‘Luca’ is the story of a group of kids on a journey of self-discovery as their newfound friendships expose them to a myriad of new experiences that will also test their bond.
Teenage rebellion is almost a rite of passage for many young people. Feeling as if their parents’ rules are stifling their ability to explore the world, make their own mistakes and grow into independent adults, they disobey them in an attempt to carve their own path. Some forms of dissent can be healthy and informative, even if it alarms their guardians. Making new friends, finding fresh interests and setting one’s own goals are what coming-of-age stories are all about — regardless of the colour or species of the adolescent. In Luca, a boy raised in the underwater discovers a whole other life on the surface.
Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and his family are a species of sea monster who live a quiet life at the bottom of the sea off the coast of the Italian Riviera. He’s been warned to never breach the water’s surface as humans are always on the hunt for their kind. However, a chance encounter with Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), another young sea monster, reveals a world to Luca of which he never dreamed. Most importantly, he learns that when their species does go on land and dry off, they appear human, which makes it much easier to blend in with the locals. The two become inseparable as the worldlier Alberto educates the naïve Luca… even if his teachings aren’t always correct. Daringly deciding to spend the summer in a nearby fishing village, they are befriended by Giulia (Emma Berman) and enlisted to participate in an annual race to defeat the reigning champion and local bully, Ercole (Saverio Raimondo).
If it isn’t clear from the above, there’s a lot going on in this picture — perhaps too much. There’s Luca’s search for independence, and exploration of a new and exciting world filled with wonders of which he’d only previously caught glimpses. His newfound friendship with Alberto, who becomes like an older brother, as the pair bond over their shared dream of one day riding a Vespa around the world. With Giulia’s introduction, gratitude and camaraderie turn to jealousy when she appears to occupy too much of one of the boy’s time, enchanting him with book knowledge and facts. Ercole and his two cronies regularly torment all three kids, as well as the rest of the town who is forced to bathe in his self-proclaimed glory. There’s also Luca’s parents’ search for their runaway son, which amusingly involves drenching all the local children in an attempt to reveal their camouflaged boy. Finally, the film culminates in the annual triathlon, which offers a cash prize that could change the life of the winning child.
With so many storylines, it’s difficult to become fully invested in Luca’s journey as it feels like the viewer’s attention is always being drawn in another direction. Considering most Disney movies typically stick to two or three subplots, this was an unusual problem to have in one of their animated films. Even though all of the subplots are interconnected and flow into one another, it still feels a bit crowded thematically. Nonetheless, the freshly formed trio are an interesting group of kids with their own personality quirks. Amusingly, Giulia often exclaims, “Santa ______,” filling the blank with a type of cheese, such as pecorino or mozzarella. Conversely, the boys adopt an unflattering phrase as a greeting, insulting people with their first impressions.
The film’s depiction of a small Italian village is picturesque, though you don’t see many of the clichéd sights, such as a pizza parlour — though they do eat a lot of pasta. The stone walkways and central fountain are very inviting, while the weaving passages make for interesting paths in which the children can play. Though they avoid many cultural stereotypes, it’s still easy to recognize they’re in Italy, which provides the movie a charming locale with familiar residents. This recent trend in which Disney/Pixar sets their narratives in different, existing countries is giving their film’s a fresh perspective that audiences can enjoy.
In the end, the family-friendly picture enforces the important lesson of not judging anyone based on their appearances, as Luca and Alberto are the same good-hearted boys whether they’re wearing human disguises or not. However, there was probably a simpler path to the same conclusion.
Director: Enrico Casarosa
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer and Emma Berman
