focus on the family movie reviews luca

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Common sense media reviewers.

Sweet fish-out-of-water story about friendship, adventure.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Viewers will learn a bit about the deep, dark bott

It's easy to be scared of things you don't underst

Luca is curious, intelligent, kind, and empathetic

Central message is about accepting differences, in

Kids run away from home, go against rules, and put

Language is largely of the insult variety: "stinki

A Vespa scooter is central to the story and is pre

Parents need to know that Luca is Pixar's film about two sea creatures who leave their watery homes to discover the wonders of the surface in a small village on the Italian Riviera. It's a sweet coming-of-age story about courage, curiosity, empathy, perseverance, teamwork, and friendship—specifically, that of…

Educational Value

Viewers will learn a bit about the deep, dark bottom of the ocean, as well as gravity and different astronomical facts. Reading books and trying new things are encouraged as ways to learn about the world.

Positive Messages

It's easy to be scared of things you don't understand, but don't judge others based on their differences. You don't have to keep aspects of yourself hidden to be accepted—find those who love you for who you are. Curiosity, empathy, perseverance, and teamwork are great character strengths. It's important to have dreams and goals, as well as a plan to make them come true. Friendships and loyalty are important, as is making sacrifices for those you love. Be curious and learn as much as possible about the world.

Positive Role Models

Luca is curious, intelligent, kind, and empathetic. He wants to learn as much as he can about the surface and beyond. He lies to his parents and puts himself in dangerous situations but atones for his mistakes. Alberto is courageous, as well as a bit reckless, but he's loyal to Luca. He doesn't follow rules, but he doesn't have a parental figure to set any guidance, either. Giulia is clever and shows great perseverance. She also stands up for herself and others and isn't afraid to be herself, even if she doesn't fit in. The three work together as a team to overcome obstacles.

Diverse Representations

Central message is about accepting differences, in this case mostly between species. All human characters are White/Italian; movie is set on the Italian Riviera. Giulia's father, Massimo, is separated from her mother and shares custody. The arrangement is seen to be smooth and happy, and he's supportive and caring toward Giulia. Massimo is also a positive representation of limb difference, having been born with one arm. His character isn't defined by the difference, but by his great skill in fishing and cooking and his kindness toward the kids. Alberto's father isn't shown on-screen but is reported to have abandoned him, and Alberto often behaves recklessly and can feel intensely let down by others as a result. But the idea of chosen family and developing new family structures is shown when Alberto is taken in by Massimo. Giulia is a strong female character who's not restricted by gender stereotypes. She shows a thirst for adventure and has the courage to stand up for herself and her friends. That said, Italian stereotypes are used, particularly with the villain Ercole, who has slicked-back dark hair and a neatly clipped mustache, and arrogantly sits astride his Vespa, gesturing exuberantly and saying "Mamma Mia!"

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Kids run away from home, go against rules, and put themselves in dangerous situations. Physical comedy includes characters lightly hurting themselves as they jump off cliffs, fall off bicycles (with stars shown above head as though dizzy), and get attacked by a suspicious cat. Physical scuffles include pushing, punching, biting, and slapping. In one sequence, a villager repeatedly throws a spear at Alberto and Luca; others threaten them, and they're the target of mean behavior, with verbal bullying including words like "jerk" and "trash." Characters have heated arguments, raising their voices. A kid has to punch his uncle in the heart to get it started again, and his organs are seen through his skin briefly.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language is largely of the insult variety: "stinking," "stupido," "jerk," "idioti," "trash," "loser," "shut up," "pathetic," "what's wrong with you," and "bottom feeder," as well as the swearing stand-in "aw, sharks." The Italian word "mannaggia" is also used, meaning "damn." "Oh God," as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

A Vespa scooter is central to the story and is presented as very aspirational/glamorous. Like all Disney films, there's plenty of off-screen merchandise, including apparel, toys, games, and more.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Luca is Pixar's film about two sea creatures who leave their watery homes to discover the wonders of the surface in a small village on the Italian Riviera. It's a sweet coming-of-age story about courage, curiosity, empathy, perseverance, teamwork, and friendship—specifically, that of Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay ) and Alberto ( Jack Dylan Grazer ). There's a bit of silly body humor (nose- and ear-picking), as well as occasional insults in both English and easily understandable Italian, like "trash," "stupido," "idioti," and "jerk." Kids run away from home, lie to parents, and don't follow rules, putting themselves in dangerous situations. Physical comedy includes injuries from stunts like jumping off of cliffs and trees, riding a bike too fast down a hill, and getting in tussles. Scared villagers wield spears and harpoons, and one throws his at the main characters. Another character likes to use his big knife to chop up fish, much to Luca and Alberto's dismay. Parents and kids who watch together will be able to discuss the movie's appealing setting and its themes, particularly the importance of evaluating others for who they are, not because of their differences, background, or heritage. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (64)
• Kids say (123)

Based on 64 parent reviews

First Pixar Disappointment

Teaches kids to lie and do dangerous stuff, what's the story.

LUCA takes place at the Italian seaside, where the titular character is the son in a family of sea creatures. Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay ) follows his parents' ( Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan ) rules not to go near the dangerous surface, until he comes across a stranger collecting treasures. Luca follows the boy, Alberto ( Jack Dylan Grazer ), to the shore, where they both transform into humans. Luca and Alberto become fast friends, sharing dreams and plans that involve what Alberto claims is the best prize among humans: the Vespa scooter. When Luca's family catches on that he's been hanging out above water, they threaten to send him to the depths of the ocean with his angler-fish Uncle Ugo ( Sacha Baron Cohen ). Frightened, Luca and Alberto run away to the nearest human town, Porto Rosso, where they meet outgoing Giulia ( Emma Berman ), who tells them that they could buy a Vespa with the cash prize from the town's annual race: a triathlon involving swimming, cycling, and eating pasta. The boys team up with Giulia—who's come in second several years in a row to an overconfident, rude villager named Ercole (Saverio Raimondo)—and move in with her and her intimidating fisherman father (Marco Barricelli). They must also do everything they can to keep from getting wet, lest the sea-monster-fearing villagers try to spear them.

Is It Any Good?

This heartfelt, gorgeously animated adventure is a short and sweet reminder of sun-filled summer days with new friends. The setting of Luca is so vivid that audiences may well want to book a flight to the Italian Riviera for some amazing pasta, clear seas, and the charm of winding cobblestone streets, marble fountains, and quirky townsfolk. Tremblay is a wonderfully expressive voice performer, making Luca's intellectual curiosity and general awe come to life. Grazer's Alberto is a confident and impetuous counterbalance to Luca's thoughtful and initially hesitant personality. Berman also impresses as Giulia, who really wants to win the race but is even more excited to make new friends. The supporting Italian cast is strong, as are Rudolph and Gaffigan, who at this point are almost default choices as funny parents. And audiences will laugh aloud at Baron Cohen's brief but hilarious role as Luca's uncle from the deep.

Luca 's themes are reminiscent of those in Finding Nemo and Finding Dory , The Little Mermaid , and even Onward . The boys turn into friends who are more like brothers, discovering both the joys and the dangers of the human world, and their adventure is filled with memorable views under the sea. Tender, sweet, and also funny, with silly physical comedy and an amusingly suspicious cat (Giulia's kitty looks just like her dad, right down to what looks like a mustache), the movie is full of warmth and has a few moments that tug at the heartstrings. It's also lovely to see a single father who belies his intimidating appearance by cooking delicious meals, teaching the boys the skills needed to fish, and supporting his daughter in her dream to compete in Porto Rosso's big annual race. Families with kids of all ages will enjoy this adorable addition to Pixar's excellent list of films.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Luca 's message about family and friendship. What does Luca learn about what makes a family? Kids: Who do you consider to be part of your family?

How do characters' actions demonstrate curiosity , empathy , teamwork , and perseverance ? Why are those important character strengths ?

Discuss how the movie portrays Giulia's father's limb difference. Does it impact his character? Why is it important to see people with disabilities represented in popular culture? Can you think of other examples?

Did you find any parts of the movie scary or upsetting? If so, why? What bothers you more: danger/action, or conflict between characters?

A central theme of the movie is difference and accepting others for who they are. Why is this an important message? What differences might it extend to in the real world?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : June 18, 2021
• Cast : Jacob Tremblay , Jack Dylan Grazer , Emma Berman
• Director : Enrico Casarosa
• Studios : Pixar Animation Studios , Walt Disney Pictures
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Friendship
• Character Strengths : Curiosity , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 95 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : July 2, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Luca Parent Guide

This good-hearted family film pulls in a net filled with positive messages about acceptance, inclusion, education, and courage..

Disney+: Luca and Alberto are sea monsters with dreams of experiencing life on land. When they come out of the water, they assume human forms and explore the Italian Riviera while enjoying madcap adventures with a girl named Giulia.

Release date June 18, 2021

Why is Luca rated PG? The MPAA rated Luca PG for rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

If you ever thought sea monsters enjoyed lives of mystery and excitement beneath the waves, think again. Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and his undersea family have a humdrum existence focused on herding fish, raising show crabs, harvesting seaweed, and avoiding “land monsters”.

Following in the fins of Ariel, Disney’s insatiably curious mermaid, Luca is fascinated by the world above the water – but thanks to his mother’s (Maya Rudolph) fearful warnings, he’s also terrified by it. When a rebellious fellow sea monster named Arturo (Jack Dylan Grazer) throws Luca onto the beach, the hesitant young ocean dweller assumes human form and guiltily falls in love with life as a land lubber.

Luca is the latest feature film by Pixar, and it upholds the Disney studio’s reputation for animation. The village of Portorosso is lovingly rendered, with the golden charm that has led generations of tourists to fall in love with Italy. The ocean and sky are drawn with clarity and light, and few scenes are more magical than those where the two meet. Also well done are the transformations between human and sea monster as scales turn seamlessly into hair and skin and then back again.

As for the script, the quality is more variable. On the bright side, the humor is aimed straight at a young audience without the usual fart and butt jokes. On the downside, the story drags at times and doesn’t always have the magical feel that I expect from a Pixar film. That’s not to say that this is a bad film – it’s a fine choice for families – but Pixar has made such great films that “good” can feel like a bit of a letdown.

Luca is also good, if not great, in terms of negative content with the sole issue being a fair bit of plot related violence. Scenes of peril for sea monsters will upset sensitive kids, but are unlikely to be a problem for anyone else.

Thankfully, Luca is also awash in positive themes for viewers of all ages. The obvious one is an emphasis on not judging others based on the groups to which they belong. The villagers are terrified of sea monsters but once they get to know their aquatic neighbors, they learn to accept them. Young Luca learns about the wide world, and desperately longs to go to school, delivering an un-subtle message about the benefits of education. Arturo also gives Luca and young viewers a lesson about overcoming their fears (which he names “Bruno”) and yelling “Silenzio, Bruno” prior to doing frightening things. As long as this example encourages pushing through anxiety and not reckless risk-taking, it’s a great take-away from the film. With messages this strong, Luca could well be the catch of the day.

About author

Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for luca.

Luca Rating & Content Info

Why is Luca rated PG? Luca is rated PG by the MPAA for rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence

Violence:   There are frequent scenes of peril involving sea monsters and humans with harpoons. There are several scenes involving fistfights with pushing and shoving included. A boy mentions the possible death of a lost fish. A fish spits out some small fish she has swallowed. A character makes vague reference to murders of sea monsters by humans. A youthful character is briefly frightened by someone dressed up as a deep sea diver. Boys have accidents with wheeled vehicles they have made. A character needs to be punched in the heart. A sea monster talks about whale carcasses floating around. Women hit boys with their purses. A man bullies children and tries to push one in a fountain. A man chops the heads off of fish. Sexual Content: None noted. Profanity:   None noted. Alcohol / Drug Use: Boys are supercharged after drinking mugs of espresso.

Page last updated March 12, 2022

Luca Parents' Guide

Why are the villagers so afraid of sea monsters? Have any of them ever seen one? Have you ever heard frightening stories about people you have never met? Where do you think the stories come from? How can you find out if they are true?

Why does Luca run away from home? What motivates his parents’ behavior? How do you think they could have behaved differently to resolve their differences?

Ercole bullies Giulia and the boys relentlessly. Why does it take so long for the other kids and teenagers to stand up to him? What finally brings an end to his bullying? How can you help kids you know who are being bullied?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

A sea monster and a girl become friends in the picture book Lula and the Sea Monster by Alex Latimer.

Kids have an undersea adventure in A Crack in the Sea by H.M. Bouwman and Yuko Shmimizu. This story bring sea monsters in contact with a boy who can speak to fish and twins with magical powers.

A scary undersea creature frightens people in Thomas Taylor’s Malamander. With a mythical half man/half fish and a gothic atmosphere, this story can give fun frights to older elementary readers.

Related home video titles:

Disney’s animated classic The Little Mermaid covers some of the same ground, including a main character desperate to leave her undersea life for the world of humans. In a live action mermaid story, Aquamarine follows the adventures of a young mermaid who washes ashore, longing to get land legs and find the man of her dreams. The Japanese anime production Ponyo features an undersea creature who wants to be human and finds a young boy willing to help her out.

A young boy finds a mysterious creature in Loch Ness and brings it home in The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep. Another lake “monster” brings a boy and his father together in Mee-Shee The Water Giant.

A young Polynesian girl follows her ancestors and has an adventure across the vast Pacific Ocean in Moana. A much sillier undersea adventure takes place in Atlantis: The Lost Empire in which a young mapmaker sets out to find the mysterious continent and save it from plundering explorers.

Scarier underwater adventurers for teens can be found in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters , In the Heart of the Sea , and The Meg .

Related news about Luca

Coming to Disney+: June 2021

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Reviewed by: Blake Wilson CONTRIBUTOR

Friendships

Being different than others

Italian Riviera

Sea monsters / sea dragons in the Bible

12 3-year old Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay ) is a young sea creature who yearns for a life bigger than the fisherding job he’s been doing. Not too different from a certain red-haired mermaid (wink wink), he finds treasures from the surface above and yearns to explore it against his parents’ wishes.

One day, Luca meets Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer ), a fellow sea creature who invites him to explore the surface. Changing to human form on dry land, the two come across the human village of Portorosso, where they hope to get a Vespa and travel the world together.

