luca 2022 malayalam movie review

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Luca movie review: The Lead pair dazzles in Luca

Director: Arun Bose Cast: Tovino Thomas, Ahaana Krishna, Nithin George, Vineetha Koshy

For all those who love a good romance and the associated feelings of love, the lead pair of Luca (Tovino Thomas) and Niharika Banerjee (Ahaana Krishna) will surely satiate. The good-looking pair brings to life a romance that is sweet, poignant, happy and sad in parts. But if you think this is a romantic film, then here is news; there is also an investigative thriller penciled in a non-linear manner.

The film starts off with an unexpected event that sets in motion an investigation by police officer Akbar played by Nithin George. A diary which Akbar reads takes the audience through the lives of Luca and Niharika, with the diary playing the role of a storyteller. Luca, an orphan, is an extremely talented scrap artist with a very small circle of friends. Luca has a lot of anger in him that pours forth in violent streaks when something irritates him. The film is set against the backdrop of the Biennale and Luca locks horns with Niharika when she passes childish remarks about his installation. She later seeks his forgiveness and moves into his home as a paying guest and from there develops a very close friendship between the couple that transforms into an all encompassing love. She becomes the calming force when he simmers with anger and becomes his guiding strength ready to brave every storm that threatens them to any ‘end’. Luca suffers from thanatophobia (fear of death) and Necrophobia (extreme fear of death or dead bodies) and Niharika becomes his comfort when he goes through such episodes. Niharika, too, has got her share of childhood secrets that have left a permanent scar in her which Luca in turn understands. Into their dreamy world enters a villain in the form of a medical condition and all hell breaks loose. A drastic chain of events begin which eventually sucks Akbar into it. Akbar is fighting his own demons with a prior failed relationship and an impending divorce from wife Fathima (Vineetha Koshy). Luca’s and Niharika’s love story changes him at some point, while he solves his case.

Tovino breathes life into his character and you only see Luca the artist — highly talented, romantic, angry, empathetic, pained, funny and naughty. Ahaana is the perfect foil with her calm demeanor and rational thoughts. Debutant director Arun Bose does have some directional lapses when extreme close-ups lay bare the poker faces of Akbar and Fathima who almost seem mechanical. Certain story gaps are not filled and some story situations evoke disbelief. When positivity is the buzz word now, the film takes a step back to wrongly state that ending your life can be a viable solution.

A lasting impression that stays with you about the film is the colourful frames, be it the clever artwork and the flamboyant yet casual dresses of the lead pair. Special mention must be made of art director Anees Nadodi, cinematographer Nimish Ravi and costume designer Remya Suresh. Music director Sooraj S. Kurup (who also acts in it) has done a decent job. Go watch Luca for Tovino and Ahaana’s chemistry.

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Luca Malayalam Movie review | Tovino Thomas

Malayalam cinema news, by avinash pandian | galatta | june 29, 2019 08:00 am ist.

