Luca is a 2021 American Italian 3D computer-animated adventure comedy film directed by Enrico Casarosa in his directorial debut with screenplay by Mike Jones and Jesse Andrews. The cast features the voices including Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Jim Gaffigan, Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli, Peter Sohn, Lorenzo Crisci and Saverio Raimondo.
Set on the Italian Riviera in the 1950–1960s, the film centers on Luca Paguro, a sea monster boy with the ability to assume human form while on land, who explores the town of Portorosso with his new best friend, Alberto Scorfano, experiencing a life-changing summer adventure. Luca takes inspiration from Casarosa's childhood in Genoa; several Pixar artists were sent to the Italian Riviera gathering research from Italian culture and environment. The sea monsters, a "metaphor for feeling different", were loosely based on old Italian regional myths and folklore. Like La Luna, the design and animation were inspired by hand-drawn and stop motion works and Hayao Miyazaki's style. Casarosa described the result as a film that "pays homage to Federico Fellini and other classic Italian filmmakers, with a dash of Miyazaki in the mix too".
Originally intended to be shown in theaters, the film will instead be released on Disney+ on June 18, 2021 as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The film is getting theatres on USA named El Capitan Theatres on released included Worldwide without Streaming service, and met with positive reviews and praises voice performances, animation, visual effects, transforming arts, and nostalgia feel. It was a most successfully streaming view movie of 2021 and reaching 10.6 billion watched.
Plot[]
In 1959, Luca Paguro, a timid young sea monster, herds goatfish off the coast of the Italian town of Portorosso. His parents Daniela and Lorenzo, fearing that humans might hunt him, forbid him to approach the surface. One day, Luca meets Alberto Scorfano, a fellow sea monster child who lives alone above the surface, claiming that his father simply is not around much. Alberto encourages Luca to adventure out of the ocean, showing him that sea monsters turn into humans when dry, but return to their true forms when wet. Luca follows Alberto to his hideout on Isola del Mare, where the boys connect while making and riding a makeshift, fragile Vespa. Upon discovering their son's actions, Luca's parents plan to send Luca to live in the deep sea with his uncle Ugo. In retaliation, Luca and Alberto run away to Portorosso to find a real Vespa and travel the world.
The boys run afoul of Ercole Visconti, the local bully and five-time champion of the Portorosso Cup, a local Children's Triathlon. Ercole tries to dunk Luca in a fountain, but Giulia Marcovaldo, a young girl, helps the boys escape. In hopes of winning the money needed for a Vespa, the boys and Giulia form a team for the triathlon, which involves swimming, pasta-eating, and biking. Unable to swim without revealing themselves, Luca and Alberto take on the biking and pasta-eating portions of the race, respectively, while Giulia takes the swimming race. Upon learning this, Ercole vows to beat them and continue his winning streak.
While the boys train for the race, and befriend Giulia's fisherman father Massimo (who was born with only one arm), Luca's parents head to the surface to find their son. Giulia teaches Luca about school, and the two bond over a love of learning, especially about astronomy. Alberto becomes jealous of Luca and Giulia's growing friendship. When Luca starts ignoring Alberto's advice, and tries changing their plans to going to school instead of traveling the world, he and Alberto fight. In anger, Alberto intentionally reveals his true form to Giulia. Luca feigns surprise at the transformation, and a heartbroken Alberto is driven off by Ercole. Giulia later sloshes a cupful of water onto a panicking Luca; seeing his true identity, she sends him away for his own safety.
Luca attempts to reconcile with Alberto, and discovers that Alberto's father abruptly abandoned him long ago, making Alberto think he was a bad kid who should not have friends. Luca sets out to win the Vespa on his own, to make things right. After several mishaps, Luca takes the lead in the bicycle race, but is forced to take shelter when it starts to rain. Alberto arrives with an umbrella, but Ercole knocks it away and both boys are revealed as sea monsters. They flee Ercole, who now intends to harpoon them to collect bounty money, but Giulia helps by smashing her bike into Ercole's, injuring herself in the process. Luca and Alberto turn back to help her, finally standing up to Ercole. They are defended from Ercole and the other fishermen by Massimo, who reveals that the boys are his friends. He also points out they have crossed the finish line and won the race. Other disguised sea monsters reveal themselves, including Luca's family, and the townsfolk happily welcome them. When Ercole refuses to accept the changes, his own henchmen Ciccio and Guido throw him into the fountain, fed up with his abuse.
Luca and Alberto purchase a Vespa, but Alberto sells it to buy a train ticket for Luca, allowing him to go to school in Genoa with Giulia. Luca's family, Massimo, and Alberto see Luca and Giulia off at the train station, where they all promise to stay in touch.
During the credits, Luca meets Giulia's mother and attends school, showing off his sea monster appearance and later watching humans walk on the moon with Giulia on television. Massimo becomes Alberto's adoptive father, and Alberto and Luca's family enjoy interacting with the humans in Portorosso. In a post-credits scene, Ugo talks to a stray goatfish about how great his life is in the depths of the ocean.
Cast[]
- Jacob Tremblay as Luca Paguro
- Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto Scorfano
- Emma Berman as Giulia Marcovaldo
- Marco Barricelli as Massimo Marcovaldo
- Saverio Raimondo as Ercole Visconti
- Maya Rudolph as Daniela Paguro
- Jim Gaffigan as Lorenzo Paguro
- Sandy Martin as Grandma Paguro
- Giacomo Gianniotti as Giacomo
- Marina Massironi as Mrs. Marsigliese
- Mel Brooks as Italian Chef
- Ben Stiller as Luigi
- David Schwimmer as Bibbie
- Sacha Baron Cohen as Uncle Ugo
- Peter Sohn and Lorenzo Crisci as Ciccio & Guido
Additional voices were provided by Alessia Bonnaci, Scott Menville, Veronica Taylor, Evan Agos, Terri Douglas, Alessandro Carloni, Eloisa Brusa, Capri Oliver, Michael Bell, Antonio Raul Corbo, Charlotte Infussi D'Amico, Hudson D'Andrea, Valeriano Corini, Mimi Maynard, Mattia Moresco, Luciano Palmeri, Alessandro Sussi, Jim Pirri, Lily Villegas, Dina Morrone, Giuseppe Russo, Arturo Sorino, Gino La Monica, Jason Maybaum, Jonathan Nichols, Melanie Minichino, Iralia Pellicone, Lucrezia Roma, Elisa Gabrielli, Francesca Fanti, Sara Vidale, Billy West, Matthew Mercer, Erica Lindbeck, Zeno Robinson, Max Mittelman, Ashly Burch, David Errigo Jr., Tara Sands, Tara Strong, Debra Wilson, Kari Wahlgren, Steve Blum and Chiara Vidale.
Trivia[]
- This is the second full-length Pixar film to skip the theaters and being instead released exclusively on Disney+, following Soul.
- This is also the last Disney/Pixar film to use the 1995 logo.