Pixar’s ‘Luca’ Is Heartwarming At Its Core
Photo courtesy of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Pixar’s Luca is a computer-generated animated coming-of-age fantasy film that was released on Disney+ on June 18, 2021. Set on the Italian Riviera, the film follows a young sea monster named Luca who has the ability to change into a human when on land. He explores the town of Portorosso with his new best friend, Alberto, and experiences a life-altering summer.
The film is director Enrico Casarosa’s feature-length directorial debut. He previously directed the 2011 short film, La Luna. It is the first Pixar film to be made almost exclusively at home due to the closing of Pixar campus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Casarosa took inspiration from his own life seeing himself as Luca and his real-life best friend Alberto as Alberto Scorfano. The director confirms that the central story of the film is the celebration of friendship.
The film is set during the 50s and 60s with music and designs that are inspired from that period to capture the timelessness of the era. The sea monsters were pulled from folklore and Italian myths. Pixar sent a team out to the Italian Riviera to conduct research for the animated feature. They took photographs of the landscapes and people for inspiration. A clay figure of sea monster Luca was sculpted to assist in the design process of the titular character.
The film features an array of colorful characters voiced by newcomers and veterans.
Luca Paguro is voiced by Jacob Tremblay. Luca is a 13 year-old sea monster anxiously awaiting to explore the world above the sea. Casarosa wanted Luca to be an introvert and someone who is curious.
Alberto Scorfano is voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer. Alberto is a 14 year-old sea monster who is enthusiastic about exploring the human world. He is all about having fun but is scared of being alone.
Giulia Marcovaldo is voiced by newcomer Emma Berman. Giulia is an adventurous, charming young Italian girl who befriends Luca and Alberto and has a love of books and learning.
Daniela Paguro (Luca’s mother) is voiced by Maya Rudolph. Daniela is determined to keep her son safe regardless of the consequences.
Lorenzo Paguro (Luca’s father) is voiced by Jim Gaffigan. Lorenzo means well but is often distracted by other things.
Uncle Ugo (Luca’s uncle) is voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen. Uncle Ugo has a distinct personality and only appears in the film for a short while.
The film holds a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes currently and received generally positive reviews from critics. It’s made $11.6 million in the box office so far.
While it’s not explicitly an LGBTQ+ film, many fans and viewers agree to disagree. Many believe that it was a cinematic parallel to Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 coming-of-age drama film, Call Me By Your Name. Well, specifically a parallel between Luca and Alberto and Elio and Oliver.
Although the film just came out, there are talks with Pixar making a sequel. Casarosa said he would love the sequel to have a similar story as the 1998 film The Parent Trap with Luca and Giulia trying to get Massimo and his wife back together. The cast agreed to return for a sequel. Disney+ sent a poll out to households on how likely they would be to watch a sequel which hints that Pixar and Disney intend to produce a sequel at some point.
Yes. As an adult, I have a different perspective when it comes to watching Disney films now versus when I was a child. There were just a couple inconsistencies I noticed. First, I wish we saw more of Luca’s interest in exploring the world above the water more. Second, there were a few times where I did lose interest.
On the flip side, the animation and colors were vivid and immersive. The story was cute and it was nice to see a Disney/Pixar film focus on the meaning of friendship.
Don’t forget to grab some tissues. It’s a Pixar film after all.
Luca is available to stream exclusively on Disney Plus.
Director: Enrico Casarosa
Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan
Producer: Andrea Warren
