Movie Review: Luca

 

Note: This film is only available on Disney +

Michael's Movie Grade: B

Maybe not Pixar's finest hour, but a darn good movie in its own right. 

One of the best things about this movie is the sheer atmosphere and the film's excellent animated interpretation of Italy. Director Enrico Casarosa grew up in Italy and had the crew takes trips there with him to show them so many of the places that made his childhood so special. As such this movie does not take place in a vaguely Italian village like so many similar films would do, but instead a beautiful, immersive and nostalgic place that feels completely real to the audience. Like is common in Pixar movies a lot of work was put into even the tiniest details. Yet at the same time the movie has a cartoony look that at first glance is deceptively simple. When many animated movies try to look as real as possible this movie is not ashamed to look like a cartoon and to exaggerate for cartoony effect. However because of the love and care put into this film, we get caught up in the emotion just as much as any great live action film. This proves that a film being ashamedly a cartoon does not mean that it can't have an emotional impact. The three main characters here are wonderful as well. Overcoming the simple stereotypes, they could have been, they feel like real people. We all know someone just like each of these three characters and can relate and care for them very easy. I also love that this film is not afraid to slow down and let us enjoy the little moments as it is moments like these that can truly make a film stand out.

Unfortunately this movie suffers from a weak, cliché and all together boring villain in a story that would have been just fine without such a character. The storyline is also very familiar and it is hard at anytime to not see exactly where it is going to go. The humor while not bad certainly is not as funny as we have come to except from Pixar.

This will not become one of my most watched Pixar movies, but it is one that I know I will truly enjoy each time I watch it.