeing a human prince that she's falling in love with? Yeah, that movie was an instant classic and gave the birth of Disney Renaissance, i never seen this one as a kid for "Gear towards girls" excuse, but thankfully, i managed to watch it in 2019(?) and i enjoyed it. Ok, so we got a mermaid who's falling in love with the prince after curiously looking at human's items, but what about Pixar did a same thing, but in a complete opposite with um... Mer-boys??

"Luca" is a 2021 Pixar's coming-of-age fantasy film written/directed by Enrico Casarosa, produced by Andrea Warren, co-written story by Jesse Andrews (also for screenplay) Simon Stephenson and co-screenplayed by Mike Jones.

After successful short film "La Luna", Enrico decided to having a movie for not just a coming-of-age involving boys came from the see, but also reflecting his past when he's been on Italy, since he was born in his home country that he's passion of animation. Plus, its not just reflecting his past, but also his childhood favorite film with Hayao Miyazaki, which gave an inspiration between of two to making this movie as a directorial debut. And real talk, this is the first time i ever watch a movie on Disney+, which its about time that my father has finally subscribing it to give us a watch of either watching original contents, the shows from before and even movies, thanks dad.

So, with all that said, will this movie will gave us the chance to see beautiful human world, or is this film wants to hunt us down for its dinner?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

For the movie's plot, i was expecting to be either different or similar to The Little Mermaid? Well, it kinda is, but with different elements.

The movie takes in... Somewhere between 50's and 60's, where we first witnessing a mysterious sea creature pops out of surface for scavenging human items. Later on, we introduce our titular boy named Luca, who works as a care-taker of goatfishes, despite being curious for something above the surface, but his parents told him to stay away from the surface, saying that the humans are fishing and even try to hunting a sea creature (just us in real life, right...? Right???). One day, he meets a mysterious sea creature named Alberta, who claimed that going out of surface wasn't so bad and he's automatically turning into a human form (aside of being left alone from his lost parents), hesitant at first, but Luca gave it a try to leaving the sea, which he was surprised and interested to coming out of water. But then, while hanging out together, Luca got his attention from the poster with Vespa, which he would like to have it while they're going to a town called Portorosso and meet a human girl named Giulia who got humiliated by a bully and multi-times winner of Triathlon event called "Portorosso Cup" named Ercole, so its up to Luca and Alberto to helping Giulia for their training of "Portorosso Cup" to getting Vespa, but to hide their secret identity, while Luca's parents are looking after our main kid.

Now, it maybe obvious to say that the story is similar to The Little Mermaid involving a sea creature who has a morbid curiosity of coming out to visiting in human's world, or maybe any other films other than a sea creatures like hairy monster, alien or others. But surprisingly, the movie has an interesting plot element, instead of curiously falling in love with human prince, this one is more about being curious to see the human world, but also freedom, which the latter is the main message in this film, because even though Luca's warned our main boy from the danger, but he thought maybe it wasn't so bad what Alberto has told and Luca started to enjoy of traveling in human world, mainly wandering around in Portorosso, which despite the plot feels like its been done before, but its the execution with the message what this film is about for Luca. And since this is a Disney and Pixar film, despite we have some intense and drama moments, there's always gotta add some humors on this film and... Its good for say the least, like i did chuckle with some moments, but other times some jokes are mean, like when Luca's parents are trying to finding Luca by messing with human kids with water pouring and water balloons throwing at them, like that's just coming off as disturbing the peace.

However, i have a criticism in this movie, mainly a plot hole where Alberto motivates Luca by don't be like one his old pal Bruno by simply saying "Silenzio, Bruno!", i mean, i get its to be brave without getting too much concern, but what's the point when he briefly talking about Bruno, and is Bruno is gonna be shown in a flashback? Nope, its just a tease by mentioning him.

While the plot hole issue and story is kinda unoriginal, but its the execution of the writing and the message are done well for what this movie is about.

The Animation

Since this is a Pixar film, you think the animation is outstanding? Of course it is, but it has a fascinating fact about the film.

For the background, it looks amazingly beautiful with hills to show us a beautiful view sunny days and in the bottom of the ocean (though not as colorful as Finding Nemo/Dory, but i digress) and the village of Portorosso (which the name is somewhat reference from Miyazaki's film "Porko Rosso", but il get to Miyazaki part later on) looks nice and somewhat colorful, which is almost like a painting village comes to life, it looks peaceful and beautiful too.

But the best part of its production, its the character designs and the effects.

According to Casarosa, he said the character designs are based on the art style of Hayao Miyazaki based on his childhood memory of seeing the films that he remembered and i gotta say, even though it may or may not be like Miyazaki style, but at least they look pretty good, which their animation movement are either acting cartoony for comedic part or going smoothly when we're in quite or drama scene. Despite may not looks similar for the style, but il give a credit that at least they tried.

