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Luca

Luca

2021

Enrico Casarosa

Animation, Voice: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman ...

6.9

19,293

Animation. Adventure. Fantasy. Comedy Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the original animated feature is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: he is a sea monster from another world just below the water's surface.

	Author	Review
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"One of the most grounded and enjoyable coming-of-age stories the studio has ever told. (...) Luca” is also the closest that Pixar has ever come to capturing the ineffable spirit of a Studio Ghibli film"	POS
United States	Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"A gorgeous and lovely coming-of-age fantasy with plenty of slapstick laughs, the obligatory heartwarming family moments and a friendship for the ages (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United Kingdom	Benjamin Lee The Guardian	"A sunny, nimble little story that also threatens to blow away in the sea breeze, as charming as it is minor (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United States	David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"Its Mediterranean flavor and disarming lessons about the value of friendship and acceptance provide fresh charms (...) It’s not canonical Pixar, but it’s as sweet and satisfying as artisanal gelato on a summer afternoon."	POS
United States	Drew Taylor The Playlist	”It is magical, emotional, and unlike anything the studio has made before. If 'La Luna' announced Casarosa as one of the most distinctive, original storytellers at the studio, 'Luca' confirms it."	POS
United States	Owen Gleiberman Variety	"It's a gentle formula fairy tale infused with an honest nostalgia for '50s small-town Italy. But for Pixar that's pretty small gnocchi."	NEU
United Kingdom	Nicholas Barber BBC	"A delight, a gentle yarn that induces nostalgia for youthful summer holidays (...) [This] cartoon is aimed at the heart – and the tastebuds – rather than the brain (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Peter Travers ABC News	"It may not be in the same league as such Pixar classics as 'WALL-E', 'Up', 'Finding Nemo', 'The Incredibles' and the 'Toy Story' quartet, but there's no denying its visual and comic dazzle as a heartfelt hymn to embracing diversity. It's pure enchantment"	POS
United States	Alonso Duralde The Wrap	"Casarosa’s directorial debut is as light and lovely as a long summer afternoon with a new friend and a cold lemonade (...) And like its shape-shifting protagonists, it’s got plenty going on beneath the surface."	POS
United States	Robert Daniels The Playlist	"'Luca' certainly isn’t without its charms (...) But “Luca” retreads too much well-cultivated ground and reworks so many achingly familiar tropes as its best qualities sink to a murky bottom (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"	NEU
United States	Hoai-Tran Bui SlashFilm	"Luca is the antithesis of everything Pixar has been working toward in recent years. And that’s good. That’s exceptional, really, because it defies the Pixar formula in such a refreshing but simple way"	POS
United States	Justin Chang Los Angeles Times	"Certainly it lacks the grand metaphysical ambitions of the Oscar-winning 'Soul'. But that may explain why it ultimately feels like the defter, more surefooted film (...) 'Luca' is big in all the ways that count"	POS
United States	A.A. Dowd AV Club	"A stop on the “It’s A Small World” ride at Disneyland, just with more good-natured cultural stereotypes"	NEU
United States	Brian Roan The Film Stage	"A film soaked in nostalgic affection for the Italian coast, awe for the empowerment of knowledge, and love of the power of family, whether born of blood or choice."	POS
United States	Brian Truitt USA Today	"This Italian-flavored delight is much more interested in lifting your spirits and making you smile than wringing out tears. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Nicole Clark IGN	"An enjoyable, sun-drenched summer flick (...) But Luca is ultimately hamstrung by a lack of depth in its storytelling, and its character development"	NEU
United Kingdom	Tim Grierson Screendaily	"At 84 minutes not including end credits, Luca is undeniably slight. But there’s also relief in its modesty (...) Casarosa gives the film and its easygoing humour room to breathe."	POS
United States	Keith Watson Slant	"The experience of watching Luca is not unlike taking a trip to some beautiful locale (...) when you return home, it’s the buzzy, pleasant charm of the place that stays with you (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"	NEU
United States	Johnny Oleksinski New York Post	"The film is not as action-packed, epic or thinky as many recent Pixar offerings, but it’s admirably simple and has a lot of heart (...) 'Luca' is confidently its own thing (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Phil de Semlyen Time Out	"Pixar mislays its magic in a sleepy seaside coming-of-age tale of sea monsters and scooters (...) The snoozy summery vibe will suit anyone looking for undemanding viewing for their little ones (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United Kingdom	Nick De Semlyen Empire	"What stops the film short of greatness is a pervading generic quality (...) A strange hybrid of Italian neorealism and fish-based fantasy, 'Luca' is beautiful to behold but plays it too safe to make a real impact (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU

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