Register  |  Sign In
View unanswered posts | View active topics It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:16 am



Reply to topic  [ 35 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
 Luca (2021) 

Rate this film:
A 60%  60%  [ 3 ]
B 20%  20%  [ 1 ]
C 20%  20%  [ 1 ]
D 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
F 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Total votes : 5

 Luca (2021) 
Author Message
KJ's Leading Idiot

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm
Posts: 36915
Post Luca (2021)
Image
Quote:
Luca is a 2021 American computer-animated coming-of-age fantasy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film is directed by Enrico Casarosa (in his feature-length directorial debut), written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, produced by Andrea Warren, and starring the voices of Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Marco Barricelli, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, and Jim Gaffigan. The film is dedicated to Italian musician Ennio Morricone, who was originally considered to compose the soundtrack, but died before he was asked to do so.

Set on the Italian Riviera between the 50s and 60s, the film centers on Luca Paguro, a sea monster boy with the ability to assume human form while on land, who explores the town of Portorosso with his new best friend Alberto Scorfano, experiencing a life-changing summer. Luca takes inspiration from Casarosa's childhood in Genoa; several Pixar artists were sent to the Italian Riviera gathering research from Italian culture and environment. The sea monsters, a "metaphor for feeling different", were loosely based on old Italian regional myths and folklore. The design and animation were inspired by hand-drawn and stop motion works and Hayao Miyazaki's style. Casarosa described the result as a film that "pays homage to Federico Fellini and other classic Italian filmmakers, with a dash of Miyazaki in the mix too".

Luca premiered at the Aquarium of Genoa on June 13, 2021, and was originally set to be theatrically released in the United States on June 18, 2021. However, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the film is scheduled to be released direct-to-streaming on Disney+; it will be released in theaters in countries without the streaming service. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its visuals and sense of nostolgia.


Wed Jun 16, 2021 11:48 pm
Profile
The Kramer
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am
Posts: 23695
Location: Classified
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Call Me By Your Mermaid.

It’s super awkward for first act, but picks up when they get to town and is very good from then out.


Fri Jun 18, 2021 4:42 am
Profile
The Kramer
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am
Posts: 23695
Location: Classified
Post Re: Luca (2021)
You know I felt clever twenty minutes ago when I came up with the Call Me By Your Mermaid joke, but now I see the director of that movie was actually named Luca. I’m probably closer to the millionth person to use that same line. :funny:


Fri Jun 18, 2021 4:56 am
Profile
Hold the door!

Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm
Posts: 20302
Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Don’t understand why all the reviews are saying the friendship seems gay when they are little kids. Plus it’s like they don’t think boys can be good friends without being gay.


Fri Jun 18, 2021 9:13 am
Profile
KJ's Leading Idiot

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm
Posts: 36915
Post Re: Luca (2021)
^ zwackerm is going to be cancelled soon.


Fri Jun 18, 2021 10:07 am
Profile
Hold the door!

Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm
Posts: 20302
Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Cancel me please I dare you to see what happens!


Fri Jun 18, 2021 10:45 am
Profile
Devil's Advocate
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:30 am
Posts: 37886
Post Re: Luca (2021)
zwackerm wrote:
Don’t understand why all the reviews are saying the friendship seems gay when they are little kids. Plus it’s like they don’t think boys can be good friends without being gay.


It's probably because Call Me By Your Name exists

_________________
Shack’s top 50 tv shows - viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90227


Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:10 am
Profile
The Kramer
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am
Posts: 23695
Location: Classified
Post Re: Luca (2021)
They look like kids but I think they are meant to be in the 14/15ish age range. The villain is implied to be 17/18 and he can’t be that much older.

There’s alot of subtle moments (a close up of Luca grabbing Alberto’s waist on the bike for instance) but really the main giveaway is that there is no reason for them to be sea monsters otherwise. If they are just two poor kids the plot is exactly the same. And they named the movie after the director of a very gay film also set in Italy.

