‘Luca’ Isn’t the Worst Pixar Movie, But That’s As Good As It Gets (FILM REVIEW)

Rating: C-

The best thing that can be said about Pixar’s latest movie, Luca, is that it’s by far not the worst effort Pixar has ever given us. That’s a distinction that Cars 2 will probably hold for a long, long time. Or, really, the Cars franchise, generally. I’m not sure I see anything Pixar does taking the bottom spot from any of those films.

Of course, “Well, at least it’s not Cars” is about as far from a ringing endorsement as one can get. In truth, it feels half formed, as if the studio had three vague ideas for various stories that they smashed together in the hopes that something cohesive might arise. The end effect is haphazard and lazy and a far cry from the quality of filmmaking that Pixar is generally known for.

For a studio known for elevating the concept of children’s films with works such as WALL-E and Up, Luca is exceedingly uninspired. Even the studio’s needless sequels like Toy Story 4 and Monster’s University feel more important than this. At least those add something to the oeuvre.

None of which is to say that children won’t enjoy Luca. Indeed, its simplistic and silly story will no doubt appeal to the younger members of your family, giving you a blessed 90 minutes of freedom while they bask in awe. That might be good enough, though it certainly is disappointing given how much effort Pixar tends to put into making its films palatable for adults and teens in addition to the youngsters of a family.

The film follows Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), a mild-mannered and kind magical sea-creature who just wants to explore his world, despite his overbearing parents (Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan). In Luca’s world, a sea-creature can leave the waters and shape shift into human form, a fate Luca’s parents are dead set against. Sowing his wild oats, Luca leaves the waters anyway after meeting Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), another sea-creature who has left the water. Finding themselves in coastal Italy, the two try to navigate life as humans and enter a triathlon in the hopes of winning money to buy a Vespa.

There’s certainly no problem with low stakes—and it’s hard to imagine the stakes being lower than they are in Luca—but so much of the film is so uninspired that it’s hard to care too much about Luca, Alberto, or their triathlon. Coupled with silly humor and jokes that just do not or cannot land, there isn’t much of Luca worth seeing outside the typically stellar Pixar animation.

Characters in Luca feel like cookie cutter copies of Italian stereotypes that just don’t read well. Often they use cheese as an expletive. Almost every time you turn around one character or another is exclaiming “Santo Gorgonzola” or “Santo Mozzarella”. Additionally, the triathlon Luca and Alberto enter includes the time-honored athletic event of *checks notes* pasta eating? Get it? Italians love cheese and pasta?

It might be superficially cute but none of it makes any of it particularly worthwhile. Which is probably why it’s being released at no additional charge on Disney+. That’s great news for parents who need something new for their kids to watch, and good news for everyone else who now doesn’t have to spend good money to see the latest Pixar adventure. Unfortunately, it’s so much of a misfire that I’m not sure that is worth the 90 minute investment required to see it.

Luca is now available on Disney+.