Luca is an entertainer to enjoy with friends! The end frame of the movie Luca says, "a film by Arun Bose and friends". It is a signature that the movie Luca carries throughout its entirety: it is evident that a boisterous bunch of young people shot this movie. It has perfect frames, cinematographic quality, technical perfection, well-thought-out costuming, audio work and editing are on point. So how may a movie that has so much going for it still fall short?A young member of the K ochi intelligentsia - Luca - is found dead at his home and main investigation officer Akbar finds the diary of Luca's ex-girlfriend at his home. The ex-girlfriend hailing from Bangalore is also found dead, incidentally. Though these deaths look like unconnected suicides, Akbar sees the possibility that this could be a murder and goes after it.  The movie follows Akbar as he solves this case. The character Luca - short tempered, but straight-forward and downright nice - is aptly played by Tovino Thomas , who is charming and convincing as a biennale-going boy. Tovino Thomas happened to the Malayalam industry in the same way that movies like Aadu Oru Bheekara Jeeviyanu and Sapthamasree Thaskara happened. Those movies and this actor are silent hits. They arrived without much fanfare, were not instant stars, but got circulated around and became popular because of quality. Now Tovino is fine wine and 2019 is proving to be his busiest year yet. Luca's lady love Niharika is portrayed by Ahana Krishna, who is quite something onscreen. We hope Kollywood finds her fast enough and that her two upcoming Malayalam movies - pathinettam padi and pidikittappulli - gives her sizeable chunks of screenspace. The lady can act. If we say more, we may end up spouting spoilers by the way of praising her skills. Nithin George, who plays the main investigating officer Akbar, is also a commendable actor. In the first 15 minutes of the movie, he succeeds in engaging the audience with convincing body language (tough cop) and then proceeds to entertain with a love song. He's consistent through the movie, but the character suffers a lack of depth which leaves most of his personal actions questionable: something that even a natural actor cannot compensate. The only bone of contention we may have is that while there is a good story being told in a visually pleasing manner, the plotline in itself is not really plausible. It's true that flawed characters attract each other, but no girl would take a visibly quarrelsome dude till her house on the first day of a meeting which didn't even happen by introduction. We're not calling the character loose - the sequence of events did not seem deep enough to warrant an instant connection she apparently has with Luca. Luca's flaws are related to a phobia; but a conversation about phobia is not going to influence a theatre full of people - we probably needed two or more scenes to be convinced that the phobia is serious enough to warrant some developments that happen later in the story. The climax has a cool twist, we daren't comment on it at all right now. The climax is what the movie Luca lives for - the story breaks open in the last 10 minutes and the twist quickly winds up the movie, but by the end of it, the audience aren't quite convinced of the plausibility of the method of murder. There is one moment of absolute success for the director in the movie that begs mention. In a particular scene, a sweeping maid finds Akbar's pet cat dead, takes a closer look suspiciously and goes "uh... Pooche?" (Hey, cat?). The audience erupted to this as a whole with clockwork precision and some were still chuckling about it while leaving the theatre. Overall, Luca is an entertainer that 90% of malayalis aged 18-30 would enjoy watching in theatres with friends. Indeed, in Chennai there were college-girl-gangs bunking classes and watching the movie on the first day (all thanks to the Mayanadhi effect). The girls loved the romance scenes and attested to it rather loudly in theatre. Stepping out after the movie, they called Luca a pretty treat while wondering if they should google to find out if the climax was realistic. The interactions between Luca and Niharika and the association of the main suspect on the movie with Niharika were all well portrayed, they opined. In all, Luca is a movie you won't regret watching. Rating: 3/5

• #Tovino Thomas

நாடு: முற்றிலும் மாறுபட்ட வேடத்தில் பிக் பாஸ் தர்ஷன்... எங்கேயும் எப்போதும் இயக்குனரின் அடுத்த படைப்பின் அசத்தலான வீடியோ பாடல்!

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• Cast & crew
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An investigative thriller with elements of romance, the film narrates the story of two couples: a Kochi-based scrap artist named Luca and his girlfriend Niharika; and a police officer named ... Read all An investigative thriller with elements of romance, the film narrates the story of two couples: a Kochi-based scrap artist named Luca and his girlfriend Niharika; and a police officer named Akbar and his wife Fathima. An investigative thriller with elements of romance, the film narrates the story of two couples: a Kochi-based scrap artist named Luca and his girlfriend Niharika; and a police officer named Akbar and his wife Fathima.

• Mridul George
• Tovino Thomas
• Ahaana Krishna
• Nithin George
• 19 User reviews
• 2 Critic reviews

• Niharika Banarjee

• Akbar Hussain

• Jayaprakash

• Forensic Surgeon

• Dr. Francis
• Niharika (Child)
• Luca's Mother
• Luca (Child)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Soundtracks Kaattum Written by Vinayak Sasikumar Produced by Sooraj S. Kurup Performed by Sooraj S. Kurup

User reviews 19

• bhushan2575
• Jul 29, 2019
• How long is Luca? Powered by Alexa
• July 26, 2019 (United States)
• Stories & Thoughts Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 2 hours 31 minutes
• Dolby Atmos

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• ENGLISH HINDI MALAYALAM TAMIL TELUGU KANNADA BENGALI  

Luca Malayalam Movie

The prelude of 'Luca' is a catalyst to amplify the suspense in it before the advent of a romantic episode. A confluence of romance and mystery, 'Luca' unfolds the life of a talented artist and his love affair with a girl, who unexpectedly enters into his life. The eponymous hero is sensitive and amicable so that Niharika falls in a relationship with him soon after their first meeting at Biennale venue. Luca, portrayed by Tovino Thomas, has bizarre lifestyle and delicate artistic expressions, which are really mere embellishments to conceal his mental agony.

