Luca (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Luca' (directed by Enrico Casarosa) is Pixar Animation's genteel coming-of-age tale about curiosity, courage & friendship concerning 2 pre-teen sea monsters in the 1950s who leave their watery home to discover life in a picturesque Italian Riviera village. Luca (voiced by talented Jacob Tremblay) is the titular sea monster, a sweet & shy boy who herds goat fish for his mom, Daniela (Maya Rudolph), his dad, Lorenzo (Jim Gaffigan) & his grandma (Sandy Martin). But Luca harbors a secret ... he longs to explore the world above; though, his parents warn that humans want to cause them harm. But one day he runs into fellow sea creature, Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), who drags him to land where, when dry, they transform into human appearances.
Alberto collects human objects and, his dream of owning a Vespa scooter draws Luca in, as well. The two become fast friends, sharing dreams & plans alike. When Daniela learns what Luca has been doing, she & Lorenzo arrange to have their son live with his nutty Uncle Ugo (Sacha Baron Cohen) in the depths of the sea. Saddened, Luca runs away & sets-off with Alberto for nearby Portorosso where they meet tomboy Giulia (Emma Berman), who lives there with her intimidating fisherman/sea monster-hating father, Massimo (Marco Barricelli). Giulia is determined to win the town's annual triathlon - consisting of cycling, eating pasta & swimming - and to finally defeat egotistical bully, Ercole (Saverio Raimondo). When Luca & Alberto discover that the winner will receive prize $$ that could be used to buy an old Vespa, they convince Giulia to let them join her team. But with them having to remain dry to hide their true identities from the townsfolk {who kill 'fearful' sea monsters}, the 2 boys do all they can to continue the ruse, all while Luca's parents must do the same while trying desperately to find him.
This fleet {at 94 min. in length}, beautifully-executed movie reminded me of Finding Nemo/Dory & The Little Mermaid in many ways. The core plot is generic & unchallenging, really. And while 'Luca' is FULL of heart, it lacks narrative heft. But I digress. Visually, the setting is SO vibrant & expertly-rendered that you'll want to jump on the next plane to the Italian Rivera for their turquoise seas, cobblestone streets, fountained-courtyards, amazing food & eccentric townsfolk. I loved watching the transformation of the sea monsters into human form. Animated pasta never looked so delicious. And I've never seen water sparkle, glisten & undulate as spectacularly in other animated films as it does here. Jacob Tremblay has a very expressive voice, making Luca's cerebral curiosity & awe come to life. Grazer's Alberto is a confident & impulsive counterbalance to Luca's initially-hesitant identity. And each supporting character offers nice vocal personality to their roles.
I loved watching our two male protagonists turn into friends, and discover the joys & dangers of the human world above -- one could only wish to have a friendship like these two have at such a pivotal point of their adolescence. This movie is not a tearjerker - which is refreshing for a Pixar film, ha - having said that, there IS a moment of betrayal and, it is an emotionally cathartic experience in the end. This film is tender, sweet & lightly humorous; with some physical comedy + a funny mustached cat that is verrry suspicious of Luca & Alberto's true selves. It's also nice to see a single father who belies his brute appearance by cooking meals, teaching the boys the skills needed to fish, & supporting his daughter in her dreams. In imparting a wonderful theme of accepting anyone who feels different, director Cararosa describes 'Luca' as a "movie about friendships that change us" -- we all had them, didn't we?
Alberto collects human objects and, his dream of owning a Vespa scooter draws Luca in, as well. The two become fast friends, sharing dreams & plans alike. When Daniela learns what Luca has been doing, she & Lorenzo arrange to have their son live with his nutty Uncle Ugo (Sacha Baron Cohen) in the depths of the sea. Saddened, Luca runs away & sets-off with Alberto for nearby Portorosso where they meet tomboy Giulia (Emma Berman), who lives there with her intimidating fisherman/sea monster-hating father, Massimo (Marco Barricelli). Giulia is determined to win the town's annual triathlon - consisting of cycling, eating pasta & swimming - and to finally defeat egotistical bully, Ercole (Saverio Raimondo). When Luca & Alberto discover that the winner will receive prize $$ that could be used to buy an old Vespa, they convince Giulia to let them join her team. But with them having to remain dry to hide their true identities from the townsfolk {who kill 'fearful' sea monsters}, the 2 boys do all they can to continue the ruse, all while Luca's parents must do the same while trying desperately to find him.
This fleet {at 94 min. in length}, beautifully-executed movie reminded me of Finding Nemo/Dory & The Little Mermaid in many ways. The core plot is generic & unchallenging, really. And while 'Luca' is FULL of heart, it lacks narrative heft. But I digress. Visually, the setting is SO vibrant & expertly-rendered that you'll want to jump on the next plane to the Italian Rivera for their turquoise seas, cobblestone streets, fountained-courtyards, amazing food & eccentric townsfolk. I loved watching the transformation of the sea monsters into human form. Animated pasta never looked so delicious. And I've never seen water sparkle, glisten & undulate as spectacularly in other animated films as it does here. Jacob Tremblay has a very expressive voice, making Luca's cerebral curiosity & awe come to life. Grazer's Alberto is a confident & impulsive counterbalance to Luca's initially-hesitant identity. And each supporting character offers nice vocal personality to their roles.
I loved watching our two male protagonists turn into friends, and discover the joys & dangers of the human world above -- one could only wish to have a friendship like these two have at such a pivotal point of their adolescence. This movie is not a tearjerker - which is refreshing for a Pixar film, ha - having said that, there IS a moment of betrayal and, it is an emotionally cathartic experience in the end. This film is tender, sweet & lightly humorous; with some physical comedy + a funny mustached cat that is verrry suspicious of Luca & Alberto's true selves. It's also nice to see a single father who belies his brute appearance by cooking meals, teaching the boys the skills needed to fish, & supporting his daughter in her dreams. In imparting a wonderful theme of accepting anyone who feels different, director Cararosa describes 'Luca' as a "movie about friendships that change us" -- we all had them, didn't we?