After a run-in with some bullies, the two meet a young girl named Giulia (voice of Emma Berman), who wants to win the Portorosso Cup after an embarrassing result last year. If they win the cup, the boys will be able to buy their own Vespa… that’s if Luca’s parents don’t find him first… and they stay away from water… and if no one else finds out what they are.

Entertainment Quality

“Luca” is a much simpler effort from Pixar, with a fairly low-key story. However, despite a lack of sophistication and no strong antagonist per se, it still retains a genuine, charming, and heartfelt emotional undercurrent. The film’s last third, in particular, does a fantastic job of bringing the characters and the overall conflict full circle. The ending also goes in a slightly unexpected tearjerker of a direction.

The animation carries a unique vibe, mixing Disney/Pixar’s house style with touches of inspiration from Aardman and Hayao Miyazaki. The Italian riviera setting is very inviting and picturesque, with many great camera shots. The music score by Dan Romer does a nice job of mixing very nice orchestral themes with some Italian hints, as well as elevating the more emotional moments of the film.

At just 84 minutes without credits, “Luca” paces nicely while saving time to help develop its characters. The voice acting (Grazer and Jim Gaffigan are stand-outs) is solid across the board. The humor works in some areas also.

On the downside, the underwater home of Luca and his family isn’t really explored enough. Maybe one more scene to give more of an idea of where he came from would have been helpful.

Positive Messages

The central theme of “Luca” is acceptance. And while it is a theme that has been explored in different contexts in different animated films throughout the past decade, this one carries an extra layer. When it comes to the eventual reveal of Luca and Alberto’s identities, their acceptance is based off of their personal character traits, not on their outside appearance. This is modeled at the end by Giuliana’s father. He starts off being an avid hunter of “anything that swims”. However, after getting to know Luca and Alberto and seeing the good friends they are to his daughter, he puts aside his prejudice and defends them.

For me, this came across to me as a very strong parallel to Samuel’s words in 1 Samuel 16, which clearly discusses the lens of how all should be treated regardless of their appearance

“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” —1 Samuel 16:7

The film also embraces the positive themes of individuality, true friendship, and the importance of loving, strong parents.

Negative Content

Language: No profanity, though someone says “oh… sharks!” and “mother of pearl!” in a way that’s meant to wink at something stronger. “Stupido,” “imbecile” and “idiot” are tossed about as insults.

Adult Content: None.

Violence: Alberto and Luca do attempt a handful of dangerous stunts that usually involve close calls and falling from precarious heights into water. Some harpoons are used to try and kill from time to time, but never hit their intended targets. A cat attacks Luca and Alberto on a couple of occasions (we see scratches on their faces after one incident). Some other slapstick situations include falling, being hit, kicked, etc. A bully throws punches and tosses others aside. Giulia’s dad chops off the heads of fish. Someone mentions murder at one point.

Drugs/Alcohol: Wine is seen in one instance.

Other: Of course, the plot of the film is predicated on Luca and Alberto sneaking off and disobeying authority. They also lie and mislead others repeatedly. We see atrocious table manners, and hear brief jokes about body odor and throwing up. A couple of hurtful decisions are made. A parent apparently abandons his teenage son. Meanwhile, human characters show prejudice, fear and contempt towards sea creatures. And, sea creatures apparently have the ability to magically change form (but its’ left unexplained).

In over 25 years of creating feature films, Pixar Animation Studios has continued to create terrific films that feature well-developed, memorable characters and engaging, heartwarming stories. While “Luca” may be lighter in tone, focus and plot than a lot of the studio’s other efforts, I personally was glued and engaged from beginning to end. Director Enrico Casarosa infuses this particular effort with a distinct and beautiful visual palette, a charming premise, an authentic and children’s book-like setting, and sincere and heartfelt characters that deliver in the way only Pixar can.

Families will be happy to know that “Luca” is light on content concerns. Violence remains on the slapstick side, and there’s no crude humor, adult content, or really scary situations. Luca and Alberto’s disobedient choices might require a pre-movie conversation with kids. But other than that (and some name-calling), there’s little here that would be considered problematic. And, the film’s solid messages on genuine friendship and acceptance could lead to solid Biblical conversations as well.

In the end, “Luca” is a simple, colorful, sincere and memorable effort from Pixar, and it’s one I’m looking forward to watching again.

• Violence: Mild
• Nudity: Minor
• Drugs/Alcohol: Minor
• Profane language: None
• Vulgar/Crude language: None
• Occult: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

Swim into Summer with Disney Pixar Luca

Sometimes I have been so excited to see a movie, and then it turns out to be like a flounder or a “fish out of water” flopping around until it dies a slow death. Other times, I think a movie will be a flop, but it turns out to be fin-tastic. You came here wondering if Luca is Beta than the average film and if you should take the plunge and watch it. Will my Pixar Luca Christian movie review have you swimming back to my site for even more movie reviews (or gasping like a fish out of water)?

If you would like more information on how I base my movie reviews, visit Movie Review Guidelines. 

Christian Movie Review Disney Pixar Luca

The synopsis of pixar luca.

(From Pixar) Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s original feature film “Luca” is a coming- of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay) shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer), but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface. Directed by Academy Award® nominee Enrico Casarosa (“La Luna”) and produced by Andrea Warren (“Lava,” “Cars 3”). Disney and Pixar’s “Luca” will debut exclusively on Disney+ on June 18, 2021.

My Synopsis:

Luca Paguro is a young sea creature. His job consists of herding goat fish each day. However, one day something magical happens in his life that causes him to explore the world outside. When he meets Alberto, he is encouraged to enter the human world with his new best friend. Together they embark on a journey that opens up a whole new world.

The boys take human form and blend into life in an Italian village, hiding their true identities. This is a classic tale with a twist and involves a summer of fun, competition, and finding out who they really are.

The director, Enrico Cararosa, says he used experiences from his own life to make this film, even going as far as creating Alberto around his best friend growing up. He learned to chase his dreams from his best friend.

What Parents May Want to Know – Disney Pixar Luca Christian Movie Review

This is a beautiful film. Disney/Pixar always infuses their films with realism and beautiful imagery. This film is set in the Mediterranean, and the heart and soul of Italy are captured in a spectacular journey.

Additionally, the music, the setting, and the characters are all amazing. 

While at times, it feels that this movie has been done before – “I want to go where the people are,” it really is a unique twist on an old tale. More importantly, it really is about finding your path in life. The people, places, and friends we make along our journey can help inspire us to be the best version of ourselves.

Content That May Be Objectionable:

A common theme in most coming-of-age movies is lying to your parents. Luca’s friendship with Alberto causes him to run away. While Alberto encourages Luca to dream, he also could be leading him down a dangerous path. Discernment surrounding your child’s friends is important. I really think we walk a tightrope trying to balance letting our kids go and keeping them safe. 

But as Christian parents, we also need to stop trying to be the Holy Spirit in our children’s lives. In the words of another mermaid tale, “Children got to be free to lead their own lives.” (Sebastian from The Little Mermaid).

As parents, there is a balance between making all of your children’s decisions for them and raising them to make their own choices. Often as a parent, we have to stand back and allow them to make mistakes much as God does with us. We may think we are keeping them safe, but we may be keeping them from the role God intends for them.

Language: 

While there is no foul language in this film, there are a few instances where words are substituted, such as “Mother of Pearl” and “Holy Carp.” 

One character in the movie says things like “Santa Gorgonzola.” Is she calling on the saint of gorgonzola, or is she “swearing?”

One character in the movie is missing an arm. Nothing is ever shown, and he briefly talks about how he lost it. 

The movie “villain” is a bully that punches, kicks, and knocks people off bikes.

Luca and Alberto build a bike and ride it down a steep cliff crashing at the end. They also jump off a tower. Throughout the movie, they are seen performing “daredevil” stunts. 

On a quest to find him, Luca’s parents throw water at children and even go so far as throwing kids in the water fountain to find Luca.

Other Content:

There is one other thing worth mentioning, but since I view it as a spoiler, I will mention it down below under the last photos. It deals with Alberto’s father.

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

This movie touches on so many great areas that you can talk to your kids about: A character who is missing an arm can be used to talk about disabilities.

CONQUERING YOUR FEARS:

Any fin is possible. An overarching theme in the movie deals with conquering your fears. Some children are risk-takers, and others more naturally avoid taking unnecessary or dangerous risks. While there is not one “correct” path, the person who tries to avoid risks may lead a life that avoids God’s best for them. 

Following a life surrendered to God means that we take risks – scary risks. God asks us to trust Him in what He calls us to do. For David, slaying the giant had to be scary, but he was called to that journey. 

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES:

While most of us don’t have scales, we all have things in our life that seem a hindrance. I had a lisp as a child, which made me afraid to talk in public or even in small groups with people I didn’t know. 

As a mom of an autistic child, I watch Jack-Jack struggle every day to overcome obstacles in his life. He has irrational fears that he works to overcome. We have talked about working on his fear of dogs (and spiders).

FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS:

Luca can inspire all of us to follow the dreams deep inside of us. But more importantly, to follow the dreams God has given us.

MEETING PEOPLE FROM OTHER CULTURES:

When Luca and Alberto sit down to eat pasta, they have never seen a fork. They eat with their hands. This is an excellent visual to teach your children that people in other cultures have different customs and ways of doing things that may seem strange. Not everyone does things exactly as you do, but that doesn’t make it wrong.

ADDITIONAL NOTES from PIXAR: “According to the director, the film is roughly set in the late 1950s, early 1960s—though the end goal is creating a timeless look. Filmmakers immersed themselves in Italian culture of the era to help capture the look they wanted. “I always felt there was something very lovely about the Italian Golden Age—the ’50s and ’60s. The cinema and the music of that time is iconic and special.”

My viewing recommendations for christian parents.

When I review movies, I always try to caution parents about content. Rarely do I say, “anyone can watch this movie.” However, in the case of Luca, I can say those words. Luca is a great movie for the entire family! 

Final Thoughts

There are so many great moments in this film. However, people tend to look for negative. I did not see any evidence of a romantic gay relationship between Luca and Alberto. However, many people are speculating about that relationship and if there is something more than a friendship between Luca and Alberto, I see this movie as a wonderful friendship between two young boys. Luca is shy and reserved and Alberto is crazy and outgoing. Each one helps the other, and that is what friendship is about.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I do earn from qualifying purchases.

WARNING – SPOILER ALERT:

What happened to alberto’s father.

It is revealed during the movie that Alberto’s father left him. This may be a difficult subject for some children. Alberto is living alone because he was deserted. We do not know what happened to his mother. Alberto is essentially a teenage orphan. For children that have been abandoned, this may be a hard movie to watch.

PIXAR LUCA CHRISTIAN MOVIE REVIEW

Additional information about the pixar film luca.

Voice Cast Includes:

Luca Paguro:     Jacob Tremblay

Alberto Scorfano:   Jack Dylan Grazer

Giulia Marcovaido:  Emma Berman

Ercole Visconti:     Saverio Raimondo

Daniela Paguro:     Maya Rudolph

Massimo Marcovaldo:  Marco Barricelli

Lorenzo Paguro: Jim Gaffigan

Grandma Paguro: Sandy Martin

Uncle Ugo: Sachs Baron Cohen

Directed by: Enrico Casarosa

Written by: Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones

Produced by: Andrea Warren

Executive Directors: Peter Docter, Peter Sohn, and Kiri Hart

Production Notes: 

“Luca is a shy, polite, introverted, rule-following kid who has a secret desire to see the world and learn all he can,” says screenwriter Jesse Andrews. “But he’s been told his whole life that sea monsters should never go above the surface of the water where all the interesting stuff seems to be happening.”

Director Enrico Casarosa lists the works of Hayao Miyazaki, co-creator of Studio Ghibli, and director of Provo Rosso, as inspiring the look of Pixar’s new film. Furthermore, Casarosa directed Pixar’s 2011 short LaLuna which has a similar feel as Luca.

Another interesting fact is that all of the children’s voices in the fictitious town of Portorosso are actually children in Italy.

EASTER EGGS FOUND IN LUCA

PIXAR BALL: The yellow, red and blue Pixar ball can be found on a rooftop during the Portorosso cup bike race.

TOY STORY PIZZA PLANET TRUCK: This can be found as a Vespa Truck parked on a street in Portorosso.

WALT DISNEY’S 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Poster is at the cinema in Portorosso.

AT THE TRAIN STATION: The number on the train is 94608. This is the zip code for Emeryville – Pixar’s home. Additionally, A113 is found on the train ticket at the end of the film.

Other Pixar Movie Reviews:

Toy story 4.

Reviewing movies for parents from a Christian perspective since 2005. Know Before You Go!

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Any hints of the Leviathan spirit— the twister of truth who tears families and relationships apart, destroys reputations and “shipwrecks” people’s faith. He is the spirit living in the children of pride. Check out Job 41 for the entire description of this destroyer.

Thanks so much for this review! I was debating with my wife whether or not to let the kids watch this, and your review helped us decide to do so. Great review – very thoughtful! Keep them coming!

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Luca Reviews

Director Enrico Casarosa and his team do a magnificent job of bringing small-town Italy to life, interspersed with a coming-of-age fantasy saga.

Full Review | Jul 18, 2024

The animation is painfully generic and even forgettable since its narrative is almost too insignificant.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jul 18, 2024

In the end, LUCA is lovely, but slight, and has the potential for so much more. Visually it is gorgeous beyond belief, and... evokes the spiritual transcendence of Studio Ghibli. It doesn’t strive for much more than that, and sometimes that’s fine.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 14, 2024

Although this is a Pixar film it is not a Pixar film.

Full Review | Aug 22, 2023

It was a small, sweet and enjoyable effort from Pixar, which has not only taught us that it's okay to be different from the rest but the importance of it.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 6, 2023

Different than anything PIXAR has done before story wise. Small in scale as A coming of age story that brings the messages of discovery & acceptance!

Full Review | Jul 26, 2023

From the detailed animation that makes the Italian coast look realistically astonishing to Dan Romer's rich score that hits all the right notes, without forgetting the outstanding voice work, every Pixar's trademark technical attribute is present.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jul 25, 2023

Pixar made another movie about friendship. But it’s also so much more than that: It’s about how to love life, how to ignore what other people might think of you, and how to accept each other regardless of what or who we really are.

Full Review | Jul 21, 2023

Even with Luca’s dynamic premise and grand visual splendor, it is not special. Perhaps Pixar’s magic is dimming slowly.