The movie is really good even without thinking too hard about it though. It’s a bit like Onward where they spend too much time making a fantastical world as mundane as possible, but once the real story kicks in they are able to capture the Pixar magic. Though unlike Onward (and The Good Dinosaur before it) the main characters are likeable all the way through and don’t need heroics to prove themselves.

Luca is somewhere between an A- and B+ for me. Neither grade feels totally right though.


Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:12 am
Profile
Hold the door!

Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm
Posts: 20302
Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Flava'd vs The World wrote:
They look like kids but I think they are meant to be in the 14/15ish age range. The villain is implied to be 17/18 and he can’t be that much older.

There’s alot of subtle moments (a close up of Luca grabbing Alberto’s waist on the bike for instance) but really the main giveaway is that there is no reason for them to be sea monsters otherwise. If they are just two poor kids the plot is exactly the same. And they named the movie after the director of a very gay film also set in Italy.

The movie is really good even without thinking too hard about it though. It’s a bit like Onward where they spend too much time making a fantastical world as mundane as possible, but once the real story kicks in they are able to capture the Pixar magic. Though unlike Onward (and The Good Dinosaur before it) the main characters are likeable all the way through and don’t need heroics to prove themselves.

Luca is somewhere between an A- and B+ for me. Neither grade feels totally right though.


The official synopsis on Wikipedia says they are prepubescent and the creators wanted to capture that time in childhood before we are consumed with romantic and sexual interest.


Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:22 am
Profile
Hold the door!

Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm
Posts: 20302
Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Luca is about to get canceled for queerbaiting


Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:24 am
Profile
KJ's Leading Idiot

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm
Posts: 36915
Post Re: Luca (2021)
zwackerm wrote:
Cancel me please I dare you to see what happens!


I feel threatened by this :P


Fri Jun 18, 2021 7:12 pm
Profile
KJ's Leading Idiot

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm
Posts: 36915
Post Re: Luca (2021)
zwackerm wrote:
Luca is about to get canceled for queerbaiting


I hope not on next few hours. I plan to watch it today. I wonder if Disney knew about this and this decided to release it only on streaming.


Fri Jun 18, 2021 7:15 pm
Profile
Hold the door!

Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm
Posts: 20302
Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Post Re: Luca (2021)
It was fine. Thoroughly average in every way other than the animation, which is for sure the best Pixar has done to date. I wanted to drink all the water on screen. But the story is dull, and the relatively charming characters can’t make up for that. It does elevate it over something like The Good Dinosaur which had a boring story and intolerable characters.


Sat Jun 19, 2021 8:41 am
Profile
The Kramer
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am
Posts: 23695
Location: Classified
Post Re: Luca (2021)
The worst part is the Vespa subplot. I know its a very Italian thing to want, but it’s basically a product placement that takes up a quarter of the run time.

I think the director pitched this idea of two boys having a platonically exciting friendship over the course of the summer. Then they realized this story was more of a short than a feature, perhaps too late. Thus why we get so much time spent on vespas and Call Me By Your Name references. They had to fill the time somehow.

But I still think that once they get to the village and complete the cast the movie is a lot of fun.


Sat Jun 19, 2021 12:17 pm
Profile
Extraordinary
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am
Posts: 18842
Location: San Diego
Post Re: Luca (2021)
I thought it was pretty good, at least the third act hit the landing I felt. Not one of Pixar's strongest, characters are kinda weak which is unusual for a Pixar film.


Sat Jun 19, 2021 12:26 pm
Profile
Rachel McAdams Fan
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am
Posts: 14544
Location: LA / NYC
Post Re: Luca (2021)
This was quite charming and visually gorgeous, though definitely low-stakes (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). I was able to see it in a theater and enjoyed the experience a lot. B+

Also, the boys are 100% gay here, they aren't even subtle about it.


Sat Jun 19, 2021 7:48 pm
Profile YIM
KJ's Leading Idiot

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm
Posts: 36915
Post Re: Luca (2021)
There are themes about it but are the boys definitively gay here? I don't think it can be conclusively said because Luca's relationship Guilia can also be explored so it's left at speculation. I mean kids/boys/girls of all age do these goofy things when in teens. In that retrospect even Elsa and Anna can be determined lesbian but then they are sisters so we don't automatically put that label on them.