The creative involvement of newbie director Arun Bose finds a rhythm so swiftly to establish the premise handsomely at the outset. With the perfect support of smart frames by Nimish Ravi and laudable artworks by Anees Nadody, 'Luca' offers a different ride to an extent. Arun has a promising screenplay in hand but he lets it down towards the latter half with a sense of ignorance in holding the proceedings firmly. It is emotionally gripping and powerful to satisfy you at one level even as the narrative part is panting for better care while dealing with the murder mystery.

Ahaana Krishna is subtle in performance as well as delightful in appearance as Niharika, who enters into the life of Luca. The real conflict emerges after her appearance in the tale. She becomes his emotional pillar through a passionate relationship. Niharika finds Luca as an outlet to share her annoying memories of childhood presented by her uncle JP (Srikant Murali).

Interestingly, Luca too is battling himself to get rid of the haunting dreams about his dead parents. The character possesses a sort of hysteria coupled with mental agony. Tovino is sublime in absorbing the soul of the role with a smart transition befittingly in accordance with the situation of the plot. A passionate and resounding dedication from the actor elevates the film altogether.

Arun Bose and Mridul George, the scriptwriters, simultaneously move the two layers of the tale by referring to the life of police officer Akbar (Nitin George) and his wife Fathimah, played by Vinita Koshy. On the verge of divorce, Akbar is in a dilemma after listening to the advice of his colleagues to reconsider his decision to get separated from his wife. But this part of the movie evidently weakens the gravity of the mystery element since the impact of these actors fails to infuse any solid backup to the main plot. From the diary penned by Niharika, Akbar gets to know about the incidents that happened in the life of the scrap artist.

The incessant rain in most part of the investigation acts as a pall of mystery over the murder. The heavy plot structure creates a burden in the narration as it intersperses two tales at a time--- of the victim and the investigator. Barring this conflict of interest and the shadows of drawbacks at decisive junctures, it's a good attempt from a debutant.

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• What is the release date of 'Luca'? Release date of Tovino Thomas and Ahana Krishnakumar starrer 'Luca' is 2019-06-28.
• Who are the actors in 'Luca'? 'Luca' star cast includes Tovino Thomas, Ahana Krishnakumar, Jaffer Idukki and Thalaivasal Vijay.
• Who is the director of 'Luca'? 'Luca' is directed by Arun Bose.
• Who is the producer of 'Luca'? 'Luca' is produced by Linto Thomas,Prince Hussain.
• What is Genre of 'Luca'? 'Luca' belongs to 'Drama,Romance,Thriller' genre.
• In Which Languages is 'Luca' releasing? 'Luca' is releasing in Malayalam.

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Malayalam Film Luca review: Competently made, haunting mystery

Luca opens with a hook intriguing enough to keep any mystery lover glued to their seats for the rest of its runtime. These early moments involve a major spoiler, which I won’t give away. One of the main characters has passed away, and I won’t say if it’s a natural death, murder, or suicide either. That, too, I’m afraid, is spoiler territory.

In terms of its narrative structure, Luca doesn’t break any new grounds.

Similar plot openings have been tried before not just in Hollywood but also in Malayalam cinema.

The closest examples are KG George’s Yavanika or Padamarajan’s Kariyilakaattu Pole from the latter; Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard or Martin Scorsese’s Casino from the former.

WATCH TRAILER: 

Beginning with the investigating officer, Akbar (Nithin George), every character in Luca is going through some form of emotional trauma.

Everyone has a ‘spelling mistake’, as one character remarks. One of these characters, Luca (Tovino Thomas) has no qualms about revealing his ‘spelling mistakes’ to all.

He is an open book—someone who finds perfection in imperfection. 

The only son of parents who passed away due to unnatural deaths when he was still a child, Luca carries the unbearably heavy burden of its after-effects, consequently rendering him necrophobic (fear of death, dead bodies or any situation involving death).

An incredibly gifted scrap artist, he is at his best when he is doing his art.

When Niharika (Ahaana Krishna) walks into his disorderly existence one day, his life takes a drastic turn. A deep, inseparable bond is established between them instantly.

I must admit that the pay-off of their romance is more moving than the set-up. I find it hard to take seriously any ‘serious’ relationship that is developed like instant coffee. (Speaking of coffee, Luca is a coffee addict.) 

On the first day of their encounter, Luca and Niharika interact as if they are old friends reuniting after many years.

It doesn’t feel like two complete strangers falling in love for the first time. But as both Tovino and Niharika deliver solid performances, I can’t really complain.

