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Luca (2021) - Movie Review

Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar Premium

Luca is Pixar's 24th movie and has released direct-to-streaming similar to Pixar's previous, "Soul". Set in a fictional town called "Portorosso" in Italy, it follows the main character named "Luca Paguro" a "sea monster" that lives underwater that can take the appearance of a human being when out of the water (which he later finds out). 

Luca is warned by his parents not to get out of the water and they call the humans out of the water "land monsters" (It is all about perspectives you see). Now Luca comes across and befriends Alberto who also happens to be a "sea monster" and encourages him to venture out of the water. The pair when out of the water look at a poster of a Vespa scooter (Product Placement?) and start making plans to first build and later purchase one and travel the world. What happens later on forms the crux of the story.

I have seen every one of Pixar's previous 23 full-length movies and I would say that right until "Toy Story 3", (their 11th movie) Pixar did not put a foot wrong. But since that, there has been that movie, here and there, which has not been up to the lofty standards that Pixar has set and that we have gotten accustomed to. Ranking Pixar's movies is difficult and choosing a favourite even more, but if you ask me where I would place Luca, I would say it would not feature in the "Top 15". Now, don't get me wrong there a few good moments here and there but these are only sporadic, some jokes are not funny and I felt irritated by this character named "Ercole Visconti". But I am willing to forgive the creators, because of another character, a cat, named "Machiavelli" (although it appears in only a few scenes). 

Overall, Pixar's works have had something to offer for both kids and adults alike, but this one is a bit fishy (no pun intended) and geared more towards kids. If you are a die-hard fan of Pixar or if you have nothing better to do, you can give it a go.

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