Full Review | Jul 20, 2023

It's beautiful seeing two kids just be authentically themselves and have fun with each other...

Full Review | Jul 19, 2023

Luca will be utterly endearing for kids but may be a bit hit and miss for everyone else.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 16, 2023

Luca is a charming film with a more relaxed Pixar style that’s made for the dreamers in all of us.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 9, 2022

Luca is Pixar at its most emotionally powerful, returning to the resonant storytelling that made the studio such a success to begin with and displaying some of its most arresting animation to date.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Sep 1, 2022

Luca conveys the feeling of that who goes to school for the first time and those who see that human-in-the-making going to school for the first time. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jul 26, 2022

"Luca" is pure joy. It's lighter than most Pixar movies, but it's bursting with energy and life. "Luca" will have you smiling from ear to ear.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | May 20, 2022

LUCA may not have the wow factor of other Pixar films, but in its smaller, lighthearted story it is still so pure and loving that the emotions are really big again in the end.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Apr 8, 2022

A light, enjoyable movie that would look much better coming from any other studio. However, with the weight of history that comes with the Pixar name, many will be expecting more.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 2, 2022

It is a film that is both incredibly charming yet venomous in its emotions that can sneak up on the audience with their power and presence.

Full Review | Feb 22, 2022

Luca is an absolutely charming animated feature that takes audiences to an unforgettably touching trip to Italy.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Feb 16, 2022

Read on surfaces alone, Luca presents a familiar coming-of-age fable about friendship, albeit impeccably animated and confidently told.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 12, 2022

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Review: ‘Luca’ is Pixar, Italian style — and one of the studio’s loveliest movies in years

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The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic . Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials .

The key theme of “Luca,” Pixar’s funny and enchanting new feature, is the acquisition of knowledge — and the realization of how liberating, if painful, that knowledge can be. The charming insight of this movie, directed by Enrico Casarosa from a script by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, is that nearly everyone has something to learn. Luca (Jacob Tremblay), a kid who finds himself in a strange new land, must master its mystifying rules and traditions to survive. He has an impetuous friend, Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), whose know-it-all swagger is something of a put-on: Like Luca, he’s lonely and adrift in a world that turns out to be bigger, scarier and more wondrous than either of them could have imagined.

For their part, the animators at Pixar have imagined that world with customary ingenuity and bright-hued splendor, which makes it something of a shame that most audiences will have to watch the movie on Disney+. (It’s playing an exclusive June 18-24 engagement at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.) The filmmakers’ most exquisite visual creation here is Portorosso, a fictional village on the Italian Riviera presumably not far from Genoa, Casarosa’s birth city, which inspired his 2011 Pixar short, “La Luna.” In the director’s hands, Portorosso plays host to a parade of well-worn but lovingly deployed cultural clichés. The townsfolk navigate the sloped, cobblestoned streets on bicycles and Vespas and enjoy a diet of gelato, pasta and seafood. And speaking of seafood: The fishermen who trawl the surrounding waters always do so with harpoons at the ready, lest they encounter one of the fearsome sea monsters rumored to dwell just offshore.

The movie confirms and debunks those rumors in the opening minutes, plunging beneath the surface and into a neighborhood of underwater dwellers whose webbed and scaly humanoid bodies might well seem fearsome at first glance. But within seconds of meeting Luca — whose natural curiosity spurs varying degrees of protectiveness from his worried mom (Maya Rudolph), absent-minded dad (Jim Gaffigan) and slyly antiauthorian grandma (Sandy Martin) — it’s clear that there’s nothing remotely monstrous about him or the mildly cloying, sometimes hilarious family sitcom he initially seems to be inhabiting.

Fortunately, “Luca” enters brighter, bolder territory at precisely the moment Luca himself does. In a scene that brings to mind Pinocchio experiencing his first moments of sentience or Ariel testing out her new legs, Luca swims to the surface and discovers a world of wonderment, including the wonderment of his own body. Outside his aquatic habitat, his scales, fins and tail magically vanish and he takes on human form. Every sea creature like him possesses these adaptive powers of disguise, including his new buddy, Alberto, who’s been living above the surface for a while and gives Luca a crash course on ambulatory movement, direct sunlight and other dry-land phenomena.

That makes “Luca” a fish-out-of-water comedy in the most literal sense, governed in the classic Pixar tradition by whimsical yet rigorously observed ground rules. A splash of water will temporarily restore Luca and Alberto (or parts of them) to their underwater forms — a shapeshifting conceit that allows for a lot of deftly timed, seamlessly visualized slapstick mischief. Early on, at least, the two friends have little to fear as they run around a deserted isle, basking in the sunshine and dreaming of future adventures on the open road. Only when their curiosity gets the better of them do they muster the courage to sneak into Portorosso, risking exposure and even death at the hands of locals who are more sea-fearing than seafaring.

Various farcical complications ensue, some of them cutely contrived but all of them deftly worked out, and enacted by a winning array of supporting players. These include a gruff but hospitable fisherman, Massimo (Marco Barricelli), and his plucky young daughter, Giulia (Emma Berman), who persuades Luca and Alberto to join her team in the local triathlon. That contest, whose events include swimming, biking and (of course) pasta eating, provides “Luca” with a conventionally sturdy narrative structure and an eminently hissable villain named Ercole (Saverio Raimondo).

Ercole’s last name is Visconti, one of countless movie allusions the filmmakers have tucked into the margins of the frame, most of which — the town’s sly nod to Hayao Miyazaki’s “Porco Rosso” aside — will prove catnip for lovers of Italian cinema in particular. There’s a boat named Gelsomina , a likeness of Marcello Mastroianni and a whole subplot devoted to fetishizing the Vespa, burnishing a vehicular-cinematic legacy that already includes “Roman Holiday” and “La Dolce Vita.” And those are just the explicit, deliberate references. When the trailer for “Luca” dropped months ago, more than a few wondered if Pixar had made a stealth PG-rated riff on “Call Me by Your Name,” Luca (!) Guadagnino’s drama about the pleasures of first love and the lush Italian countryside.

They have and they haven’t. Like most kid-centric studio animation, “Luca” has little time for romance and no room for sexuality. Luca and Alberto’s bond, though full of intense feeling and subject to darker undercurrents of jealousy and betrayal, is as platonic (if not quite as memorably cheeky) as the odd-couple pairings of Buzz and Woody, Marlin and Dory. And yet the specific implications of Luca and Alberto’s journey, which forces them to hide their true identities from a world that fears and condemns any kind of otherness, are as clear as water — too clear, really, even to be classified as subtext. “Luca” is about the thrill and the difficulty of living transparently — and the consolations that friendship, kindness and decency can provide against the forces of ignorance and violence.

Liberating oneself from those forces is a matter of individual and collective responsibility, and “Luca” is nuanced enough to understand that everyone shoulders that responsibility differently. Luca’s mom and dad, voiced by Rudolph and Gaffigan as lovably bumbling helicopter parents, must let go and loosen up, but their instinctive caution is hardly misplaced. Alberto’s stubborn devil-may-care attitude offers an admirable corrective, but that fearlessness is shown to mask a deeper sort of denial, an insularity that refuses to consider the full scope of the world’s possibilities. What makes Luca this story’s namesake hero is that he’s able to absorb the best of what his friends and family pour into him; though small and lean (and sometimes blue and green), he stands at the point where their best instincts and deepest desires converge.

By the same token, “Luca” the movie may look slight or modest compared with its more extravagant Pixar forebears; certainly it lacks the grand metaphysical ambitions of the Oscar-winning “Soul” (whose director, Pete Docter, is an executive producer here). But that may explain why it ultimately feels like the defter, more surefooted film, and one whose subtle depths and lingering emotions belie the diminished platform to which it’s essentially been relegated. “Luca” is big in all the ways that count; it’s the screens that got small.

Rated: PG, for rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Playing: Starts June 18, El Capitan, Hollywood; also on Disney+

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Luca review: Pixar film is a sweet Italian passport

Luca (streaming on Disney+ today) is small-fry Pixar, a sunny Mediterranean trifle set in a postcard Italian village by the sea. But it's a winning one, too: the tenderhearted tale of a blue-gilled fish-boy who dreams of dry land, and all the things that human boys there get to do. (Ride Vespas, eat gelato, go to school.)

All his young life, Luca (voiced by Good Boys ' Jacob Tremblay ) has been taught by his wary parents (Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan) to fear the tail-less, two-legged beasts who live above the surface. But curiosity keeps pulling him toward the shore — and a bold fellow fish-boy named Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) gladly drags him the rest of the way. Alberto is a classic Huck Finn type, a freckled swashbuckler and cheerful fount of misinformation. (What are those twinkling lights in the sky? Anchovies! How does gravity work? Walk off that cliff and find out!)

Both boys are entranced by motorbike ads torn from magazines, and soon their attempts to build their own lead them into the nearest town, where the preening local bully (Giacomo Gianniotti) scoffs at their desire to win the annual Portorosso Cup — an extremely Italian triathlon involving a swim race, a pasta-eating contest, and a bicycle route. But the pair find at least a temporary home when a scrappy little girl named Giulia (Emma Berman), who lives nearby with her kindly fisherman father, takes them both in as de facto foster brothers and fellow teammates in the race.

While the boys happily plunge into their new lives above the waterline, they also have to caution against getting wet: Every passing rainstorm or backsplash from a boat means exposing their true fishy nature to the townspeople — including Giulia's boulder-sized dad — who have learned to fear and loathe the sea monsters they've always suspected are lurking offshore, even if they've never found conclusive proof.

Luca's parents, too, won't let their son go lightly; they'll take human form to find him if they have to, and their plan is to send him down to the safety of his uncle (a great, way-too-brief Sacha Baron Cohen cameo) in the deepest trenches of the ocean, where's there's nothing to do but passively inhale whale carcass all day. If they can catch up to him before the race, there will be no Vespa, no land friends, no more learning about astronomy and cats and pesto.

That's truly about all there is to the plot, but Italian-born director Enrico Casarosa, a longtime staffer at Pixar, infuses every frame with a pure kind of love for his home country (he's pretty much the best tourism-board proxy since Luca Guadagnino exported Call Me By Your Name ). The story's bright swirl of Pixar pixie dust, jangle soundtrack, and gentle lessons on accepting otherness and learning to move past fear feel like a temporary passport: a sweetly soulful all-ages dip in la dolce vita. Grade: B+

Related content:

• Is Luca Pixar's Call Me by Your Name ? Director says it's not about that
• Pixar's Luca teaser trailer gives Jacob Tremblay a sun-soaked Italian summer with sea monsters
• Soul searching: Could Pixar's latest feature signal a new direction for the studio?

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Pixar's Luca Is a Sweet Summer Flick, but Here's What to Know Before Watching With Kids

Disney Pixar's latest feature film, Luca — which was released straight to Disney+ — is a sweet coming-of-age story about a young boy and his newfound best friend who spend a summer having adventures on the Italian Riviera. But they have a pretty big secret: they're both sea monsters who live below the island, and can only take on their human form when dry. It's a fun and entertaining story that has so many lessons weaved in about friendship, acceptance, fitting in, and overcoming your fears; but there are definitely a few other elements you may want to know about before watching with your young children.

Before you have a family movie night with your little ones, read on to see the notes we had while watching Luca , which is now streaming on Disney+ .

What to Know Before Watching Luca With Your Kids

• Luca and his friend Alberto are constantly in danger. Whether Alberto is throwing himself off a tall structure to "test gravity" or the boys are facing a situation in which water is involved, thus threatening to expose their true identities to the fishing town, there's a fair amount of peril. However, everything is fleeting, and the duo always manage to come up with a (usually hilarious) way to protect themselves.
• Luca and his friends are bullied. Luca and Alberto's human friend, Giulia, is introduced while being bullied by an older boy. The same character continues to torment all three kids throughout the film, putting them down, making fun of them, and telling them that they're not good enough. This same character turns out to be a huge proponent of spearing spotted sea monsters, so he also technically threatens Luca and Alberto without knowing they're the sea creatures he's hunting.
• Luca betrays Alberto. Luca largely centers on friendship and how to be a good pal, but Luca and Alberto definitely go through some rough patches inspired by jealousy. There's a fight between them at one point, and later, Luca betrays Alberto in a truly jaw-dropping moment. There's nothing to really "look out for" here, but if you're watching with young kids who are developing their own friendships, some of this is worth noting as an aside.
• There isn't much representation. All of the characters in this movie are white, so as far as racial diversity, there isn't any. Giulia's dad, however, has a limb difference.
• Luca disobeys his parents in pursuit of his dreams. Despite them warning Luca not to go above the surface, he continuously defies his well-meaning parents. However, we also find that their sheltering of him was hindering his potential, so there's a lot to be learned from both perspectives. Again, not really anything to look out for, but Luca's behavior and choices could be worth debriefing with your own young kids.
• There's a fair bit of untranslated Italian. Throughout the film, the characters often use Italian expressions and phrases, and 99 percent of them go untranslated. It's not a huge deal and doesn't take away from the story, but as someone who does speak Italian and caught each little quip, it's a shame to not see subtitles so that everyone can understand and enjoy each line.
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‘Luca’ Review: Pixar’s Refreshing Summer Treat Channels the Spirit of Studio Ghibli

David ehrlich.

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The shortest Pixar movie since “Toy Story,” and one of the few that manages to keep its high-concept premise anchored to a simple human scale, Enrico Casarosa’s “ Luca ” is effectively the Disney+ equivalent (read: non-alcoholic version) of an aperol spritz on a late summer afternoon: sweet, effervescent, and all the more satisfying for its simplicity. At times, “Luca” is so modest, so restrained, so not about sentient action figures or a family of superheroes or the nature of the human soul that it almost doesn’t feel like a Pixar film at all.

This is a Pixar thing to the very last gill, of course, and easily recognized as such; the rounded character design is a dead giveaway even before you get to the paranoid (yet lovingly aloof!) parents and the unbridled joy of discovery. And yet, Casarosa’s feature debut — a modest and personal coming-of-age story about two pre-adolescent fish boys eating pasta and obsessing over a Vespa together during that last perfect moment of childhood — seems to have less in common with the studio’s previous movies than it does the whimsical shorts that often play before them (including Casarosa’s own “La Luna”).