The character who serves as the umbilical cord to the audience is Akbar. He is struggling to deal with the conflicted emotions pertaining to his personal life but at the same time has to be careful not to let that interfere with the job at hand.

Akbar is essentially the male version of Revathi’s character from Mani Ratnam’s Mouna Ragam.

He still hasn’t gotten over the memory of a past relationship, which is standing in the way of a smooth marital relationship with his wife Fathima (Vinitha Koshy).

When Niharika’s diary comes into Akbar’s possession, we are as eager as he is to unlock the final mystery. 

From the first stunning frame to the last—cinematographer Nimish Ravi is definitely a talent to watch out for—Luca is an exercise in atmospheric storytelling.

I can’t at the moment recall any other film where I saw rain being used as a marker to distinguish two different timelines. There is incessant rain in Akbar-Fathima portions (present) whereas the Luca-Niharika portions (past) are always dry. 

This is a film that makes you more aware of its characters’ surroundings than themselves —a quality that sometimes works to its detriment. The same goes for the use of colour.

The Luca-Niharika portions are dominated by Turquoise; the Akbar-Fathima portions by browns and yellows.

The final revelation, which takes cues from a famous work of Shakespeare, achieves the desired effect. This plot development could have been slightly problematic if the rest of the film were trying to go for an uber-realistic vibe.

But Luca makes it clear from early on that it’s not a film to be viewed through that lens. It is a very cinematic film, concerned more about the underlying emotion than the logic employed to deliver it.

The final product is a cross between a Mani Ratnam-style romance and an Agatha Christie-style mystery.

Direction: Arun Bose

Cast: Tovino Thomas, Ahaana Krishna, Nithin George, Vinitha Koshy

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Malayalam Movie Review Luca - Cast & Crew

Table of content

Ahaana Krishna

Neethu Bala

Neena Kurup

Pauly Valsan

Vinitha Koshy

Linto Thomas

Anees Nadodi

Tovino Thomas

Anwar Shereef

Chempil Asokan

Jaffer Idukki

Nithin George

Rajesh Sharma

Shalu Rahim

Srikant Murali

Thalaivasal Vijay

Prince Hussain

Mridul George

Nimish Ravi

Nikhil Venu

1. Ahaana Krishna

2. Neethu Bala

3. Devi Ajith

4. Neena Kurup

5. Pauly Valsan

6. Vinitha Koshy

7. Arun Bose

8. Linto Thomas

9. Anees Nadodi

10. Bani Chand

11. Tovino Thomas

12. Anwar Shereef

13. Chempil Asokan

14. Jaffer Idukki

15. Nithin George

16. Rajesh Sharma

17. Shalu Rahim

18. Srikant Murali

19. Thalaivasal Vijay

20. Prince Hussain

21. Mridul George

22. Nimish Ravi

23. Nikhil Venu

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Luca review: Tovino, Ahaana steal the show

“One does not need a partner on bed for 10 hours, rather one needs a partner who can sit and listen for at least 10 minutes,” is how Thalaivasal Vijay's character tries to convince his junior cop Akbar (played by Nithin George) with a troubled marital life. And while destiny has a different route for Akbar, he is somehow influenced or made to cross path with our hero Luca.

Akbar has a dejected past with his love life, but overcoming that he marries Fathima (Vinitha Koshy). With the past lingering on, Akbar finds it hard to cope up with his married life. And that's when he is asked to investigate a case associated with Luca (Tovino Thomas).

Luca is a popular scrap artiste and his artistic work brings him closer to his lady love Nihaarika Baneerjee (Ahaana Krishna). They fight at an art exhibition and get to know each other and later fall for each other. When Nihaarika learns that Luca is thanatophobic and necrophobic (fear of death and dead bodies), she tries to do everything to make him happy till the 'end'.

The accidental police officer: How Luca team cast Nithin George in the last minute

Was easy to act with Tovino: Ahaana

What strikes Akbar is Luca's positivity towards work and his life. And that's when he realises that his investigation has taken a U-turn.

The best thing about the movie is that art and certain props is given a life-like character. Be it the rains, the first drawing, the 'proposal' rose, the diary written by Nihaarika or even the cat at Akbar's house, it's through such things that the plot take shape.

Cheers to art director Anees Nadodi and costume designer Remya Suresh for making the movie colourful.

There is a freshness to the treatment and the visuals by Nimish Ravi and music by Sooraj S Kurup deserves special mention. The movie shines in parts but blurs on some occasions.

