Disney Pixar’s ‘Luca’: Less is More
Friendship isn’t complicated, neither is this film — and that’s more than okay
Luca speaks not just to the longevity of Disney’s reign over animated film, but the quality.
And, if nothing else proves that Pixar - still makes good movies.
Good. There, I said it. Not great, but good. Maybe even really good, but not GREAT. Catching lighting in a bottle is hard, and to expect Pixar to do it every time is foolish of anyone who knows how long the studio has been telling incredible stories…pun intended.
Yet, we have come to expect greatness from Pixar and when they don’t deliver; I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a let down. This is the studio responsible for Toy Story, Up, Wall-E, Finding Nemo, and countless other true-blue classics.
Pixar cultivated an entire generations childhood with films steeped in meaning, heart, and imagination. They weren’t great animated movies. They transcended their medium and just became, great movies. Period.
That is what we want from Disney isn’t it, great movies? They certainly have the money and manpower to do the damn thing. Yet recently, they haven’t.
Now before you curse my name or worse, leave a mean comment on the internet; This isn’t some holistic crusade against Disney or Pixar. I love their stuff, just less of it than I used to. Maybe that’s because i’m getting older, pickier, or more cynical. And maybe it’s because i’m tone-deaf, so take everything I say with a grain of salt; In the end, who am I to decide?
But maybe, it’s because they truly have lost a step.
That doesn’t mean they aren’t still at the top of their game, they just seem a bit out of touch. Luca is a product of that disconnect. Filled with interesting pieces, but lacking the vision to make a satisfying whole.
How many times are we going to see the doting mother followed by an oaf of a husband, and the sly grandma who helps our hero start their journey in-spite of parental controls? Or, the outgoing and extroverted role-model with a broken past that thrusts the main character into a new world? Even the third partied stranger turned friend - who always goes it alone seems…played out.
And I get it. These tropes aren’t just for a good time, they work without fail. Not just that, they’re great. I love them. They make your lips pout and eyes water, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t low-hanging fruit from time to time.
In this instance, the movie falls flat because nothing is done with any sort of subtlety. The characters are as archetypal as it gets, and that leads to a movie left wanting. Depth in this movie comes and goes like the tide, without any real constant to hold onto.
Now with the unpleasantness out of the way, the truth is; the weaknesses of “Luca” are also its greatest strengths.
I’ll take a step off my soap box long enough to admit, I really did like Luca. An on-the-nose tale of growing up, finding yourself, and silenzio’ing your Brunos; Luca is a literal fish out of water story, told with a coming-of-age twist that possesses a level of beauty and ease only matched by the film’s sleepy seaside setting.
Sleepy Seaside Setting, say that five times fast.
The movie itself looks gorgeous. Visually I was mesmerized by every single frame that spanned its runtime, so please; Give cinematographer Kim White a hand because she is a Grade-A Badass.
As far as the animation is concerned, I don’t think I really need say too much. Pixar is the gold standard and Luca is no exception. The art style is interestingly simple, reflecting the movie’s easy-going attitude and warm feelings from start to finish.
Luca is direct, straight-laced, and fun. A departure from Pixar’s last film, Soul; Dealing with incredibly nuanced topics on: life, death, and what it means to be human - Luca goes the opposite way. This movie isn’t about the big picture; it’s about the little things, and taking time to enjoy them.
Nothing is really at stake here, and that’s okay. The movie is about outcasts finding their place and growing into the people they want to be, not who the world tells them to be. It doesn’t overcomplicate things.
At a time when the world has begun to open back up, and everything seems to be moving even faster than it did before; Luca is what we need right now. A slow-beautiful romp around a timeless vision of Italy, through the unaltered eyes of children.
That is where this movie shines, in its friendships. There is something so pure and nostalgic about prepubescent friendship, where children care so blindly for one another that it convinces you there’s still hope left in the world.
Luca makes you want to hug your mother, tell someone you love them, and hold the door for the next person you see. But further, it implores you to view the world as Luca himself does - with endless possibility and eventually, without fear.
And, maybe go out and buy a Vespa. Because…they’re awesome.
As someone who has let the world scare him from time to time, all you need to remember is:
“Silenzio Bruno!”