Sat Jun 19, 2021 8:24 pm
Profile
The Kramer
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am
Posts: 23695
Location: Classified
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Anna is thirsty for dudes the entire movie. :funny:


Sat Jun 19, 2021 9:37 pm
Profile
KJ's Leading Idiot

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm
Posts: 36915
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Flava'd vs The World wrote:
Anna is thirsty for dudes the entire movie. :funny:


For the first time in forever :sweat: but that's because she didn't get it from the other gender :P


Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:09 am
Profile
Hold the door!

Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm
Posts: 20302
Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Alberto is gayer than Luca, I got the vibe that Luca was into Julia.

But it’s ambiguous how old the characters are, and I’m skeptical they would even have feelings of that nature if they are prepubescent.


Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:47 am
Profile
Rachel McAdams Fan
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am
Posts: 14544
Location: LA / NYC
Post Re: Luca (2021)
I'd agree that Alberto was more into Luca but both of them were definitely in love with each other. Which is fine! It was a sweet story.


Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:51 am
Profile YIM
Extraordinary
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am
Posts: 18842
Location: San Diego
Post Re: Luca (2021)
I definitely got gay vibes well with Alberto getting upset over Luca's interest in school as opposed to running away together and the "outing" of being a sea monster scene lol

Intentional? Probably but I guess they wanted to not be overt. Could definitely write a college paper about it though!


Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:04 am
Profile
Don't Dream It, Be It
User avatar

Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:45 pm
Posts: 37152
Location: The Graveyard
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Eventually, whatever the intention of the relationship/friendship of the characters here, we'll see some legitimate gay representation in a major Disney movie pretty soon. And it shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a young love story, no different than the vast library of animated movies (or otherwise) where a young male character is crushing on/displaying feelings for a young female character, or vice-versa. Trying to dispute if a kid can have feelings for another kid of the same-sex is silly when it's barely thought about and considered "normal" or "cute" if a young boy/girl displays feelings for the opposite sex. It happens, and it could go a long way in helping a gay kid seeing a cartoon character like them for once.

One of the Disney Channel's most popular animated shows right now, The Owl House, already features two young female love interests (I'm going to presume they're pre-teens) as their main characters. Disney Channel has also featured Sarah McBride (first transgender State Senator) in some of their segments this past year.

DreamWorks Animation has also made nice progress with LGBTQ+ characters in two of their animated series, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (two female main characters are love interests, several side characters are gay and one character has two dads, etc.) and Voltron: Legendary Defender (two of the male main characters are gay, and at least a few others I believe). Cartoon Network has also done their part with shows like Steven Universe.

We're getting close to a major animated feature from both DreamWorks and Disney with LGBTQ+ representation. And of course, someday down the road, this won't even be considered as controversial or needed representation.

_________________
Japan Box Office

“Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.”
“We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
“You have to pretend you get an endgame. You have to carry on like you will; otherwise, you can't carry on at all.”
"Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories."


Sun Jun 20, 2021 2:15 pm
Profile WWW
KJ's Leading Idiot

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm
Posts: 36915
Post Re: Luca (2021)
For the review:

This was the usual Pixar movie in the final act but there are a lot of filler subplots like Vespa adventure and school song that make it inferior to regular Pixar standards. The three main characters are great but I loved Guilia the best because of the three. The voice cast does a great job and the story has some really good ideas but the monster-world building needed a little more fleshing out along with a big conflict scene between the land vs monsters and while the story still works a scene here and there for these would have worked best than those filler subplots.

B


Sun Jun 20, 2021 10:58 pm
Profile
KJ's Leading Idiot

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm
Posts: 36915
Post Re: Luca (2021)
Who gave this a C? Its not great but its hardly a C worthy film. None of the reviews here make it sound like a C but maybe Flava'd?


Sun Jun 20, 2021 11:00 pm
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 35 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 43 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group.
Designed by STSoftware for PTF.