So when it comes to watching animated movies, it's not a secret that whenever a new animated film is released, I'm going to watch these movies. As long as these films get even remotely decent reviews, I'm more than eager to give them a chance and see how good they are.
Indeed, the reason that I watch these animated movies and enjoy them is that they help me to forget my worries in life. These films, almost always, have themes, characters and storylines in them that make me happier and less judgemental as a person.
So this time, when it comes to these movies, me and my friend managed to watch Pixar's latest animated film 'Luca'. This is a film that - thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic was just released on Disney+ service and was now available for us both to see.
Story-wise, what we're dealing with here is a 'fish out of water' story, in which two sea monster kids decide to explore life on land. These kids go on an adventure in a nearby town, once they notice that they assume human form when they're out of the water.
Premise-wise, it has to be said that 'Luca' doesn't have the most well thought out concept that Pixar has managed to come up with. The premise, even though not completely awful is something that honestly doesn't make enough sense and feels somewhat clunky.
Indeed, especially in the film's first act when we're introduced to the main characters, the whole thing just doesn't seem particularly compelling. This includes the sea world with its characters (the family of Luca) that are a bit too underdeveloped.
Fortunately, once our kids (Luca & Alberto) get to the new world, start dreaming and start meeting actual people, things get better. The film - as it also gets more colorful - starts to breath and manages to create an atmosphere that feels pleasant for the audience.
Quality-wise, one of the best things about the movie, since it happens in Italy, is that it explores the Italian culture with actual insight. The makers of the film spent a lot of time making sure that the film is culturally accurate and feels right.
Indeed, my friend who later watched 'Luca' the second time with her Italian friends, told that her friends had genuinely appreciated the film. All those little details and the 'Fellinian' atmosphere that is in the movie is something that they apparently liked a lot.
Plot-wise, since this was a 'relaxed' movie, it has to be said that the stakes aren't that high. The main story on the land - about the guys wanting to win a Vespa in a contrived competition with their new friend - is a bit too lazy and weak.
Furthermore, since the main story is not strong, the villain in the movie is also a rather contrived invention. We have a bully in the town, the king of Vespa driving, who with his henchmen tries to beat our protagonists in the competition - which doesn't feel that organic.
Still, when you look at the animated movie as a whole, even though the story wasn't that strong and had some flaws in it, that doesn't mean that these issues were that critical. I'm not saying that the storyline was so bad that it sank the movie as a whole.
After all, when you - from a positive point of view - look at how colorful, relaxed and childlike the movie managed to be otherwise, these positive aspects clearly outweighed the negative ones in it. It was still enjoyable to watch the movie as a whole.
In that sense, in the end, even though the film could have been better, it's safe to say that if you haven't managed to see Pixar's 'Luca' yet, you should give the movie a chance. You should give the film a chance and not be discouraged by some of its negative reviews.
After all, especially considering that lately Pixar's films have been disappointing (e.g. 'Soul'), 'Luca' is a surprise. It's a positive surprise and shows that even though the story isn't that great, the film can still work as long as those other elements in it are first rate.
No comments:
Post a Comment