Opinion: Why You Should Watch Disney Pixar's ‘Luca’
While Disney and Pixar have created some fantastic animated movies, Luca is my new favorite. Now, I realize this is a bold statement, especially when Luca has contenders such as Encanto, Up, and Onward, so it seems only reasonable and fair to explain why I love this movie as much as I do. And it's not just because of childhood nostalgia. (Although that is definitely a good and natural reason.)
First, I must address Luca's outstanding animation. While Pixar has always gone above and beyond in this regard, they really have outdone themselves in this film, and it shows. Not only did they manage to create a realistic and visually satisfying switch between the sea monster's land and aquatic forms, seamlessly combine classic and modern animation in many action scenes, and animate a hair bounce to die for, but they also sneaked in the act of revolutionizing computer-animated water. I would watch Luca for the ocean scenes alone.
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For those of you who have yet to watch Luca and have--by luck or choice--missed the trailer, the basic premise of the movie is that a group of humanoid sea creatures inhabit the bay near the sea monster-hating Italian town of Portorosso, living in fear of the 'land monsters' within an underwater paradise. Luca follows Luca Paguro, a 13-year-old sea monster, as he and his growing curiosity wander further and further out of the simple world he knows. Over the movie's running time, Luca meets both charming and unsavory characters and is introduced to the wide and wondrous world of the surface while simultaneously learning just what sort of person he is.
Fellow sea monster Alberto is a catalyst to many of Luca's adventures, as well as his first trip out of the sea and onto dry land. The two become fast friends, exploring Portorosso together along with Giulia, a human unaware of their fishy secret. While characters and animation like Luca's are alone enough to make a decent film, Disney and Pixar level it up from basic to exceptional with the warmth, genuineness, and wonder of character interactions. You'd be hard-pressed to avoid falling in love with each and every character--except maybe Ercole--and the many touching, real, and humorous moments are enjoyable for both adults and children alike.
We are returned to our childhood days, seeing the world from a child's eyes as Luca explores the world around him. His innocence and wonder spark joyful nostalgia, and we relearn the ways of the world as he learns them for the first time. Shared spells of fondness and shyness between Luca and Giulia--or Luca and Alberto, depending on who you talk to--are sweet and accurate representations of young love and add a welcome touch of magic to the film. While a simple and literal 'fish-out-of-water' story, the plot is brought together through the well-developed characters and gorgeous settings.
A challenge in many animated kids movies, and kids movies in general, is how to create something that people of all ages can appreciate without taking away from the core idea: a film for kids. Luca does this magnificently. Instead of tying in adult jokes that kids won't understand as many animated films do, Luca presents scenes and visual gags that agree with both, allowing parents and their children to experience the movie together rather than separated by attempts to appease them both.
Combining all this with the talent of voice actors Jacob Tremblay (Luca), Jack Dylan Grazer (Alberto), and Emma Berman (Giulia), we get a memorable, beautiful, and emotional movie for viewers of all ages. But of course, Luca is not without its flaws. Plot mistakes (Luca's parents toss kids into the water in search of him, even though if they succeeded, their son would be revealed to everyone), animation errors (water suddenly disappearing), and an otherwise stunning poster where the part of Luca's hair above water is wet and yet still human, which goes against the base logic of the entire movie, are just a few of them.
But if we let ourselves dislike something simply because of a few honest mistakes, we wouldn't like anything.
While this movie is perhaps not as big or complex as Disney and Pixar's past classics, it has its charms, and its well-paced plot, established characters, moving soundtrack, fantastic animation, and great voice actors combine to create one of their best. If I was going to suggest a family movie to any number of people, Luca would be in my top five. But don't just take my word for it. Happy viewing!
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Source(s): Behind The Voice Actors, IMDb