This is the kind of project that Pixar would have been able to produce at any time in its history if not for the pressure of grossing several billion dollars, winning a handful of Oscars, and waging a bloody civil war against the Minions for control of our kids’ imagination. It’s no coincidence, then, that “Luca” is also the closest that Pixar has ever come to capturing the ineffable spirit of a Studio Ghibli film (and not just because Casarosa’s semi-autobiographical tale is set in the seaside Italian town of “Portorosso”). It’s a sorbetto-light homage that reflects Pixar’s own self-confidence, and hopefully anticipates how the monolithic animation house will continue to create more intimate fare now that it can use Disney+ as a safety net.

The first way that “Luca” differentiates itself from the rest of the Pixar canon is with music. The staccato punctuation of Dan Romer’s score immediately distances this from anything the studio has made before (despite a familiar underwater setting). The “Beasts of the Southern Wild” composer summons his signature tremble and swell to set the stage for a movie that eschews the vast adventure of “Finding Nemo” for something more in-the-moment and driven by the capriciousness of youth.

Which isn’t to suggest that Luca Paguro — endearingly voiced by Jacob Tremblay — is a radical change of pace from the typical protagonist of an animated film, because he’s not. A timid but kind-natured kid with big ambitions and overprotective parents, Luca would be impossible to distinguish from the other examples of his archetype if not for the fact that he’s a 13-year-old sea monster who looks like a cross between the creature from “The Shape of Water” and a bar mitzvah. (Imagine a humanoid tadpole with a briny Jew-fro and you’ll be on the right track.)

Luca’s aquatic community is deeply under-realized — an errant mention of a neighboring family is what passes for world-building — but we’re made to understand that his kind have always lived in fear of the “land monsters” on the surface. As Luca’s goofily absent-minded father (Jim Gaffigan) puts it after he spots the underside of a fishing boat: “They’re here to do murders.” He’s not wrong. Luca’s mom ( Maya Rudolph , deservedly the go-to choice for such parts these days) concurs that “the curious fish gets caught,” though she’s a lot more pointed with her fear-mongering. Only Luca’s salty grandma (Sandy Martin), who’s fresh out of shucks to give, seems to recognize the inevitability that he’ll disobey his parents and see what’s happening topside.

And that’s exactly what happens after a chance encounter with a parentless and free-spirited sea monster named Alberto ( Jack Dylan Grazer , channeling just enough of the untamed energy he brought to “We Are Who We Are”), who drags Luca to shore in order to share the mind-blowing secret that his family has been keeping from him all this time: When sea monsters are dry, they turn into humans. Just like that, Luca’s tiny world expands toward infinity and beyond. He and Alberto are now free to read textbooks, eat spaghetti by the handful, and even compete against the narcissistic local bully Ercole Visconti (Italian comedian Saverio Raimondo, going full Waluigi) in the annual Portorosso Cup triathlon. Win the race, and the fish chums will be able to afford “the greatest thing that humans have ever made” and the magic key that unlocks the world beyond their imaginations: A busted old Vespa. Whatever it takes for Luca to avoid being sent to live in the deep with his demented uncle, a translucent anglerfish who Sacha Baron Cohen turns into one of Pixar’s funniest characters in less than two minutes of screen time.

This might all sound like the recipe for a typical fable about fear of the other, complete with sharp-tipped harpoons and hordes of frightened people chanting “kill the monster!,” but Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones’ lean script is far more interested in freeing its characters from a fear of themselves. While the people of Portorosso have inherited a Loch Ness-like belief in the local sea myths from their parents, and Luca and Alberto spend much of the movie trying to avoid even the tiniest splash of water (lest their skin reveal its scales in a beautifully chameleonic display of digital alchemy), “Luca” never suggests that it’s building toward the mob blood-thirst of “Beauty and the Beast” or the ecological warfare of “Princess Mononoke.”

On the contrary, the greatest threat to Luca’s freedom is the voice in his head telling him to shrink back and stay in his tiny pocket of the ocean, and the film’s most violent moment is a betrayal among friends who need different things from each other. Alberto wants an anchor, while Luca is desperate for someone to push him out to sea. Neither of the male leads are especially nuanced characters, but there’s a tender friction in how these boys mine strength from their mutual fears; probably tender enough for people to see the film as a broad metaphor for queer self-acceptance if they so choose (the “Call Me by Your Name” of it all is well-pronounced even before Alberto defends Luca’s fishy musk with a defiant “my friend smells amazing !”).

Of course, Luca and Alberto’s damp adventure on dry land is bound together by their shared friendship with the fieriest girl in Portorosso, Giulia Marcovaldo (newcomer Emma Berman). The only daughter of the town’s gruffest one-armed monster hunter, Giulia is a fun-loving epitome of Casarosa’s efforts to synthesize the suffocating perfection of a Pixar script with the self-possessed zeal of a Fellini heroine (particularly the ones played by her namesake Giulietta Masina). In a way, her unbridled lust for life helps liberate this movie from the airlessness of Pixar’s vaunted — almost clinical — approach to storytelling, and allows “Luca” to retain a rare whiff of lived experience amidst its mid-century idyll. If the film is still a bit hectic down the home stretch, prone to a smattering of didactic moments, and incapable of rescuing Luca’s parents from getting trapped inside a (funny) sitcom B-plot, those are small prices to pay for the rare Pixar movie that doesn’t feel like it’s been thought to death. That still leaves room for the endless possibility of a bright summer day with your best friends.

It’s no coincidence then that Giulia’s flailing energy is a great showcase for the film’s tactile approach to computer animation. Less flawless and plasticky than most CG kids fare, “Luca” gently affects the look of stop-motion puppetry whenever the characters are on land, and lends the salmon buildings and cobblestone streets of Portorosso such a visceral sense of place that you can almost feel the breeze coming off… the Mediterranean? The Adriatic? It’s unclear. Either way, you can feel it.

Not to get too “you could even say the town is like a character unto itself” about this, but the setting — so vividly plucked from Casarosa’s own childhood memories — is the secret ingredient of a movie that’s less concerned about what happens than it is about the magical possibility that anything might. The flavor in the air that one summer when everything changed. The first taste of the fullness that life has to offer. The ephemeral friendships that felt like they were going to last forever, and may have found a way to do just that. “The universe is literally yours,” Giulia tells Luca, and you can’t help but take her at her word.

“Luca” may not pack the melodramatic punch of “When Marnie Was There” or offer a whisper of the heart that’s as powerful as that in “From Up on Poppy Hill,” but it’s buoyed by the same frizzante sense of personal freedom that informs even those second-rate Studio Ghibli films. It may not be the best Pixar movie, or the riskiest — it sure as hell isn’t the most ambitious — but “Luca” is also one of the precious few that feels like it isn’t afraid to be something else.

“Luca” will be available to stream on Disney+ starting Friday, June 18.

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Short takes

Not suitable under 5; parental guidance to 10 (frightening images, slapstick violence, themes of abandonment)

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details of classification and consumer advice lines for Luca
• a review of Luca completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 24 June 2021 .

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• use of violence
• material that may scare or disturb children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie’s message

A synopsis of the story

Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) is the adolescent son of a family of sea-people and knows that the most dangerous thing in the world is to leave the water. But when he comes across another fish-boy, Alberto (voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer), collecting treasures dropped from a boat, Luca finds himself up on land where he discovers that he can transform into a human when completely dry. As Luca and Alberto’s friendship flourishes, they become obsessed with building a Vespa scooter to escape Luca’s nagging parents and see the world. As Luca spends more time out of the water, his mother becomes suspicious and catches him in the act, threatening to send him to the depths of the ocean with his angler-fish Uncle, Ugo (voiced by Sacha Baron-Cohen). Terrified of his deep-water fate, Luca – with Alberto in tow – escapes to the picturesque Italian seaside town, Porto Rosso. Here they meet self-described underdog, Giulia (voiced by Emma Berman), who gets them involved in the town’s annual triathlon (swimming, cycling, and eating pasta). While Giulia’s goal is to beat the previous winner, town bully and Vespa owner, Ercole (voiced by Saverio Raimondo), the boys set their sights on the prize money as a way of getting their scooter. As the three kids train for the race, the boys must keep their secret safe from the sea monster-hunting townsfolk and, whatever they do, not get wet!

Themes info

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Family separation; Abandonment of a child; Bullying.

Use of violence info

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

• A young boy slaps his friend.
• Luca’s mother kicks a ball into a child’s face – this is comedic.
• Luca accidentally elbows Alberto in the face.
• Luca and Alberto are threatened with harpoons on numerous occasions.
• Ercole punches Alberto in the stomach.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under five info.

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

• A fish monster is seen in shadow and frightens two fishermen – this may distress very young children.
• Luca and his community are fish-people – they are cute in appearance but may upset very young children because of their fins and tails.
• When Luca and his community leave the water, they transform into humans (in appearance) – this may distress very young children.
• Luca’s grandmother sleeps with her eyes open – this may frighten younger children.
• Luca’s uncle is an angler fish and may be frightening in appearance to younger children – Luca is also asked to punch his uncle’s chest to restart his heart – this is comedic.
• Giulia’s father only has one arm and is menacing in appearance.

Aged five to eight info

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

• Luca’s mother tells him that “land monsters” (people) will murder him if they catch him.

Aged eight to thirteen info

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged eight to thirteen, including the following:

• Alberto explains that he was abandoned by his father and is visibly upset – this may distress some children.

Thirteen and over info

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

• Nothing further of concern.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

• Vespa scooter.

Sexual references

• None noted.

Nudity and sexual activity

Use of substances, coarse language.

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

In a nutshell

Luca is a comedic coming-of-age story that combines crisp animation and the beautiful Italian seaside to create a sweet film that will likely entertain families with children over 5. However, the film is best suited for children aged eight and older, and parental guidance is recommended to ten due to some frightening visual imagery, slapstick violence and themes of child abandonment.

The main message from this movie is that you can only find belonging when you accept yourself.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

• Accepting others despite their differences.
• Supporting friends in their time of need.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

• Looking directly at the sun.
• Disobeying your parents in dangerous situations.
• The risk of injury when riding a homemade Vespa down a hill.
• The consequences of bullying behaviour – Ercole bullies the boys frequently and is shown as powerful and successful.

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Luca (2021) Review

SILENZIO BRUNO!

Pixar Studios has become the premiere powerhouse animated studio for nearly the past twenty-five years; producing some of the more memorable and beloved animated feature films that have seeing a theatrical release. While other studios have indeed produced hits (i.e. DreamWorks, Illumination Entertainment, Blu Sky, Warner Bros Animation, etc.), Pixar, a subsidiary company underneath the Walt Disney Studios banner, has capitalized on being the leading studio of children’s animated feature films; utilizing the bright and color world of cartoon storytelling to be made for the young audience, but finds a way into the hearts of older viewers; sparking strong themes of family, childhood, love, life, and difference of opinions. Some of their films, including  Toy Story ,  Finding Nemo ,  Monsters Inc ,  Up ,  Inside   Out , and  Coco  have certainly demonstrated this notion as well as strong family friendly films of quality stock such as  Cars  and  The Incredibles . Now, following the Award-winning success of 2020’s Soul , Pixar Animation Studios (as well as Walt Disney Studios) and director Enrico Casarosa present their 24 th animated feature with the movie titled Luca. Does this latest film stand tall and proud in Pixar’s illustrious animated library or does it fail to meet the high standards from the studio’s signature pedigree of children’s entertainment?

Deep within the ocean depths, Luca (Jacob Tremblay) is a young sea monster who tends to his family farm, dealing with secure routine that keeps him safe, which pleases his parents, Lorzeno (Jim Gaffigan) and Daniela (Maya Rudolph). However, that doesn’t sit well with Luca, who is curious about life on the surface, discovering human artifacts around the area, but he’s aware that creatures like him are hunted by the surface-dwelling humans. Curious about lies beyond, Luca comes close to the surface and makes contact with Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), another fellow sea monster who’s made a home for himself in Portorosso, a nearby Italian fishing village Joining his new pal with their dry-skin hum appearances (appearing as regular teenage boys to everyone else), Luca is eager to learn about this forbidden world, making plans to travel the world with Alberto on their own Vespa as their mode of transportation. The boys are soon joined by Giulia (Emma Berman), who’s happy to have company as she trains for the Portorosso Cup, a local village race that’s dominated by Ercole (Saverio Raimondo), a local bully who sense something off about the two newcomers. As the trio of friends train for the Portorosso Cup, Luca begins understand the world around him with Giulia’s guidance, which draws jealousy from Alberto.

THE GOOD / THE BAD

Sorry if the opening paragraphs sounds quite familiar from what I wrote in my review  Onward and Soul as well as this paragraph. It definitely fits both reviews in what I want to say. So….it goes without saying that when a Pixar movie gets released, there is reason to het excited for. As mentioned, (but it’s almost common knowledge), Pixar Studios have certainly become the “leading” animation studio for a better part more of two decades. I certainly grew up with their movies, with the original 1995  Toy Story  capturing my ten-year-old attention with its then state-of-the-art CGI animation and memorable characters. After that, I remember seeing the change in Disney’s releases (the latter half of their “Renaissance Era”) and the rise of Pixar’s animated features, with Pixar becoming the more dominant powerhouse than its parent company. Much like how Disney had their signature style of princesses, musical songs, and colorful animal sidekicks, I love how Pixar has their own personal signature; mixing ever stunning 3D animation and wholesome storytelling together in way that never undermines their quality of cinematic filmmaking as well as well-rounded entertainment for all. Plus, the tender themes and message that many of their theatrical releases promote are highly valuable and indeed more memorable than any other children’s cartoon movies out there. Some of my personal favorite Pixar releases have  Toy Story 3 ,  Monsters Inc ,  Inside Out ,  Incredibles ,  Coco , and  Finding Nemo . That being said, Pixar certainly has had one or two missteps along the way, with such movies like  Cars 2  in 2011 and  The Good Dinosaur  in 2015, which are, more or less, considered the “black sheep” of the Pixar category. In addition, I personally think that Pixar relies too heavily on trying to expand upon its already established as brand / series (i.e.,  Toy Story ,  Cars ,  Incredibles , etc.) and needs to focus a bit more creating original content. However, that’s a minor quibble. In the end, Pixar Animation Studios still continues to be one of the premiere animated studios out there and has no sign of stopping anytime soon. And that’s a good thing!