Before the release of the movie, debutant director Arun Bose had revealed that he had approached Tovino Thomas with this script sometime in 2014 and Luca has close similarity to Imtiaz Ali's 2014 movie Highway.

Tovino effortlessly steps into the shoes of the lovable superman and he might remind you of Dulquer Salmaan from Charlie. But that's another side of his to be explored. Ahaana Krishna looks pretty with cool outfits and Luca may mark her as her best so far. Debut actor Nithin George perfects his dialogue delivery and so does Vinitha Koshy with her naive and sober characterisation.

Though the climax brings in a link between two deaths, it asked for more.

There are certain moments that definitely lift the mood and Luca is heavily backed by art and creativity.

• Tovino Thomas
• Malayalam Films

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Luca ( U/A ) 28/Jun/2019 Thriller, Romance 2hrs 31mins

Critics: 9 Panel: 0 User: 10

Overall: 4.3 from 19 users

Synopsis/Plot : Luca is a highly talented artist who creates magic out of scraps. Niharika, a researcher in industrial chemistry enters his life to make it more colourful. Will they make it together?

Director : Arun Bose

Music Director : Sooraj S Kurup

Cast More Cast & Crew (3)

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Critics Review All critic Reviews(9)

A genre-bending thriller where tovino is stunning.

Arun Bose's 'Luca', starring Tovino in one of his most intense roles till date, is a thriller that doesn't just rely on its twists and turns but grabs you to live out an adventurous ride along with its characters. (more)

Source: Suhansid Srikanth, MovieCrow

A mildly engaging romantic thriller that is watchable for its classy filmmaking

Luca is an effectively atmospheric film. The film's faded, bluish colour palette beautifully complements with the rain-drenched setting. The interiors of Luca's house is crafted beautifully to create an artistic, Bohemian look (art direction is by Anees Nadodi). The film has some consistently good ... (more)

Source: Behindwoods Review Board, Behindwoods.com

Intriguing love-story entwined in a murder mystery

Tovino Thomas and Ahaana Krishna easily bring out on screen that casual camaraderie sparkling with love and friendship. While Tovino is effortless as the playful, troubled and confused Luca, Ahaana excels in many scenes with her impromptu expressions. Also, the film has beautifully orchestrated fram... (more)

Source: Navamy Sudhish, The Hindu

The film tells two stories, in parallel, life of Luca and Niharika and an investigation connected to them.

While summing up, out of the many unanswered questions the movie raises, one of them has to be cracked. Will love give you hope or hopelessness in a crisis? (more)

Source: Anjana George, Times Of India

The Lead pair dazzles in Luca

A lasting impression that stays with you about the film is the colourful frames, be it the clever artwork and the flamboyant yet casual dresses of the lead pair. Special mention must be made of art director Anees Nadodi, cinematographer Nimish Ravi and costume designer Remya Suresh. Music director S... (more)

Source: PRIYA SREEKUMAR, Deccan Chronicle

Much More Than A Regular Love Story

Luca is not just another love story, but has much more to it. This Tovino Thomas-Ahaana Krishna starrer is totally a perfect watch for this weekend. (more)

Source: Akhila Menon, One India

A mix of romance and mystery.

Luca is colourful but could have been in a different league with better writing. In the current form, this one qualifies as an okay watch. (more)

Source: Moviebuzz, Sify.com

Tovino Thomas, Ahaana Krishna meet Agatha Christie and gentle heartache in God's Own Country

Luca is not a copy, it is a thematic revisitation and a wonderful tribute to Christie's classics. As Kerala's legendary rain pours down in sheets, and Akbar inches closer to determining his answers, I could not take my eyes off the screen nor detach myself from the grief of that young artist and his... (more)

Source: Anna MM Vetticad, Firstpost.com

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Luca (2019) Malayalam Movie Review – Veeyen

The opening frames of Arun Bose’s directorial debut ‘Luca’ are nothing short of brilliant; a montage of vibrant frames that are pre-emptive of a gala ocular delight to follow. It does live up to those expectations – at least visually – and is a film that is estimably captured on camera, but which falters playing with ideas that keep wavering in intensity and depth.

‘Luca’ starts off well, and has its protagonist (Tovino Thomas) – a scrap artist and a painter by profession – lying dead in a worn out tub on his front yard. Circle Inspector of Police, Akbar Hassan (Nithin George) is intrigued at the death, and when the post mortem report suggests that Luca has either been poisoned or had committed suicide, decides to solve the mystery himself.

