‘Luca’ is a different kind of Pixar film, but it is no less wonderful

Posted on June 25, 2021

By MARK VIOLA

Pixar is one of the best film studios producing movies today — and not just in animation. When they release a new film, it is an event for me, because those movies often make it on my Top 10 list for that year.

The studio’s newest film, “Luca,” is the second release in a row to forgo movie theaters altogether for a debut on the Disney+ streaming service. There is no charge beyond the subscription fee.

I’ve often joked that the Pixar studio is powered by a secret machine devised to run off the tears of its films’ audiences. Anyone who has seen even a few of their movies will know what I’m talking about, as bringing tissues is almost a prerequisite for seeing one of their films.

In that, “Luca” is a bit of a departure. Directed by the Italian-born Enrico Casarosa, who gave us the Academy Award-nominated short, “La Luna,” this new feature is a quieter film, content to let the emotions and themes gently wash over the audience in small waves rather than the tear-inducing tsunamis we’ve come to expect from Pixar.

And, because of that, “Luca,” on the surface, might not feel as grand or as “important” as many Pixar movies do. But, while it is not as “in your face” as some of the studio’s other movies, there is still a wonderfully emotional story about friendship and childhood wonder that made me fall in love with this film.

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