This comes back around to talking about Luca , a 2021 animated film and Pixar’s latest feature film endeavor. I think it was sometime during 2020 (roughly during the summer months) that a first image of this 2021 project was showcased, with a few tidbits of the upcoming project…. stating that the movie was going to be set during over the course of summer in the Italian Rivera locale. It was until a few months after that the film’s first movie trailer dropped and showed how the movie was going to look like and introducing the feature’s main characters and plot. Taking away from that, I was pleasantly surprised. The animation looked a bit more simplistic compared to 2020’s Soul, but the animation itself still looked amazing, with plenty of bright colors and a level of detail that only Pixar could achieve. Plus, I had a feeling that the movie was going to have that classic Pixar signature within its narrative. Thus, I was happy to see Luca , which I saw on Disney+ streaming service. While I did see the movie during its initial opening / release weekend, I got a little bit distracted with work, which is why my review for this movie is been done after the movie itself has been home released on DVD / Blu-Ray / 4K Blu-Ray. So, what did I think of Pixar’s latest film? Well…. I liked it. While the movie wasn’t exactly the best Pixar movie out there, Luca is still a smaller scale venture that has plenty of heart and colorful fun in children’s entertainment. This “fish-out-of-water” isn’t as the best, but its endearing and heartwarming to watch.

Luca is directed by Enrico Casarosa, who worked majority his career as a storyboard artist for several animated films like Ice Age , Robots , Up , and Ratatouille . While he directed the short film for Pixar titled La Luna , Casarosa makes Luca his directorial feature film debut with this project. To that end, I think that he does a great job; approaching the movie with a sense of wonder and amusement and really nothing to compare his past endeavors to. The result is something that works quite well and, while the movie stumbles in a few areas (see below), I do have to commend Casarosa for his effort in making Luca such an entertaining and friendly feature film to watch. As a whole, Casarosa makes the film quite easy to digest in almost all aspect, so that young viewers all the way up to adults can view the movie and come up with mostly the same understanding of the feature. There are some deeper means to explore, but for the most part, Casarosa keeps the film “small” and is more of a character focus rather than narrative driven. This makes the Pixar signature style of heartfelt emotion come across as a bit thin, but the translation still works and provides plenty of context. In truth, Luca is a small family friendly adventure; utilizing the friendship mantra to frame the story and with the Portorosso Cup being the adventure-esque aspect for the film to navigate towards. Also, Casarosa makes the movie has a sweet / charming aspect that ultimately works; making the film enjoyable from start to finish. Plus, like several Pixar movies, Casarosa makes Luca have a very timeless feeling and doesn’t get hampered down by annoying / obnoxious pop culture references throughout; making the feature’s story / setting very unique and one-of-a-kind that could be set in a variety of time eras. Additionally, the usage of the Italian Rivera and Italian culture is a welcomed sight and love how it is all incorporated into the movie; embracing the culture aspect through various ways of architecture, music, speech dialect, and other nuances. The film’s s comedy is pretty enjoyable as well, with Casarosa staging plenty of sight gags and comical jokes throughout the movie. Plus, as a sidenote, I love the whole “silenzio Bruno!” gag as I personally say all the time to my co-workers while at work.

The story of Luca is rather simplistic in nature and, while that might be a problem in the grand scheme of Pixar’s library, especially compared to his past endeavors, the smaller-scale narration does somewhat work and gives its focus on the relationship between its main lead characters (i.e., Luca, Alberto, and Giulia). This, of course, goes into the whole friendship between Luca and Alberto, which does come close to being something a bit more intimate as lovers….as some people might be interpret it. I definitely can see it and why people think that, but it doesn’t really cross the line and doesn’t become explicit as some parents might be concerned before letting the children watch it. That being said, I do like how this aspect in Luca is rather ambiguous and can be interpreted differently by various people. So, I’ll let the viewer decided on that factor. For me, I didn’t bother me it wasn’t and if it was…. I embrace the idea. Also, the thematical themes of kindness, friendship, and tolerance / acceptance are present in the film and its something that I fully embrace with the feature’s narrative as a universal lesson / commentary message.

As for the film’s presentation, Luca is top notch and delivers some amazing visuals throughout the entire movie. For starters, the movie has a very unique looking compared to the standard / traditional look that Pixar recent animated features. The movie has more of a picture-esque oil painting nuances throughout its backdrop setting and the result is something truly amazing to see. The Italian countryside setting is gorgeous and definitely adds to the film’s appeal; majestically drawing into its visual animation with vibrant colors. Thus, the seaside town of Portorosso (in and around the area) is truly something to marvel and adds to the feature’s identity of culture. As for the characters, the animators decided to choose for a more exaggerated and comical looks / shapes one would fine in an old comic strip or Saturday morning cartoon series from a few years back. The result is something quite different, but definitely works, drawing the characters (both major and minor ones) with very expressive and comical looking faces that work with the story being told as well as the periodical comedy / drama beats throughout. All of these makes Luca look very colorful and vibrant, which I really do have to give credit to the art direction team as well as the visual CGI animators for bringing this film’s world to life. Lastly, the film’s score, which was composed by Dan Romer, creates a very beautiful soundtrack for Luca , which combines a mixture of classic animated tones and melodies (accustomed for this endeavor) as well as Italian-esque sounding musical composition. The result is something is great and definitely adds to the feature’s culture depiction and presentation.

There are some problems that I had with Luca that, while not completely derailing the project, hold the film back from reaching that Pixar reach that so many of their past endeavors have achieved. How so? Well, perhaps the most prevalent one that many will agree on is that Luca in general isn’t the best movie that Pixar has produced. That’s not to say that the movie is well-made and heartwarming to watch, but the film itself lacks the certain expectations that is set by Pixar’s signature style of storytelling. Narratives like Coco , Up , Inside Out , and Soul have very complex themes and overtones that help elevate the story and the movie itself to be poignant and meaningful. Luca, however, does really achieve that notion; opting for a smaller-scale / low-stakes narrative instead of toiling around with big ideas and more thought-provoking moments for its character to have. You know what I mean…. Pixar’s signature style of large-heart moments / tearjerker scenes that tug on the heart strings, including Up’s opening sequences, Bingbong’s farewell in Inside Out , Jesse’s backstory in Toy Story 2 , and so on and so forth. Luca just doesn’t have any of those moments and sort of undermines the signature style that the studio is well known for doing in almost all their features. That might not be a big deal that ruins movie, but I was expecting a lot more of emotional narrative driven plot points for the film to have and they never came. Thus, Luca , despite a lot of positive moments the movie has, doesn’t quite measure up to some of its bigger hits.

Additionally, looking beyond the emotional omissions, Luca does lack a few points within its undertaking and execution of its story / movie path. Most of these points derive from the feature’s script, which was penned by Casarosa as well as Jesse Andrews, Simon Stephenson, Mike Jones, Julie Lynn, and Randall Green. As a whole, the movie is sweet and charming, but fails to impress in certain areas as the script’s limitations hamper the feature. This includes such ideas like the underwater world, which is lacking depth and insight, and some of the character-built moments that are shared between Luca and Alberto as their friendship is just an instant “click” via shared dreams and not really earned. Plus, there backstories are a little bit cookie cutter and thinly drawn; lacking the complexity some of Pixar’s lead characters are really known for. From a director’s standpoint, Casarosa sort of rushes things / events in the movie that make the movie feels uneven. As mentioned, the underwater world where Luca and his parents’ dwell is a bit ambiguous and could’ve been easily expanded upon. Additionally, certain plot points during the second and third act are sort of rushed and quickly solved and don’t really feel earned. These problems make the film feel a bit clunky in a few areas and not as whole as some of Pixar’s past features. That’s not to say the movie is enjoyable and entertaining, but the problems are there and holding the film back as I kind of expected a bit more from Pixar.

While those criticism points might weigh the opinions down on the movie, the voice talents for Luca are solid across the board; something that Pixar is quite known for and certainly help deliver some fun and colorful charismatic voicework for these animated characters. Leading the charge of the movie are the great acting talents of Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer, who play the central main characters of Luca Paguro and Alberto Scorfano. Tremblay, known for his roles in Room , Wonder , and Good Boys , has always played the more timid-like character in his past endeavors and thus plays it again with his portrayal of Luca. That’s not to say that he plays the character in a predictable way, but Tremblay certainly knows how to layer the charm and innocent curiosity within Luca, and it comes off as a great character. Likewise, Grazer, known for his roles in IT , Shazam!, and We Are Who We Are , is great as Alberto, providing a more confident bravado than Tremblay’s Luca and delivers some great character moments throughout. As mentioned, the relationship between Luca and Alberto is core of the film and, while some of it is handled in a clunky manner, the vocal chemistry between Tremblay and Grazer is nothing short of brilliance; working well together rather than repelling each other.

Of more secondary characters, the character of Giulia Marcovaldo, a young resident in Portorosso, comes up as the strongest. Voiced by young actress Emma Berman ( Go! Go! Cory Carson ) is sort of consider to be the third main character in the movie; acting as the friend to both Luca and Alberto and adds that extra insight of character dynamic that drives a wedge between the two boys (in a very innocent way, of course). All in all, Berman is great as Giulia and, while she doesn’t have whole lot of experience compared to Tremblay and Grazer, she handles herself well and it comes off within her character. Additionally, actor Marco Barricelli ( Holy Silence and The Book of Daniel ) does a great job in the role of Giulia’s tough father, Massimo Marcvaldo. Likewise, the seasoned acting talents of actress Maya Rudolph ( Bridesmaids and Sisters ) and comedian / actor Jim Gaffigan ( The Jim Gaffigan Show and Chappaquiddick ) are a welcomed sign in Luca as they provide the voices for Luca’s concerned sea monster parents, Daniela and Lorenzo Paguro. Both Rudolph and Gaffigan come from a comedic background and shows that throughout the movie, but also have enough warmth in their voices for parental figures. Thus, they are great in the movie as Luca’s parents and definitely anchor the feature as the two “veterans” acting talents of the feature. Lastly, actor Saverio Raimondo ( Dov’e Mario? and Finché c’è vita c’è Speranza ) does a great and humorous job as Ercole Visconti, a local bully in Portorosso who acts as one of the main antagonists in the film.

The rest of the cast, including actor Sacha Baron Cohen ( Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and Les Miserable ) Luca’s uncle / Lorenzo’s brother Ugo Paguro, actress Sandy Martin ( Ray Donovan and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ) as Luca’s grandmother / Daniela’s mother Grandma Paguro, actress Marina Massironi ( Letters to Juliet and Padri e figli ) as the lady who runs the Portorosso Cup race (and sponsor it) Mrs. Marsigilese, and actor Peter Sohn ( Monsters University and Ratatouille ) and Lorenzo Crisci ( Grotto ) as Ercole’s two henchmen followers Ciccio and Guido, make up the rest of the supporting players in the movie. While some do have large parts than others, all of these acting talents still give great smaller character roles to the feature. Lastly, I do have to admit that perhaps my favorite character in the entire movie is the character of Machiavelli, Giulia / Massimo cat. The cat is only a minor character, but I love it and certainly has become a meme online.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Curious to see surface world and explore it, Luca, along with fellow sea monster Alberto, have summertime vacation in the town of Portorosso by evading enemies and making friends in the movie Luca. Director Enrico Casarosa’s directorial feature length debut film is the latest film to be release from Pixar; showcasing a film about friendship and chasing dreams within the backdrop setting of Italian Rivera. While the movie struggles to carry Pixar’s signature style of big emotional poignancy and feels clunky in a few areas, the film itself is still highly enjoyable from its unique visual flairs of animation, cultural nuances, great likeable characters, a small / yet fun story to tell, and solid voice acting.  Personally, I liked the movie. Yes, I will admit that it wasn’t Pixar’s best work, especially coming off the heels of 2020’s Soul, but it is still a very sweet and charming animated feature from the illustrious studio. Thus, my recommendation for the movie is very favorable “recommended” as I’m sure kids of all ages will love and appreciate this film (as it is a great family movie to watch) as well as adults. I just hope that Pixar doesn’t turn this movie into franchise as it would ruin the charming appeal of what the Luca movie truly is…. if you know what I mean. In the end, while it isn’t the absolute “slam dunk” movie that has been released from Pixar, Luca is still a very endearing and smaller scale cartoon adventure to get lost in; providing some quality animation and a strong message of lasting friendship.

4.0 Out of 5 (Recommended)

Released on: june 13th, 2021, reviewed on: august 30th, 2021.

Luca  is 95 minutes long and is rated PG for rude humor, language, some thematic elements, and brief violence

Share this:

Great review! I liked even less than you. I didn’t even have “Pixar expectations”. I watched it as I would watch just any ordinary animation and it is probably one of the most forgettable animations I’ve ever watched in my life. Yes, visually it is all lovely but narratively it is all over the place and the most incredible thing is this animation does not even have a plot to speak of. Take any Tom & Jerry or Woody Woodpecker and there would be there the same message about friendship, but at least these would have some more or less “original” narrative.

I’ve been curious about this film for a while. Sounds like it would be great to watch on a day when I’m looking for something that’s cozy and simple. Thanks for the review!

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Plugged in movie review: ‘ghostbusters: frozen empire’: family-focused, but not family-friendly.

Although strong family ties play an important role in this sequel, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” still warrants caution for most families. A great relationship is the core beauty of “Luca” — and its core reason for caution.

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Read on to get Plugged In on what’s beyond the movie titles and trailers for faith-filled and family-first reviews from Focus on the Family’s Plugged In .

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – In Theaters

“Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire” is the latest in the “Ghostbusters” franchise, and it’ll likely feel like satisfying fan service for folks familiar with the 1984 classic.

In some ways, this reboot feels a bit more wholesome than the original. That might be because instead of being a story about four single guys, it’s a tale about a family . But don’t be fooled by the teenager-filled cast: Much of the content here still might be a nonstarter for your family.

Like the original, there’s a bit of language to watch out for. Suggestive innuendo is frequent. A possible same-sex romance begins to bud. And, of course, there are demonic, godlike beings trying to end the world as we know it, pretty much from start to finish

So although strong family ties play an important role in this sequel, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” still warrants caution for most families.

Read the rest of the review here . Watch the trailer here .

Be sure to listen in to The Plugged In Show , a weekly podcast with lighthearted reviews for parents and conversations about entertainment, pop culture and technology: 

Luca – Streaming on Disney+, Theater rerelease

In a Disney+ missive, “ Luca ” director Enrico Casarosa says that he drew from his own life to make this movie.