Akbar soon realizes that Luca has been around with a girl from Bangalore, Niharika Banerjee (Ahana Krishna), who had been in the city for her research work. Further queries reveal that Niharika had passed away as well, and that too, poisoned as Luca had been. Confounded by the mystery that surrounds the demise of the couple, Akbar starts leafing through Niharika’s personal diary, hoping to unearth what had actually transpired.

There is promise in this premise, without doubt, and ‘Luca’ has a few moments that make you take note of the film maker at its helm. It is a tested pattern that is employed here without doubt; one that starts off on all the wrong notes before it starts singing a different tune, and as Luca and Niharika discover what it is to fall in love, the film soars up onto the skies.

But it is not, a smooth ride, and the parallel track of investigation and the personal demons that the police officer is battling with, that include an impending divorce from his wife Fathima (Vinitha Koshy) is one that pulls the film down, drowning it in a cesspool of lethargy from which it struggles up every now and then, only to be dragged down again.

On retrospect, this appears downright ironic, since Luca’s tale is one that should inspire Akbar’s, and on screen Akbar’s story takes Luca’s tale down with it, messing it up on several occasions. There is a reference to the sexual abuse that Niharika had had to face during her childhood that is portrayed sensitively, but which is soon followed by a massive desire to further accentuate the horror of it, that is expressed through Aloshy (Anwar Shereef), when you start wondering where exactly an excess of something becomes a liability.

The writing is what makes ‘Luca’ appear as a poor man’s ‘Charlie’, and is marred by dialogues that at times, sound theatrical to the core. Niharika laments of a childhood that she had spent with nameless kids on the streets of Kolkata, Akbar keeps ranting as to how difficult it is for him to move on, while his maid makes an utterance that sends the crowd guffawing away, but for the wrong reasons.

‘Luca’ belongs to the doe-eyed lass that Ahaana Krishna is, and the ebullient performance that she comes up with, that is easily one of the best that we have seen as yet, this year. Tovino is remarkably good and as the vulnerable artist who tries hard to live and love on his own terms does well, and so does Nithin George, while it has to be stated that Anwar Shereef so much deserves better chances and roles.

‘Luca’ is a film that is stunning to look at, and is replete with poetic frames that cinematographer Nimish Ravi has come up with. There is also the fantastic musical score by Sooraj S Kurup, that is in keeping with the mood of the piece.

As a debut feature, ‘Luca’ should be noticed for the very expressive potentials of its director, and Arun Bose is a name that I would tag high up on my ‘Watch-Out-For’ list. Armed with some better writing the next time around, I’m sure Bose would be back, and make up for what ‘Luca’ must have aspired to be, and what it eventually turned out to be.

Verdict: Average

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Pixar’s “Luca,” an Italian-set animated fairy tale concerning two young sea monsters exploring an unknown human world, offers the studio's hallmark visual splendor, yet fails to venture outside of safe waters. After story artist credits on big-time Pixar titles like “ Ratatouille ” and “ Coco ,” “Luca” serves as Enrico Casarosa ’s first time in the director’s chair. Borrowing elements from “ Finding Nemo ” and “ The Little Mermaid ,” Casarosa’s film follows two young Italian sea “monsters,” Luca ( Jacob Tremblay ) and Alberto ( Jack Dylan Grazer ). The former spends his days shepherding the little fish populating his seabed village away from fishing boats. But at night, as he lies awake in his seaweed bed, he dreams of living on the surface. 

Looming against his desires are his mother ( Maya Rudolph ) and father’s ( Jim Gaffigan ) fear from living by a human, sea-monster-hunting oceanfront village. Nevertheless, dry world affectations fall to the ocean floor: an alarm clock, a playing card, and a wrench. These items draw Luca closer to the surface. As does Alberto, an older, confident amphibian boy who now lives alone in a crumbling castle tower by the beach, and claims his father is temporarily traveling. 

If you’re wondering how these creatures with fins, scales, and tails can could live on among humans without being discovered, writers Jesse Andrews (“ Me and Earl and the Dying Girl ”) and Mike Jones (“ Soul ”) have a tidy solution for that. Rather than an evil witch granting him a human appearance, a la “The Little Mermaid,” the sea monsters here can naturally, magically turn mortal. Their ability isn’t controllable, however, as touching water reverts their skin back to their real scaly exterior. But for Luca, such power dangles greater temptation over him.  

