Luca is a 2021 American computer-animated coming-of-age fantasy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film was directed by Enrico Casarosa (in his feature-length directorial debut), written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, from a story by Casarosa, Andrews, and Simon Stephenson, produced by Andrea Warren, and features the voices of Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer, with Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Marco Barricelli, Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan, Peter Sohn, Lorenzo Crisci, Marina Massironi, and Sandy Martin in supporting roles.

There is a legend in Portorosso that says that horrifying creatures live and threaten the human race under its water. Those are the sea monsters and the saga, this time, is a true story. The film introduces us to their world, which doesn’t look so different from ours. The sea monsters are curious, willing to learn and discover. However, they are scared of the “land monsters”, and they are competitive.

Nevertheless, the monsters work, and they care about their family. Luca, a young sea monster, dreams about the world above the sea, and he wants to discover more, even if the consequences can be painful. And it will happen when he meets Alberto, another sea monster, who already made a half jump into the human’s world.

Set on the Italian Riviera, the film centers on Luca Paguro, a young 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 adventure. 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. Like La Luna, 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"

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. 

In the summer of 1959, young, timid sea monster Luca Paguro herds goatfish off the coast of the Italian town of Portorosso. His parents Daniela and Lorenzo, fearing that humans might hunt him, forbid him to approach the surface. One day, Luca meets Alberto Scorfano, a fellow sea monster child who lives alone above the surface, claiming that his father simply is not around much.

Alberto encourages Luca to adventure out of the ocean, showing him that sea monsters turn into humans when dry, but return to their true forms when wet. Luca follows Alberto to his hideout on Isola del Mare, where the boys connect while making and riding a makeshift, fragile Vespa.

Upon discovering their son's actions, Luca's parents plan to send Luca to live in the deep sea with his uncle Ugo. In retaliation, Luca runs away with Alberto to Portorosso to find a real Vespa and travel the world. The boys run afoul of Ercole Visconti, the local bully and five-time champion of the Portorosso Cup, a local children's triathlon. Ercole tries to soak Luca in a fountain, but Giulia Marcovaldo, a young girl, helps the boys escape.

In hopes of winning the money needed for a Vespa, the boys and Giulia form a team for the triathlon, which involves swimming, pasta-eating, and biking. Unable to swim without revealing themselves, Luca and Alberto take on the biking and pasta-eating portions of the race, respectively, while Giulia takes the swimming race. Upon learning this, Ercole vows to beat them and continue his winning streak.

While the boys train for the race, and befriend Giulia's fisherman father Massimo (who was born with only one arm, Luca's parents head to the surface to find their son. Giulia teaches Luca about school, and the two bond over a love of learning, especially about astronomy. Alberto becomes jealous of Luca and Giulia's growing friendship.

When Luca starts ignoring Alberto's advice, and tries changing their plans to going to school instead of traveling the world, he and Alberto fight. In anger, Alberto intentionally reveals his true form to Giulia. Luca feigns surprise at the transformation. Heartbroken and betrayed, Alberto returns to his hiding place. Giulia later sloshes a cupful of water onto a panicking Luca; seeing his true identity, she sends him away for his own safety.

Luca attempts to reconcile with Alberto, and discovers that Alberto's father abruptly abandoned him long ago, making Alberto think he was a bad kid who should not have friends. Luca sets out to win the Vespa on his own, to make things right. After several mishaps, Luca takes the lead in the bicycle race, but is forced to take shelter when it starts to rain. Alberto arrives with an umbrella, but Ercole knocks it away and both boys are revealed as sea monsters.

They flee Ercole, who now intends to kill them and collect bounty money, but Giulia helps them by smashing her bike into Ercole's, injuring herself in the process. Luca and Alberto turn back to help her, finally standing up to Ercole. They are defended from Ercole and the other fishermen by Massimo, who reveals that the boys are his friends.

He also points out they have crossed the finish line and won the race. Other disguised sea monsters reveal themselves, including Luca's family, and the townsfolk happily welcome them. When Ercole refuses to accept the changes, his own henchmen Ciccio and Guido throw him into the fountain, fed up with his abuse and insults.

Luca and Alberto purchase a Vespa, but Alberto sells it to buy a train ticket for Luca, allowing him to go to school in Genoa with Giulia. Luca's family, Massimo, and Alberto see Luca and Giulia off at the train station, where they all promise to stay in touch. During the credits, Luca meets Giulia's mother and attends school, showing off his sea monster appearance and later watching humans walk on the moon with Giulia on television. Massimo becomes Alberto's adoptive father, and Alberto and Luca's family enjoy interacting with the humans in Portorosso. In a post-credit’s scene, Ugo talks to a stray goatfish about how great his life is in the deep sea.

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