“My best friend Alberto was a bit of a troublemaker, [while] I was very timid and had a bit of a sheltered life — we couldn’t have been more different,” Casarosa said. “We were also a bit of ‘outsiders,’ so it felt right to use sea monsters to express the idea that we felt a little different and not cool as kids. Alberto pushed me out of my comfort zone, and pushed me off many cliffs, metaphorically and not. I probably would not be here if I didn’t learn to chase my dreams from him.”

It’s in that relationship that we find both the core beauty of “Luca” — and its core reason for caution.

Outside some slapstick animated violence and a couple of winking asides to bad language, ”Luca” has very few content problems to navigate. No, it’s not quite as squeaky clean as Pixar’s best movies — ”Toy Story” and “Finding Nemo” come to mind — but when we point out some minor worries here and there, we’re really picking at undersea nits. And while this is a movie meant for kids (and is thus not quite as emotionally or philosophically rich for adults as some Disney/Pixar films) Pixar still knows how to craft a great, resonant story. It might just nurse out a tear or two from even jaded moms and dads.

But as real and as beautiful and as true as the friendship between Luca and Alberto can feel — and as important as sometimes those imperfect friendships can be in our development — we can’t escape another truth: Alberto’s kind of a bad influence. Luca knows it. His parents certainly discover it. And while Alberto comes to life as a fully formed, three-dimensional character who could really, really use a father figure, I do think it’s worth pumping the bicycle brakes on the movie for just a moment here.

In the real world, a metaphorical Luca might be just what a metaphorical Alberto needs to turn his life around. But just as easily, Alberto could help lead Luca to a childhood filled with detention.

“ Luca ,” the film, makes a passing reference to “Pinocchio,” and it seems fitting. In Disney’s classic 1940 version, the story of Pinocchio becomes a wall-to-wall cautionary fable about keeping the right sort of company. When Pinocchio falls in with a ne’er-do-well named Lampwick — who, like Alberto, is just a little too cool for school — the two are nearly turned into donkeys. (Pinocchio escapes, but just barely. Lampwick isn’t so lucky.)

Luca is, in some ways, the flip side of Pinocchio. His story illustrates how a little bit of trouble can lead to growth, and how the wrong sort of company can turn out all right in the end. It’s a more generous movie, one that emphasizes grace and compassion over “Pinocchio’s” stern lectures.

But sometimes as parents, it can be hard to tell just what story your kid is in.

Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

Reviews written by Paul Asay and Emily Tsaio .

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Movie Review: Migration

The latest animated kids’ movie from Illumination Entertainment takes flight in theaters this week, and its old-fashioned storytelling thankfully won’t have families ducking for cover. 

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5 new to Max movies to stream now with 85% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes

Max's August roster includes these critically acclaimed movies

Max is one of the best streaming services in part because it's always adding critically acclaimed movies. This August, that rule has no exception. 

However, I will admit that this month the pickings are slimmer than most. Only five newly added movies meet the 85% "fresh" threshold on Rotten Tomatoes this month — just two cross 90%. So you're going to want our help to narrow down which movie to watch on your next movie night.

The good news is that, despite the limited selection, there's a lot of range to these five movies. There's everything from foreign romantic comedies to psychological thrillers, and even a beloved animated fantasy movie that works for the whole family. 

So without further ado, here are the five new to Max movies with 85% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes this month.

'Amelie' (2001)

I know some of you may start scrolling to the next film after seeing "French-language romantic comedy" but I promise you shouldn't. Yes, there's heavy use of accordion in the trailer, but rest assured this is one of the most successful French films ever made.

"Amélie" stars Audrey Tautou as the titular Amélie Poulain, a lonely Parisian waitress from a tragic sheltered upbringing. One day she discovers an old metal box of childhood memorabilia hidden in the wall of her apartment, and she goes on a quest to track down the boy who owned it and along the way bring happiness to those she passes on her journey. Come for the Oscar-nominated heartwarming story. Stay for Amélie's complex schemes to make people happy.

Genre: French-language romantic comedy Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% Stream it now on Max

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'A Bigger Splash' (2015)

Starring Tilda Swinton as world-famous rock singer Marianne Lane, "A Bigger Splash" is a must-watch for fans of director Luca Guadagnino's most recent hit "Challengers."

In this tense drama filled with love triangles and romances old and new, Swinton's Lane is recovering in Italy with her lover Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) after surgery, which has caused her to lose her voice. Their romantic getaway begins idyllic, but the arrival of Lane's former lover — and Paul's former mentor — Harry (Ralph Fiennes) turns paradise into Hell. Further complicating things is Harry's daughter Pen (Dakota Johnson) who comes with Harry to Marianne and Paul's Italian island villa. 

Genre: Psychological drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 89% Stream it now on Max

'Beetlejuice' (1988)

It's never too early to put a bit of spooky in your life. And with this movie's sequel "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" debuting at the Venice Film Festival later this month, you'll want to watch this Tim Burton classic faster than you can say “Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse.”

Starring Michael Keaton as the titular Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetlejuice), this movie is loaded with acting talent. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play Adam and Barbara Maitland, a recently deceased couple forced to spend the next 125 years haunting their country home in Winter River, Connecticut. So when Charles Deetz (Jeffrey Jones), Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara) and Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) suddenly move in and start changing everything, the Maitlands call on Betelgeuse to rid them of the Deetzes. This ghoulish comedy is a must-watch on Max this month, or any month it's available.

Genre: Fantasy horror comedy Rotten Tomatoes score: 86% Stream it now on Max

'Down Terrace' (2009)

"Down Terrace" stars real-life father and son duo Robin and Robert Hill as fictional father and son Karl and Bill. Any tale about father and son dynamics is bound to be fraught with a bit of drama, but when your dad is a local crime boss just released from prison and you're in the family business, that's definitely a complicated relationship.

Rest assured, this crime movie isn't just about family dynamics. There's plenty of betrayal, violence and even murder over the movie's 93 minutes. While chances are you didn't see "Down Terrace" given its $9,812 box office haul, you won't want to miss it. Critics overwhelmingly praised it as a surprisingly comedic and effective crime drama.

Genre: Crime drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 86% Stream it now on Max

'How to Train Your Dragon' (2010)

This month, I saved the best movie for last. "How to Train Your Dragon" stars Jay Baruchel as Hiccup, the 15-year-old son of the Viking chieftain Stoic (Gerard Butler). Their village of Berk is subject to frequent dragon attacks. But when Hiccup meets Toothless, he adopts the adorable Night Fury dragon against his father's wishes.

This fantasy adventure is a touching story about finding a friend in an unlikely place as well as overcoming your fears and prejudices. It's one of the best animated films ever. Somehow, three critics said it wasn't good, preventing it from scoring 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. They're wrong, and after you've watched this animated movie, you'll know why. Genre:  Animated fantasy Rotten Tomatoes score: 99% Stream it now on Max

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Malcolm McMillan is a senior writer for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it. Previously, Malcolm had been a staff writer for Tom's Guide for over a year, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), A/V tech and VR headsets.

Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.

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Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, it ends with us.

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"What would you say if your daughter told you her boyfriend pushed her down the stairs but it's okay because really it was just an accident?" Questions like this are at the heart of "It Ends with Us,” based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover . This is a message picture about what it takes to break the vicious cycle of domestic violence. It is not subtle. 

After the emotional turmoil of her estranged father's funeral in Maine, our heroine, the impeccably fashionable Lily Bloom ( Blake Lively , the best clotheshorse movie star since Kay Francis), breaks into a rooftop to peer at the vast beauty of Boston's skyline. Before she can do much introspection, she meets the impossibly handsome and impossibly named Ryle Kincaid ( Justin Baldoni , also the film's director), a neurosurgeon (naturally). Baldoni comes barreling into the scene like a hurricane, hurling a pair of steel chairs across the rooftop in anger. Instead of repulsion from this violent act, Lily finds herself intrigued and drawn to his charm and megawatt smile. Their playful patter, peppered with barbs veiled as flirtation from Ryle, ramps up until the dashing surgeon is summoned back to the hospital by his beeper. 

This is of course not the last we see of Ryle. He just happens to be the brother of Allysa ( Jenny Slate ), the quirky rich and bored housewife Lily hires to help her run the Cottagecore florist shop of her dreams. Although Lily repeatedly insists that she just wants to be friends, Ryle pursues her, ignoring her many pleas just as flagrantly as she ignores all his red flags. Lust is a hell of a drug. 

Quickly, Ryle's negs and flirtatious barbs ramp up, transforming into toxic jealousy and other forms of obsessive behavior. This includes inviting himself to dinner with her mother by dropping the L-word for the first time, one of several such instances of emotional manipulation he brandishes like a silver-tipped dagger. Before she knows it, Lily is not only in a relationship she didn't really want, she herself becomes an outlet for Ryle's raging temper. 

The early scenes of Lily and Ryle's volatile courtship are interwoven with scenes in which teenage Lily ( Isabela Ferrer ) falls in love for the first time with a schoolmate named Atlas ( Alex Neustaedter ). The soulful boy is squatting in the abandoned house across the street from hers, fleeing his mother’s abusive boyfriend. The generous and nonjudgmental Lily offers both aid and friendship when Atlas needs it the most. He in turn offers her a caring shoulder and a safe place to finally express the fear she feels as she watches her father physically abuse her own mother over and over again. 

These scenes are innocent and tender, the two young actors imbuing the teenagers with just the right balance of world weariness from the violence they’ve already endured and the irrepressible hope that comes with youth. Yet, Baldoni and his team of editors ( Oona Flaherty and Robb Sullivan ) can't quite find the right balance between these scenes and the more erotic and violent scenes featuring Baldoni and Lively. However, once Brandon Sklenar (doing his best Harry Connick, Jr. in " Hope Floats ") enters as the grown-up Atlas, he is able to craft an effortless, natural chemistry with Lively that is nearly as strong as these early moments, although they both are far too fleeting. 

This story of love, trauma and abuse is wrapped up in the same amber-hued autumnal glow of Lively’s bestie Taylor Swift ’s short film for her autobiographical song "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)," which itself is about an abusive relationship. Lily even has the same tousled strawberry blonde tresses as the short film's star Sadie Sink . So naturally, the film's most climatic moment of domestic abuse, like the short, takes place in the couple's kitchen. Later, the moment where Lily comes into her own power as she attempts to rebuild her life is underscored by Swift's "My Tears Ricochet" (which perhaps counts as a spoiler if you know the topic of the song. Swifties, I'm sorry.)

"It Ends with Us" is a fine-looking picture. Baldoni and cinematographer Barry Peterson know how to frame movie star faces in flattering medium close-ups, allowing every nuanced emotion, every twinkle in their eyes to transport the viewers on this emotional journey with them, even when the characters feel more like didactic cyphers than fully-realized human beings. Lily’s flower shop (which never seems to have any customers) is a Pinterest board brought to life. And Lively’s designer duds are nearly as showstopping as the ones she sports in “ A Simple Favor .”

Lively does her best to add emotional layers to Lily so we see her internal growth, but this process is often hampered by the film around her. I kept thinking of " Alice, Darling ,” Mary Nighy's incredible film about intimate partner violence from a few years back in which Anna Kendrick finds herself suffocating in a psychologically abusive relationship. In that film, Kendrick's character is given a full life and a group of friends who help her overcome the codependent trap she's been caged in. Here, the few women in Lily's life – her so-called best friend Allysa and her mother Jenny ( Amy Morton ) – are underdeveloped, relegated to a handful of scenes that largely exist as plot points.  

The PG-13 rating keeps the violence Ryle inflicts on Lily, or her father's violence in the flashbacks, to a minimum visually (and often seen in slow motion or in choppy montages), Christy Hall ’s script unfortunately often falls into "as the father of daughters" territory, giving more care to explaining why these men are the way they are (especially in Ryle's case, in the film's most cringe-worthy twist) than it does to the psychology – let alone the economics – of why women often stay with abusive partners. Instead, this subject, which should really be the key to the whole story, is covered in one very short scene between Lily and her mother. The forced love triangle once Atlas re-enters Lily's adult life also restricts things, causing Lily's life to once again orbit mostly around the men in it. 

"It Ends with Us" is certainly not a bad film. At times, it's actually quite good and its central message is crafted with intention and care. I just wish it had a sharper focus on Lily's interiority, her life beyond her trauma, and who she really is in relation to herself, and herself alone.

Marya E. Gates

Marya E. Gates is a freelance film and culture writer based in Los Angeles and Chicago. She studied Comparative Literature at U.C. Berkeley, and also has an overpriced and underused MFA in Film Production. Other bylines include Moviefone, The Playlist, Crooked Marquee, Nerdist, and Vulture. 

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It Ends with Us (2024)

Rated PG-13

131 minutes

Blake Lively as Lily Bloom

Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid

Brandon Sklenar as Atlas Corrigan

Jenny Slate as Allysa

Hasan Minhaj as Marshall

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The idea of sport is something that dates back much further than the medium of film; thousands of years compared to the century and change moving pictures have been around. Still, movies have long been recognized for their ability to excite and inspire, much like the acts of participating in and watching sports do. As such, it feels only natural that the medium of film gets used to present sports on screen in an extra cinematic way, by telling either fictional stories or dramatic recreations of real-life sporting events.

The clashing together of sport and cinema has led to countless great sports movies being released throughout much of the 20th century and beyond, with it being one movie genre that's never really gone out of style. Plenty of talented filmmakers have found interesting and emotionally stirring ways to make all sorts of sports exciting and powerful when presented in the format of a movie; sometimes arguably being better than the real thing . Some of the sports genre's brightest shining examples are ranked below, starting with the very good sports movies and ending with the very best.

30 'The Iron Claw' (2023)

Directed by sean durkin.

Though it’s a relatively recent film entry within the sports genre, The Iron Claw is undoubtedly impressive and feels like something of a classic of the 2020s so far . Like a good many sports movies, it’s inspired by real-life events, here being a retelling of the story of the Von Erich family, particularly several brothers who all aspire to be wrestlers while also wrestling their own personal demons.

It's far from a happy film, but it couldn’t be true to the real-life events without laying out various tragedies and moments of heartbreak that genuinely happened. The Iron Claw is nevertheless respectful and empathetic while it bravely tackles a difficult narrative and some heavy subject matter, and is a worthwhile drama – regardless of how interesting you might find wrestling as a sport – that’s easy to recommend for people who know what they're in for.