Once on dry land, Alberto and Luca form a quick bond. They dream of buying a vespa and traveling the globe together. Their plans nearly come to a halt, however, when Luca’s frightful parents threaten to make him live his oddball Uncle Ugo ( Sacha Baron Cohen , essentially using his Borat voice in a fish) in the trenches. Instead, Luca runs away with Alberto to the town of Portorosso. There, they come across Giulia ( Emma Berman ), a red-headed, independently minded tomboy with dreams of winning the Portorosso cup—a traditional Italian triathlon consisting of swimming, cycling, and eating pasta—and her one-armed, burly father Massimo ( Marco Barricelli ). In a bid to earn enough money to buy a Vespa, the boys pair with Giulia to win the cup away from the evil five-time champion Ercole Visconti ( Saverio Raimondo ) and his goons while an entire town lays a bounty for sea monsters on their heads.  

The most distinct current coursing through “Luca” is freedom: that’s certainly what the Vespa represents, the ability to be unrestricted not just by sea, but by land too. The other thread winding around the folklorish narrative, however, is identity, or the people who truly are behind our public faces. The villainous Ercole is initially and seemingly well-loved, as though ripped from an Italian magazine. We soon discover that his love, somewhat like Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast” (another Disney flick attuned to true identities) actually rules through intimidation. The measured eroding of his care-free, buoyant persona into the narrative's real monster is predictable yet satisfying. 

The premise of the film also literally disguises Luca and Alberto as humans amongst the fish hunting Portorosso community. But in a deeper sense, many secrets lurk within Alberto, from the whereabouts of his dad to his general knowledge. He portrays himself to Luca as a world-weary traveler, the kind of friend who swears they’ve been to a place a million times, but has only walked past it. He also tells the impressionable Luca how the stars are actually fish swimming in a vast black ocean, that school is unnecessary, and to ignore his “Bruno” (or the tiny scared voice inside your head). His outsized confidence papers over his clear insecurities, especially as Luca first grows closer to Giulia and later thinks for himself. 

Similar to Ercole’s unsurprising turn to villainy, Alberto’s bubbling insecurities imbue the film's second half with an air of fait accompli and drag the initial animated delight to the deep depths of boredom. Why do another narrative about a girl stuck in the middle of two best friends? Why cast Giulia’s rich arc, a competitive girl pitched as an outsider, to the back seat? Without exploring her narrative, the primary story flows through the motions. And the ending, meant to recover some of her spark, only serves to tether her importance to the two boys. That is, the guys win, but really, we all win.  

“Luca” certainly isn’t without its charms. A visual splendor of blue and orange lighting blankets over the seaside setting, giving the sense that if I were to merely hug the screen it would warm me for days. Minute bits also land, like the fish that make sheep sounds, and the hilarious ways Luca’s mother and father careen through the town trying to find their son, throwing random children in the water. And Dan Rohmer’s propulsive, waltzy score recalls the fairytale vibes he breathed in “ Beasts of the Southern Wild ” on tracks like “ Once There Was A Hushpuppy .” But “Luca” retreads too much well-cultivated ground and reworks so many achingly familiar tropes as its best qualities sink to a murky bottom. While some material may hit with younger audiences, “Luca” makes for Pixar’s least enchanting, least special film yet.    

Available on June 18 on Disney+. 

Robert Daniels

Robert Daniels is an Associate Editor at RogerEbert.com. Based in Chicago, he is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) and Critics Choice Association (CCA) and regularly contributes to the  New York Times ,  IndieWire , and  Screen Daily . He has covered film festivals ranging from Cannes to Sundance to Toronto. He has also written for the Criterion Collection, the  Los Angeles Times , and  Rolling Stone  about Black American pop culture and issues of representation.

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Film Credits

Luca (2021)

Rated PG for rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence.

Jacob Tremblay as Luca Paguro (voice)

Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto Scorfano (voice)

Emma Berman as Giulia Marcovaldo (voice)

Maya Rudolph as Daniela Paguro (voice)

Jim Gaffigan as Lorenzo Paguro (voice)

Marco Barricelli as Massimo Marcovaldo (voice)

Saverio Raimondo as Ercole Visconti (voice)

Sandy Martin as Grandma Paguro (voice)

• Enrico Casarosa
• Jesse Andrews

Cinematographer

• David Juan Bianchi
• Jason Hudak
• Catherine Apple

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