Luca

Luca brings back the classic Pixar magic with a simple story and fantastic characters. Enrico Casarosa steps up as a new director for the studio—who started as just a storyboard artist—and instantly proves his cinematic eye with a painter’s precision of warmth and color. As this year’s feel-good-flick of the summer, I can hardly contain the joy its story creates in words alone.

The film’s Italian soul resonates through every scene, from anchovies swimming in the night sky to the wonderful dream of riding a vespa. Casarosa captures the true wonder that happens at the end of childhood, where the world seems to suddenly open to an infinite road of possibilities. Hallucinations of far away dreams heighten the visual flare of the main character’s emotions, but it is the concrete setting of the town, Portorosso, that catches the audience’s empathy. The vibrant, Italian seaside-village feels like a nostalgic postcard right from the director’s past. Italy feels like home, even though I have never been there, because of how alive the nostalgia is in every brick and splash of water. It is such a personal feeling that hugs you tight.

Luca brings new life in the Disney-Pixar slate of films that I hope continues to grow through these studios. Even though it was a ‘cheaper,’ slot-filler for the Disney+ catalogue, I think it does something truly special. The new art style is the right level of cartoon with stop-motion textures, giving the film its own stage to perform compared to the rest of Pixar's collection. The pacing rushes from scene-to-scene like a made-for-TV-movie, yet it still accomplishes the emotional complexity of childhood friendships. The characters remind me of kids I knew from my childhood, their competitive jealousy and curiosity refreshing my soul to a more youthful happiness. The humor and conflict are accomplished as efficient as possible, but the focus on the runtime never diminishes those moments. Wasting no time, the story brings out a rushing energy that brings you on the sidelines to cheer on the characters racing past, even showing you a photo finish that any Disney film wishes it had.

The most surprising part of this film is how perfect the first and last scenes are. The opening pulls off a brilliant homage to Jaws with Spielberg-inspired wide shots—using the island instead of a buoy—while evolving the horror tone into the Italian sailor-folk atmosphere. It starts the story on the right foot and kicks off into a dead sprint, never faltering. And the final scene? It somehow manages to utilize every ending of animated films and recreate them in a fresh way for a full emotional experience. It is not a sudden twist or reinvention of the wheel, but rather a commitment to form that adored crowds for over a century. It is short and brief, striking the emotional satisfaction at the perfect moment. Sometimes, the simple approach works best when committed to the end, and Luca proves it in spades.

Looking back at the more recent releases of Disney and Pixar, I can only assume kids will enjoy them as they grow up with rewatches and toy collections, but this film actually made me want to grow up all over again just so I watch it as a child. That lighting in a bottle energy crafts the electrically contagious sense of happiness that is rarely captured on screen. Definitely watch this film on Disney+, and relive a childhood you can only dream of.

P.S. If you want to see Enrico Casarosa's earlier attempt to bring his Italian visuals to the screen, watch the short La Luna, which played before Tangled (my favorite Disney film) back in 2011. It's on Disney+ and how it emulates the same soul of Luca feels so special that these two films can be seen together.

Story Rating: 9/10

Character Rating: 8/10

Entertainment Rating: 8/10