The Iron Claw (2023)

Watch on Max

29 'Tokyo Olympiad' (1965)

Directed by kon ichikawa.

The most well-known film to deal with the 1964 Olympics in some way might well be the Studio Ghibli film From Up on Poppy Hill , at least nowadays. That one’s not a sports movie, though, and has the buildup to the event play a part in the narrative. On the other hand, there’s something like Tokyo Olympiad , which is explicitly about the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, serving as a documentary that condenses the entire thing into less than three hours.

But, even further, calling Tokyo Olympiad just a documentary and leaving it at that would be underselling it, because it captures all the various sporting events in an extra impactful way, visually. Familiar sports sometimes look completely different, thanks to imaginative cinematography and the creative touch of director Kon Ichikawa , the entire epic documentary being so much more than just a highlight reel in a way that’s hard to fully explain with just words.

Tokyo Olympiad

28 'enter the dragon' (1973), directed by robert clouse.

Though martial arts can often be a sport, most martial arts movies aren’t necessarily sports movies… though those that center around fighting tournaments heavily enough can qualify. Enter the Dragon is a great example, as not only is it an amazing martial arts/action movie, but much of it revolves around a competition (there’s more to it than just that, though; it’s not exclusively about the sports side of martial arts).

It was the biggest film Bruce Lee ever starred in during his tragically short acting career, and continues to stand to this day as the best showcase for his particular set of skills and fighting prowess. Enter the Dragon is paced well, features satisfying action, and is just very easy to appreciate and find entertainment within, making it an overall winner whether you choose to qualify it as an action film or a sports movie.

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Not available

27 'Challengers' (2024)

Directed by luca guadagnino.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to handle a love triangle narratively, and Challengers thankfully falls into the category of movies that tackle such a trope the right way. It centers around two friends, both enthusiastic/up-and-coming tennis players who both fall in love with the same woman (also a tennis player), at which point a complex dynamic within this trio plays out over numerous years.

Challengers explores the interpersonal drama and the various ups and downs of competitive tennis in a non-chronological way that proves dizzying and oddly thrilling in equal measure. It does seem most focused on being a romantic drama, but there’s also a ton of effort put into capturing the sport of tennis in an immensely cinematic fashion, and the way tension builds to what ends up being the film’s final match is staggering.

Challengers

Rent on Apple TV

26 'Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India' (2001)

Directed by ashutosh gowariker.

Though a nearly four-hour runtime might run the risk of turning some people off, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India is an essential epic movie, and makes cricket seem like the most exciting thing in the world. It’s not a sport for everyone, given the relative complexity of it and the slow pace (matches can literally take five days, depending on the rules), but here, it’s made oddly thrilling and suspenseful.

There’s a great underdog narrative to Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India . On paper, it might sound simple and familiar, but it’s all in the execution, and the slow building of stakes alongside developing endearing characters who are easy to root for. It’s arguably one of the best Indian films of the 21st century so far , and beyond simply being a sports movie, it also works as a romance film and something of a musical, too. It’s really got everything.

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)

Buy on Amazon

25 'The Set-Up' (1949)

Directed by robert wise.

Going through the filmography of Robert Wise makes it pretty clear that he was a filmmaker capable of tackling just about any genre. He was behind two highly acclaimed musicals with West Side Story and The Sound of Music , made a classic horror movie with The Haunting , tackled science fiction with The Day the Earth Stood Still , and made a fantastic blend of crime, sport, and a little film noir for good measure with 1949's The Set-Up .

Befitting the title, The Set-Up takes a look at the shadier side of the world of sports , being about betting and the idea of taking a dive to benefit those who take on certain odds. However, the main character – an aging boxer – has the kind of determination that could land him in trouble if he ends up defying the odds, which is where the film's conflict truly comes into play. It uses boxing as a way to unpack complex behind-the-scenes stuff, perhaps focusing on that more than the fighting itself as a result, but it remains an engaging watch either way.

The Set-Up (1949)

24 'rudy' (1993), directed by david anspaugh.

About a decade before he played Samwise Gamgee in the decade-defining The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sean Astin played the titular character of Rudy : Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger . Underdog stories are inherently popular within the sports genre, and Rudy's a film that demonstrates this well, with the focus being on how its main character defied the odds (and his short stature) to follow his dream of becoming a footballer.

Narratively, things will feel familiar to anyone who's seen even just a handful of sports movies before, but the solid filmmaking, writing, and acting all ensure it's still stirring and exciting, even for those who might not be wild about American football . It's also notable for featuring Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn in early roles, with the pair achieving further fame several years later by appearing in 1996's Swingers (which Favreau also wrote).

23 'Chariots of Fire' (1981)

Directed by hugh hudson.

Well-known for being a movie with plenty of slow-motion , Chariots of Fire is also noteworthy for being one of the rare sports movies to focus on running, specifically over a short distance . Perhaps the slow motion helps with the fact that the races in Chariots of Fire are over in less than a minute, given it's centered on running the 400-meter event at the 1924 Olympics. This is shown through the eyes of two runners, both of whom want to achieve greatness on an international scale.

It's far from the only sports movie to find success at the Oscars, but it is one of the most successful for that awards show, winning four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Another of its noteworthy wins was for Vangelis , who did the timeless score for the film which even those who haven't seen it will likely know for just how iconic it is. It's perhaps the composer's most widely known work, which is impressive, considering he also did the groundbreaking score for Blade Runner (which came out just one year after Chariots of Fire , too).

Chariots of Fire

22 'foxcatcher' (2014), directed by bennett miller.

Foxcatcher is a grim movie, so isn't one that's easy to recommend for those who prefer their sports movies uplifting. It sees actors like Channing Tatum and Steve Carell taking on perhaps the most serious roles of their respective careers up until that point, with Foxcatcher as a whole being just as much a dark crime film as it is a sports movie.

It's based on real-life events that happened in the lead-up to the 1988 Olympics, with the titular wrestling team - a pair of brothers - getting sponsored by the incredibly wealthy John E. du Pont . Foxcatcher takes a grimly psychological look at the respective mindsets of its main characters , with tension building up considerably, regardless of whether you know what will actually happen by the end. It's remarkably heavy, but impressive from an acting perspective while working as an unsettling slow burn.

Watch on Pluto

21 'The Natural' (1984)

Directed by barry levinson.

Baseball is sometimes held up as America's pastime, and Robert Redford has long been one of the nation's most beloved actors, so Redford starring in a movie about baseball seems like a match made in heaven. You could even say that such a pairing feels completely... natural.

In 1984, a peanut butter and jelly match-up did indeed occur, as Robert Redford starred in – though he didn't direct – The Natural . It's about a mysterious baseball player emerging from seemingly out of nowhere during the 1930s, and helping a struggling team achieve the kind of victories it never thought possible before. It's all very nicely shot and, despite being somewhat slow, is ultimately moving . Also, it benefits from not only having Redford in its cast, but also the likes of Robert Duvall , Glenn Close , and Kim Basinger , to name a few.

The Natural

20 'field of dreams' (1989), directed by phil alden robinson.

If anything, Field of Dreams might be more of a mildly fantastical yet uplifting family drama first, and a sports movie second. Like The Natural , the sport being depicted here is baseball, though the focus is on a farmer and father, played by Kevin Costner , and what happens when he begins hearing otherworldly voices. That might sound like the set-up for some kind of supernatural thriller/horror movie , but Field of Dreams thankfully takes a more wholesome route tonally.

What the protagonist hears compels him to construct a baseball diamond in his cornfield, with this eventually leading to the ghosts of long-dead baseball players showing up to play there. Field of Dreams uses this unusual premise to tell what ends up being a heartfelt and moving story , and it's become a sentimental and widely beloved classic of the late 1980s for good reason.

Field of Dreams

19 'white men can't jump' (1992), directed by ron shelton.

Rather than tackling basketball on a nationwide scale, White Men Can't Jump instead focuses on Los Angeles, with the variation of the sport here sometimes being called streetball . The two main characters - played by Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson - are both hustlers who get by with an uneasy alliance that seems them making money by alternating between throwing certain games and trying in others.

Regardless of how you feel about basketball of any variation, White Men Can't Jump is a movie that succeeds thanks to the chemistry of Snipes and Harrelson alone , with both making this comedic sports movie a good deal of fun. It's a film that undeniably screams 1990s with its overall feel and aesthetics, but that can also make it charming, perhaps in a way that its 2023 remake inevitably couldn't be.

White Men Can't Jump

18 'friday night lights' (2004), directed by peter berg.

While the television drama series of the same name might be more well known nowadays, 2004's Friday Night Lights came first and walked so the later show could run. It looks at high school football and how dedicated one small town in Texas gets when it comes to the sport, leading to some serious stakes when one of the most necessary players for the team in question gets injured.

Just like the central teams in many sports movies, this makes the team at the heart of Friday Night Lights underdogs, with their coach – played by Billy Bob Thornton – being the one person who might be able to save the day and inspire all those who need inspiration. From there, it's sports movie 101, but it's a well-oiled machine of a film and it more than gets the job done . In hindsight, the fact it helped birth an acclaimed TV series ultimately ends up being icing on the cake.

Friday Night Lights

17 'hoosiers' (1986).

Gene Hackman 's one of those all-time great actors who never turned in a half-hearted performance, and he shines in Hoosiers ' lead role. It's a sports movie revolving around basketball set in the 1950s, and Hackman's character is the coach that a struggling team might need if they're to ever have any chance of achieving success, even if some of his methods prove divisive and arguably even extreme.

Hoosiers is also notable for having one of Dennis Hopper 's most acclaimed performances; in fact, the only one that got him an Oscar nomination. In the film, he plays the alcoholic father of one of the central team's young basketball players, and eventually becomes an assistant coach to Hackman's character. For the acting prowess on display, and for its generally engaging storyline that hits some familiar beats well, Hoosiers works very well as a sports movie overall.

16 'A League of Their Own' (1992)

Directed by penny marshall.

Of all the 1990s sports movies, few are quite as beloved as A League of Their Own , which holds up tremendously well as a funny and moving film inspired by an interesting real-life story . The central premise of the film revolves around the fact that during World War II, various male baseball players were drafted and sent off to fight, leading to various female players who all had potential as players to be drafted into the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

This was a real league that ran from 1943 to 1954, with A League of Their Own being a fictionalized account of how this unique league in history got up and running, while also touching upon the bittersweet way it eventually came to an end. It's not particularly intense or even focused on the sports scenes themselves, instead using this premise as a way to tell a touching story with strong characters, all brought to life by an impressive cast that includes the likes of Geena Davis , Tom Hanks , and Madonna .

A League of Their Own

15 'the karate kid' (1984), directed by john g. avildsen.

It's hard to know what to say about The Karate Kid that's not already been said, because it's just one of those timeless and essential family classics that everyone is at least familiar with by now. It was a great movie released in a particularly great year for cinema, and tells a timeless story about one down-on-his-luck teenager who gets bullied, and then is lucky enough to find a mentor who teaches him the answers to all his problems in life: karate.

That's simplifying it a bit. It's not all about violence being used to solve one's problems, but things do inevitably come down to a karate tournament where the main character, Daniel, has a chance to prove himself and best his bully within the confines of a martial arts competition. The Karate Kid offers no surprises narratively, but it probably wouldn't work very well or be nearly as endearing if it did , with such an approach being crowd-pleasing in the best way possible.

The Karate Kid

Watch on Starz

14 'Caddyshack' (1980)

Directed by harold ramis.

Caddyshack is an essential comedy of the 1980s , and does feel like it focuses much more on being funny than it does on being some sort of traditional sports movie. That approach works here, though, because the sort of anarchic tone Caddyshack sticks with over the course of its 98 minutes does make it a good deal of fun, with things predominantly building to a golf tournament at an exclusive country club.

Things like that don't feel too important when much of the film instead chooses to focus on Bill Murray 's character, a groundskeeper for the golf course, battling a mischievous and destructive gopher. Caddyshack is entirely of its time and therefore might not be hugely appealing for all modern-day viewers yet the movie undoubtedly has its fans and also can be charming in a way , so long as you don't mind some of the cruder comedic trends of its time.

13 'Warrior' (2011)

Directed by gavin o'connor.

An under-appreciated sports movie that may one day be heralded as a classic, the rather generically named Warrior is a tremendously emotional film about mixed martial arts. It stands out thanks to the fact that the two main characters are estranged brothers, with things eventually leading to them having to fight each other within a tournament, all while their troubled, alcoholic father coaches one, but not the other.

Beyond the moving and even quite suspenseful/stressful story, Warrior also boasts some great performances from its leads, including Tom Hardy , Joel Edgerton , and an Oscar-nominated Nick Nolte . It pushes familiar tropes into new areas and with even more gusto than most sports movies out there, going above and beyond the competition. It's appropriately ferocious for a movie about fighting, in that way, and one of the best sports films in recent years.

Warrior (2011)

Watch on Peacock

12 'Breaking Away' (1979)

Directed by peter yates.

Exploring a coming-of-age story within the confines of a sports film isn't something exclusively done in Breaking Away by any means, but few comparable films have done so quite this well. It does all this while also balancing the expected dramatic elements with a little comedy for good measure, and even doing so while presenting a sport that isn't usually depicted in sports movies: cycling.

It's a movie about discovering what one wants to do with the rest of their life, as well as enjoying those precious few days between graduating from high school and bidding friends farewell as college starts. In that way, it succeeds as a coming-of-age film the same way something similarly bittersweet like George Lucas ' American Graffiti also does. Breaking Away feels a little underrated overall, and is certainly worth checking out for anyone who's yet to see it.

Breaking Away

11 'moneyball' (2011).

Several years before Foxcatcher , director Bennett Miller made another somewhat unconventional sports film with Moneyball . This one's also biographical, but certainly isn't as grim as Foxcatcher , instead telling a story about how a man named Billy Beane used rather radical computer-generated analysis to work out how to best assemble a baseball team back in the 2000s, with the process being cost-effective and successful.

This approach does mean those wanting lots of baseball action could come away from Moneyball feeling a tad disappointed, but the behind-the-scenes look at this aspect of the game is undoubtedly interesting . It also helps that Brad Pitt 's in the leading role here, the supporting cast includes the likes of Jonah Hill , Philip Seymour Hoffman , and Robin Wright , and the screenplay was credited to two Oscar-winning writers: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin .

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'Adios Amigo': This Asif Ali-Suraj Venjaramoodu starrer is a feel-good comedy that’s light on focus | Movie Review

'Adios Amigo', directed by Nahas Nazar, brings together two strangers from vastly different walks of life who find themselves on a journey, neither of them expected. As they travel together, they catch fleeting glimpses of each other's worlds, creating moments of connection and humour. Starring Asif Ali and Suraj Venjaramoodu, this road movie is a soft, feel-good comedy. While it may not be a standout film in the genre, it has enough charm to hold your attention, largely thanks to the engaging chemistry between the lead actors.

Asif Ali steps into a new and refreshing role in this film, showcasing a side we haven't seen from him before. On the other hand, while Suraj Venjaramoodu delivers a solid performance, his character is similar to the roles he's taken on in the past. It's starting to seem like Suraj's recent characters are cast in the same mould.

At first, when you meet Asif Ali's character, you might wonder if he can really pull this off. But give it a few minutes, and those doubts disappear—he absolutely owns the role. Asif is a powerhouse in this film, radiating an infectious energy. Suraj, on the other hand, delivers a steady, composed performance. Sure, his roles are starting to feel a bit repetitive, but he still does his job well, and it's solid.

One of the film's intriguing aspects is how it drops us right into the middle of the characters' lives without spending much time on backstory. We get a glimpse of how these two individuals cross paths and set off on their journey. Asif Ali plays a wealthy, perpetually drunk man living large, while Suraj Venjaramoodu's character is a simple man in desperate need of money. Their journey unfolds in a chaotic manner, moving from one point to another.

Where the movie stumbles is in its lack of direction at times. The plot often feels like it's just drifting along without much purpose, offering little in the way of surprises. It’s pretty straightforward, and by the second half, this aimlessness starts to drag the film down, making it feel sluggish.

The movie definitely has its share of laugh-out-loud moments, though some jokes are more hit-or-miss. What's fun, though, is just rolling with the movie to see where destiny takes these characters. That said, the feel-good vibe sometimes gets overplayed. For instance, there's a scene where Suraj's character drapes his 'mundu' over a sleeping Asif Ali—it's meant to be sweet, but it comes off a bit forced.

At its core, the movie attempts to highlight the disparities between the rich and the poor, exploring how each group views the other. However, many scenes in this movie invariably slip into clichés. The songs don’t stand out either. The film however remains enjoyable, offering its share of good moments and laughs.

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Shudder Digs into the Horrors of Fracking with the Sometimes Uneven, but Never Boring Hell Hole

A wild and wonderfully gory monster movie from diy sensations the adams familiy..

Hell Hole premieres on Shudder August 23. This review is based on a screening at the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival.

The Adams Family doesn’t need anyone to validate their horror credentials. But perhaps they’d excuse a compliment: It says a lot that the moment the filmmaking clan – consisting of spouses Toby Poser and John Adams and their daughters Zelda and Lulu Adams – were given a (slightly) larger budget to play with, they decided to spend it on gore. The vehicle for said effects, Hell Hole, is a transitional film, a blending of styles and modes of working that feels less visionary than their more homebound features. But the complex and unconventional characters that brought them into the spotlight in the first place give Hell Hole more personality than your average creature feature.

Up to this point, Poser and the Adamses have made films using a unique, intuitive method developed on DIY projects like 2019’s The Deeper You Dig! and their breakout film, 2021’s Hellbender . The latter got them hooked up with Shudder, which got them an appearance on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, which led to Poser and John Adams heading to Serbia to make Hell Hole, their first movie with a professional crew, artificial lighting, and a conventional screenplay. The results of that journey are sometimes uneven, but never boring.

What's the best horror movie released in 2024 so far?

Older sister Lulu co-wrote the screenplay – Zelda, who co-starred in Hellbender, is away at college – but Poser and John are the only members of the family to appear in Hell Hole. The way they incorporate themselves into the story is clever: playing obnoxious Americans establishing a fracking site in Serbia, they create a funhouse-mirror reflection of the real-life circumstances of Hell Hole’s production. This makes any awkwardness between the foreign stars, the local extras, and the Serbian actors playing the scientists monitoring the site’s environmental impact into an asset, rather than a liability.

Poser’s character, Emily, is a “pot-smoking hippie” who went from saving the earth to stripping and polluting it after the failure of her solar-energy business. She’s a layered character – more layered than she needs to be for a film of this type, frankly. But Hell Hole is better for it, because Poser’s credibility as an authority figure who’s snippy and sarcastic but warm underneath – ”maternal” is the best word for her energy, though Emily is childfree by choice – helps anchor the proceedings. And thank goodness, because this movie needs something to ground it.

The 25 Best Horror Movies

The monster-movie element here is in the tradition of Alien and The Thing , focusing on a group of blue-collar workers in an isolated location who get blindsided by an ultra-aggressive creature. Gross shit ensues, as it should, crafted with a combination of digital VFX and practical gore from A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and Slither effects artist Todd Masters. The drills pull bloody chunks of stinking, oily meat to the surface. Characters explode like overripe tomatoes in a blender. And the critter itself, when we do see it, is equal parts H.R. Giger and Basket Case . But the weirdest thing that happens in Hell Hole is when the crew digs up a soldier from Napoleon’s army encased in a blue membrane, where he’s survived without food or water for more than 200 years.

Without giving away too much, he’s gestating. It’s a cheeky feminist spin on the malignant-parasite concept, with mixed results: Again, the thematic complication is welcome, but the ways in which this idea is put into practice are quite scatalogical. Scenes of characters being, er, colonized by the creature combine with John Adams’ headbanging score and the desaturated digital cinematography to give Hell Hole the vibe of a ’00s heavy metal video – a valid aesthetic choice, but one that doesn’t necessarily vibe with the complex dialogue and mature characterizations. As a result, the transitions between scenes – and tones – can be bumpy.

Again, Poser and Adams are trying something new here. Their next project will take them back to their regular stomping grounds in the Catskills; it’s unclear at the moment if they’ll be returning to Serbia to make any more movies. Hell Hole is an experiment, highlighting the ways that Adams Family productions are different from other low-budget horror movies. And talented filmmakers like these should be allowed to experiment. If nothing else, the results will always be interesting.

DIY filmmakers The Adams Family experiment with more conventional techniques in the wild and wonderfully gory monster movie Hell Hole. In their follow-up to 2021’s Hellbender, directors Toby Poser and John Adams play Americans traveling to Serbia to open up a fracking operation, where they unearth some truly disgusting monstrosities courtesy of veteran effects artist Todd Masters. The combination of gore and complex characterization can be uneven from scene to scene, but the filmmakers’ unique qualities and perspectives give it more personality than your average low-budget creature feature.

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In ‘Good One,’ a family camping trip is full of emotional switchbacks

Justin Chang

Lily Collias brings a nearly wordless intensity as Sam in Good One. Smudge Films hide caption

Too often, the month of August is regarded as a fallow period for moviegoing, after the big blockbusters of the summer but before the awards contenders of the fall. But the aptly titled new movie Good One is a reminder that there are always smart, interesting films being released, if you’re willing to look beyond the obvious. As it turns out, looking beyond the obvious is something that the writer-director India Donaldson has a real knack for. In just 90 minutes, she tells a three-character story that appears simple enough on the surface, yet it’s so sharp and engrossing that you might not immediately notice the deeper story taking shape underneath.

Lily Collias plays 17-year-old Sam, who’s going backpacking in the Catskills with her father, Chris — that’s the terrific James Le Gros in a too-rare leading role. They’re supposed to be joined by Chris’ oldest friend, Matt, and his teenage son, Dylan. But Matt winds up being the only one to come along; he and Dylan’s mom are recently divorced, and Dylan isn’t taking it well.

Chris himself has been divorced for a while, and he and Sam have a pretty harmonious relationship by comparison. They seem to get along even when they’re bickering, as happens when Chris criticizes Sam’s driving.

Much of the movie consists of Sam listening quietly as Chris and Matt go on and on, reminiscing about old times yet always finding new things to grouse about. Chris, a savvy outdoorsman, can’t stop complaining about how badly Matt has overpacked for a three-day hiking trip.

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While the two men rarely ask Sam how she’s doing or feeling, they seem cool enough where it counts. Chris has long been supportive of his daughter’s queer identity; she has a girlfriend whom she texts during the trip, whenever she can get a cellphone signal. Matt tells Sam that she’s wise beyond her years: Unlike all the other reckless, rebellious teenagers out there, she’s a rare “good one” in his book.

Scene by scene, however, writer-director Donaldson paints a subtler picture of the dynamics at work. At times Good One reminded me of Kelly Reichardt ’s quietly perceptive 2006 drama, Old Joy , which also squeezed a lot of emotional history into a fateful camping trip.

You get the sense that Sam has traveled a bunch with her dad and Matt before, and that she’s long adjusted to her designated role. When the three of them share a motel room on their way up to the Catskills, it’s Sam who instinctively rolls out her sleeping bag, without even being asked, leaving the two beds to the men. And once they reach their campsite, it’s Sam who cooks dinner for the three of them without complaint. The dynamics are complicated. Beneath the men’s easygoing manner, there’s an unmistakable air of condescension toward Sam, a sense that their appreciation of her is more conditional than genuine.

If Sam resents them for any of this, she doesn’t show it, at least not at first. Collias gives a beautifully understated performance; with very little effort, she can register everything from wry affection to barely concealed exasperation. And Donaldson, working with the cinematographer Wilson Cameron, proves as keenly observant as her protagonist. She’s alive to the beauty of the mountains, whether it’s the sight of a majestic canyon or the sound of rushing water. Some of the movie’s slow-simmering tension arises from your uncertainty about what might be lurking nearby, whether it’s a bear in search of food or three young men they cross paths with on the hiking trail.

But Good One isn’t one of those movies in which a journey into the wilderness spirals into horror. The dangers that Donaldson introduces are of a more intimate and perhaps more insidious nature. There comes a moment in the story when everything changes, and it’s at once surprising and unsurprising, all too believable and, in the moment, perhaps a little contrived.

But that hardly matters. What matters is how Sam responds to this sudden shift, and Collias shows her unpacking that response almost in real time, and with a nearly wordless intensity. Good One has the concision of a sharply etched short story, but what happens by the end can’t be easily summed up. Sam won’t soon forget the lessons of this particular trip, and neither will we.

‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ Director Mohammad Rasoulof on Current State of Iran: ‘The Islamic Republic Is Vulnerable and Unstable’

By Nick Vivarelli

Nick Vivarelli

International Correspondent

• ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’ Director Mohammad Rasoulof on Current State of Iran: ‘The Islamic Republic Is Vulnerable and Unstable’ 1 day ago
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Dissident Iranian auteur Mohammad Rasoulof in May escaped to Europe after receiving a jail and flogging sentence from the country’s authorities for making his latest film “ The Seed of the Sacred Fig ” that won the Special Jury prize at Cannes.

He is now traveling to Locarno to screen his powerful drama – about an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as anti-government protests intensify and his family life is devastated – on the Swiss fest’s 8,000-seat Piazza Grande.

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For many years, my focus was on living in Iran. I wanted to tell stories in my films that were necessary to tell from the heart of Iran. Tolerating being banned from work, being banned from leaving the country, the interrogations, the difficult conditions of making films underground, and going to prison… all these pressures were part of a long journey. Prison provided an opportunity to reflect on all of this. After my release, I knew that I would soon receive a new sentence from the court and have to return to prison. However, before the verdict, in a bold decision, I started filming “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.” Midway through filming the movie, the verdict was announced, and just a few days after we finished filming, I learned about the final decision – an eight-year prison sentence from the Court of Appeal. As a filmmaker, I had to choose between continuing to make my films or seeing myself as a victim and returning to prison. This decision gave me the strength to leave Iran. I knew it might be a long journey. Now, I feel like I am on a long business trip with unfinished tasks demanding my attention. Outside Iran, I have many good friends and great hopes that motivate me to put in more effort.

Can you describe the small editing tweaks I believe you have made to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig?” since it screened in Cannes?

There are no significant changes. Only compression and a few technical improvements were necessary.

After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie was screened at the Sydney Film Festival, where it received the Audience Award for Best International Feature. I’m thrilled about the opportunity to watch the film in Piazza Grande. In 2002, I participated in the Locarno Festival with my debut film, and I had the chance to see a movie by Fellini on the Piazza Grande screen. I’ll never forget the joy of watching that film there. After 22 years, I’m going back. I’m really excited to see my film on that big screen with an audience of over 8,000. I hope it doesn’t rain on the night of the screening!

Are you pleased that the film has been sold around the world, including to Neon in the U.S.? Will you be traveling to the U.S. to promote it?

Film distributors in Europe, especially Films Boutique and Parallel 45, have a deep and precise understanding of this type of cinema. On the other hand, working with a distributor like Neon, a thoroughly professional team with a complete understanding of a film’s path ahead, is very exciting. It is a pleasure to work with them.

I plan to travel to the United States for film screenings. However, since I still don’t have a passport and have to travel with the documents provided with the help of the city of Hamburg, I wonder if I’ll be able to travel outside of Europe.

What’s your take on the recent election in Iran of reformist politician Masoud Pezeshkian? Do you think anything will change as a result ?

At the core of its power, The Islamic Republic is vulnerable and unstable, lacking legitimacy and popularity among the majority of people. For decades, they have been ruling Iran through brutal repression, which relies on fomenting crises for its survival. However, these crises accumulate over time. Unforeseen events such as the Woman Life Freedom movement and the brave pursuit of women demanding their rights have disrupted the analyses of those in power. Following the collapse of Raisi’s government – which was the concrete embodiment of the ignorance and inefficiency of the Islamic system – they needed an option to find enough time to recuperate. Pezeshkian’s government is a tool to overcome these crises. They know the president of Iran doesn’t have a weighty role in determining domestic and international macro policies; if it did, other governments before the Pezeshkian government also wanted to change the path ahead of Iran.

Last time we spoke you said you did not think the Iranian regime is “in a condition or in a situation that will allow them to last long, and that the international community should stop being so mild with them and not allow them to go on holding their people hostage.” Do you continue to think that the current regime won’t last long? Also, do you think/hope your film will help put more pressure on Iran?

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