And finally, there's the effects, it looks also pretty good with the water effects of raining and the ocean is not only impressive, but also feels realistic that they did a good job like they've done before. And lets forget when Luca and Alberto's transformation, it looks pretty impressive too for their transformation automatically whenever they're out of surface that their skin change to human form, including their fish scales changing to human skin, the details of its transformation is wonderful that they did a good job as always.

What else do i have to say for its animation, even though the design may or may not as perfectly similar as the style from Studio Ghibli, but at least they tried and of course, they did an outstanding job for its animation, the designs and the effects.

The Characters

Despite the writing is plain original, but with a good execution, the characters could also be good, most of.

Lets start with our titular boy Luca (voiced by Jacob Trambley), who's a curious and somewhat timid sea creature boy that he's curious to coming out of surface to Portorosso. Like i said before for comparison, he's like a gender bender version of Ariel, but thanks to the execution of his morbid curiosity and likes to be free, he made us invest our main hero that he likes to exploring the human world, especially to getting a Vespa from triathlon. Even though he may look cute, but he's easily relatable for how we're curious to see something new and starting to get used to. He's a well-written protagonist and Jacob did a pretty good job of his young role.

Next up is Alberto (voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer, aka Freddy Freeman from Shazam), he's an outsider from the sea who likes to scavenging human's items and later becoming Luca's friend for their adventure to Portorosso. I find him rather good, even though he's meant to be a comedic role, but he's more like a plot driven character to Luca to showing a whole new world (No pun attended), even if he has limits since he hasn't see his parents for a long time (though like Bruno situation, i wish it could've show a flashback for what happened to Alberto, but again, i digress). Despite some of his flaws, but at least he's a fun one and Jack Dylan did a fun role, even though this is the second time i watched the film with him since Shazam.

Then we have Giulia (voiced by a young Emma Berman), a charming and adventurous human girl who tries to challenging Portorosso Cup but failed, but got a help from our main heroes. She's also a likable character, its easy to feel bad for her that no matter how many times she tried to competing in triathlon or trying to make money by sealing foods from her big father. And she's also somewhat of bookworm back in her school, which she's also being a plot driven to Luca to building up his interest. Even though i never heard of Emma Berman (since she didn't have a Wikipedia page, yet), but i think she's such a likeable sidekick to helping out Luca, even if she might be foreshadowing Alberto from Luca's curiosity.

And finally we have Ercole (voiced by Saverio Raimondo), the main antagonist in Portorosso who likes to bullying anybody with his henchmen Ciccio and Guido (both voiced by Peter Sohn and Lorenzo Crisci), despite being over-aged to participating Portorosso Cup for being a multi-times winner with his expensive Vespa. Surprisingly, after previous Pixar films that they barely focusing on the main villains (except for Screenslaver/Evelyn Deavor from The Incredibles 2), now they finally got it and once again, surprisingly a well-written villain that you love to hate. Even though its pretty cliché for having a villain being just a typical bully, but its the execution from the delivery or how he got away with to be a multi-times cup champion, despite he sounds like a teen than a kid (in other words, he cheats his age). Here's an interesting fact, you know when the film has released internationally with different languages dub? (Like im from Canada that it has an option of listening the film in either English or French) Well, when it was brought over to Italy with Italian dub, Saverio actually done his Italian dubbing. In other words, he does the original English version and the Italian version. Well done, Raimondo.

As for the rest of the characters, there here for the purpose of the plot or not much else.

There's Daniela (voiced by Maya Rudolph) who's Luca's overprotective mother from the "danger" outside of the sea, Lorenzo (voiced by Jim Gaffigan), who's a well-meaning father, but other times overly distracted (even though Daniela and Lorenzo are meant to be the comedic role to finding Luca, but didn't work for being mean at the human kids), Massimo (voiced by Marco Barricelli) who's Giulia's big and bulky father who i though he's gonna a second villain based on his serious business of fishing, but surprisingly have a good and soft heart (Phew!), even if we didn't know how lost his right arm (another plot hole that i asked how and why, but probably didn't tell us), Grandma Paguro (voiced by Sandy Martin) who's Luca's granny for giving us a plot convenient about breaking the rules, including of course, going out of surface ain't that bad at all, and there's Ugo (surprisingly voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen, aka Borat), who's Luca's uncle that he lives in the depths of the ocean.

Even though some might have some clichés, but its their delivery and their writing to make of them a likable role.

And now for my final opinion of this film.

Overall, Luca is a pretty good film from Pixar.

Despite the movie has problems with plot holes and unoriginal plot, but its the execution of the writing of being free from what you came from, some memorable characters. Even though its one of more recent film that has a premier access that i watched it late, but im very satisfied to jump on the bandwagon on Disney+ to seeing this pretty good film.

For my recommendation, i'd say its definitely a film you can go watch it, especially on Disney+, you won't be disappointed after seeing it.

For my rating, il giving it an 8.5/10. I would've giving it 9, but i dropped in half based on my problems, but hey, its not as bad as im curious to see, much like Luca himself.

So this ends of my movie review after my long hiatus, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on https://ko-fi.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.