The Portorosso Cup is just around the corner, and Ercole Visconti (Saverio Raimondo) is poised to win the triathlon again. However, Guiliana Marcovaldo (Emma Berman) is prepared to dethrone the champion and, for the first time, win the cup for herself. She, and sea monsters in disguise, Luca Paguro (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto Scorfano (Jack Dylan Grazer), will form an unlikely bond as they prepare for the Portorosso Cup. Along the way, that friendship will teach them a lesson or two, and the three will forever look at life in a new and beautiful way.
Two of the biggest up-and-comers in Hollywood, Tremblay and Grazer, lead Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures’ film as the outcast, under-the-dog sea monsters attempting to fit in on land. The two have found success in films like Good Boys and It respectively, and have already cemented themselves as shoe-ins for major roles in their futures. Luca finds them just a bit out of their element (maybe). The two have been known to fill the roles of uniquely crude individuals, and in live-action films. We all know that Disney can be subtly crude, filling many of their films with adult humor, but, regardless of what Disney can often offer its viewers, Luca and Alberto are far different than their previous roles.
Even as the two are asked to transition to something unique for them, they excel and bring immense life to Luca. The two young actors are fun, vibrant, and incredibly entertaining together. Their banter feels wise beyond their years and far more mature than many audiences may have expected from a Disney film. Luca finds ways to appeal to viewers in new ways, while still adhering to the usual Disney/Pixar formula of teaching younger viewers and appealing to the emotions of the seasoned audiences.
The animation is different than usual, and it appears that Disney and Pixar attempted to veer ever so slightly from the usual dialogue, animation, and overall approach when developing Luca. I enjoy the fact that individuals like Enrico Casarosa (writer-director), and the rest of the writers, were eager to find their own way and their own place in the world of Disney, and truly make Luca their own. The individuality present throughout the film shines through some of the less-intriguing scenes and breathes life into them. Let’s be honest with ourselves, Soul was incredibly overrated, and nearly every aspect of that film failed to deliver in the fashion in which the world had anticipated. That failure allowed some leeway for Luca, as we, the fans of Disney and Pixar, needed multiple successful films to wash out the dreadful taste that Soul left in our mouths. Sure, Luca has moments where I was less than impressed, but having that aforementioned film still in mind at this point while watching allowed me to better appreciate the film’s shortcomings.
Luca takes some time to get going, and I found myself bored throughout the opening act. I wanted the film to wow me from the start, but this misstep caused me to settle early on disappointment–that disappointment, however, soon left, as the relationship between Tremblay and Grazer (as well as Berman) is superb and entertaining in nearly every single one of their encounters. There is no doubt in my mind that these three young actors have bright futures, and Luca helps to showcase their talents in a number of ways. They capture emotion, brilliantly deliver jokes, and find ways to connect with viewers throughout nearly the entire film. While part of that comes as a result of the prowess of the writers and director, it is primarily thanks to the actors’ impeccable talents. Luca does not fail to entertain, and even in the slower moments, all that the film has to offer drowns out those humdrum moments and solidifies Luca as one of the better Disney/Pixar films in recent memory.
Directed by Enrico Casarosa.
Written by Enrico Casarosa, Jess Andrews, Simon Stephenson, Mike Jones, Julie Lynn, & Randall Green.
Starring Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli, Jim Gaffigan, Peter Sohn, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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