The artists at Disney and Pixar have returned with a new animated film “Luca” which will debut on Disney+ on June 18th. The film introduces audiences to Luca (Jacob Tremblay); a young Sea Monster who lives with his family and fellow fish off the coast of a small town in Italy. Luca is warned not to go on the surface and to avoid humans at all costs by his parents. When a rebellious Sea Monster named Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer); happens upon Luca and gets him to the surface; Luca discovers that he and Alberto appear as human boys when their skin is no longer wet. Fascinated by the rebellious life Alberto leads and amazed by what he sees upon his brief land excursions; Luca looks for new ways to find time on the surface which leads to him being more and more deceptive to his parents. In time Luca and Alberto head to the village and meet a spunky local girl named Giulia (Emma Berman); who is on a break from school and longs to win a local race in order to get back at the reigning champion and bully. Luca and Alberto see the race as a chance to win money to buy their own Vespa which they see as the key to exploring the surface world which sets a chain of events into motion as their two worlds are about to collide leading up to the race. The film is visually appealing, but the story for me dragged and did not have the spark and heart that have made countless PIXAR films enduring classics. While the characters were fine; they did not have the appeal or charisma that I have come to expect with the PIXAR brand. There have been reports that after “SOUL” was moved from a theatrical release to streaming during the Pandemic that some at PIXAR were upset with the decision to make “Luca” a streaming option. My take is that it was 100% the correct decision as while it is an entertaining film; it is not one that is likely to light up the Box Office and is better suited for a streaming debut. The biggest issue with “Luca” is that coming from a studio with such a long line of classics; it fails to reach the levels previously set and while entertaining comes up lacking. 3 stars out of 5

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/luca-spoiler-free-review "Luca follows the studio's formulas of success closely without taking any unique detours, but it still tells a compelling story with relatable characters that gets to the viewers' heartstrings. From the detailed animation that makes the Italian coast look realistically astonishing to Dan Romer's rich score that hits all the right notes, without forgetting the outstanding voice work, every Pixar's trademark technical attribute is present in an admittedly less complex, unsurprising narrative. Enrico Casarosa takes Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones' light screenplay through a generic structure, where the "feeling/being different" theme is efficiently developed but closed in an underwhelming manner. Nevertheless, predictability means nothing in a movie where fully-developed characters spend the summer creating genuine friendships with an impactful emotional weight that might induce a couple of tears in the last few powerful minutes. It's not my favorite Pixar flick, but it's definitely a good film that I wholeheartedly recommend watching." Rating: B

Really good watch, could watch again, and can recommend. This is full of fun and child-like wonder, with a surprising edge to it as there is an usual amount of violence directly related to the main characters. This has a very wholesome feel to it as it has the romantic aspect of searching for new frontiers and adventures, but not necessarily for romantic relationships. The story does a good job of pacing out the events of the movie allowing for each aspect to take the focus it needs. While this is a movie about a triatholon, it's a better story about freedom and acceptance.

Meh. Nothing creative here. Cute film and all but certainly not Pixar's best.

"Luca" endures, really, a life beneath the sea where he acts as a sort of shepherd for fish each day before returning home to his loving but over-bearing mother. It's when he encounters a fishing boat near the surface, that he becomes intrigued by things going on on land. Scavenging for jetsam, he encounters "Alberto" - only to discover that this lad lives two lives. He also has a terrestrial home atop a ruined tower. Gradually the two become firm friends, and soon "Luca" is spending more time as an human boy than he is as a sea creature. Determined to stay one step ahead of his parents, the boys decide to relocate to the town - and that's where they hope to be able to save enough money to buy a "Vespa". They spot one - a bit rusty and dilapidated, but how to get the cash? That might come in the way of the annual Porto Rosso Cup - but to win that they have to outwit the town bully "Ercole". He's not so much a brutal bully, more an entitled eedjit with a superiority complex. The boys have to be mindful of one thing, though. Get wet and they return to their natural "sea monster" form - and that will scare the local population and they'll be toast. I really quite enjoyed this. It's a simple story of two boys who make friends and dream of escaping to a new world of amazing and exciting opportunity together. There's even an engaging hint of jealousy that creeps in too, when "Alberto" feels snubbed when "Luca" and their new friend "Giulia" start to send more time together, and especially when they talk about voluntarily going to school! The narrative delivers a clear story of family, loyalty and fun with loads of daft Italian expressions incorporated into the lively dialogue (sorry if you are called Bruno!). Much less cloying and sentimental than many Pixar characterisation, it's a story about not being afraid of what (or who) you don't know and it's unashamedly a bromance.