Movie review: Luca
Every so often, you need some sunshine in your life.
For a solid shot of feel-good, Disney+ has low-key released (in Disney terms) the new Pixar film Luca.
Set on the sun-kissed Italian coast in the 1950s, it is the story of the titular 13-year-old merboy (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) who, against the wishes of his parents, dares venture onto dry land - where he discovers he looks like a human boy when dry.
He also meets Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), another merboy who has been using his land legs for some time.
The pair hit it off and in their quest for a Vespa scooter (their symbol of freedom), make friends with a human girl, taking their land adventure further - even though the smallest splash of water risks exposing their true nature.
While the big theme is not as in-your-face compared with other recent Pixar films, Luca still packs in the right amount of charm, character and heart for this fish-out-of-water tale of friendship and finding your path.
The world is beautifully created, the soundtrack is perfect and you will long for the days of travel and those impossibly long summers of freedom.
And fair warning, even those with the coldest of hearts might find that the warmth gives them a watery eye.
Luca is the perfect getaway, which you may even rewatch just to hang out in this idyllic Italy.
LUCA (PG)
Score: 4/5
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