LUCA

Of all the movies Pixar has made, Luca definitely feels the least like it had to be expanded to feature length.

The picture has a surprisingly slight narrative about two sea creatures who turn into human form when they set foot on Italian shores and decide to enter the local Portorosso Cup in the hope of buying a Vespa scooter with the prize money. And while you do sense the immense love for Italian culture in Enrico Casarosa's nostalgic approach, the arena feels small rather than intimate and the visuals adequate rather than ambitious.

I'm not saying that there aren't plenty of amusing moments in Luca, which is actually as breezy, funny and amusing a film as you could hope for, but even before the end credits roll, you've already forgotten most of what you just saw.

Was this the reason that Disney ultimately decided to only release the picture on its streaming service instead of in theatres? Perhaps. All I know is that Luca is probably more at home on the small screen anyway, which is not something I ever expected to say about a Pixar feature film with A-list talent involved.

release: 2021

director: Enrico Casarosa

starring: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph