Luca Parent Guide

If you ever thought sea monsters enjoyed lives of mystery and excitement beneath the waves, think again. Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and his undersea family have a humdrum existence focused on herding fish, raising show crabs, harvesting seaweed, and avoiding “land monsters”.

Following in the fins of Ariel, Disney’s insatiably curious mermaid, Luca is fascinated by the world above the water – but thanks to his mother’s (Maya Rudolph) fearful warnings, he’s also terrified by it. When a rebellious fellow sea monster named Arturo (Jack Dylan Grazer) throws Luca onto the beach, the hesitant young ocean dweller assumes human form and guiltily falls in love with life as a land lubber.

Luca and Arturo enjoy halcyon days ashore, trying to build their own Vespa, the Italian motorbike that enthralls them. A trip to a nearby village introduces the boys to Giulia (Emma Berman), a girl determined to win the local triathlon and claim the cash prize. When the pals realize that cash can be turned into a Vespa, they persuade Giulia to let them be part of her triathlon team. But there’s a problem: neither of them knows how to ride a bike and they can’t swim without turning back into their scaly selves. And in a town where hunting sea monsters is a fabled occupation, that’s no small risk.

Luca is the latest feature film by Pixar, and it upholds the Disney studio’s reputation for animation. The village of Portorosso is lovingly rendered, with the golden charm that has led generations of tourists to fall in love with Italy. The ocean and sky are drawn with clarity and light, and few scenes are more magical than those where the two meet. Also well done are the transformations between human and sea monster as scales turn seamlessly into hair and skin and then back again.

As for the script, the quality is more variable. On the bright side, the humor is aimed straight at a young audience without the usual fart and butt jokes. On the downside, the story drags at times and doesn’t always have the magical feel that I expect from a Pixar film. That’s not to say that this is a bad film – it’s a fine choice for families – but Pixar has made such great films that “good” can feel like a bit of a letdown.

Luca is also good, if not great, in terms of negative content with the sole issue being a fair bit of plot related violence. Scenes of peril for sea monsters will upset sensitive kids, but are unlikely to be a problem for anyone else.

Thankfully, Luca is also awash in positive themes for viewers of all ages. The obvious one is an emphasis on not judging others based on the groups to which they belong. The villagers are terrified of sea monsters but once they get to know their aquatic neighbors, they learn to accept them. Young Luca learns about the wide world, and desperately longs to go to school, delivering an un-subtle message about the benefits of education. Arturo also gives Luca and young viewers a lesson about overcoming their fears (which he names “Bruno”) and yelling “Silenzio, Bruno” prior to doing frightening things. As long as this example encourages pushing through anxiety and not reckless risk-taking, it’s a great take-away from the film. With messages this strong, Luca could well be the catch of the day.