312. Luca; movie review

 

 

LUCA

Cert U

91 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very mild violence, threat, language

Oh, this is more like it.

A fantasy animation where the moral messages are kept nicely subliminal while fun is to the fore.

Enrico Casarosa's movie also has laughs - indeed, I burst out giggling five times.

It has an original premise of large fish transforming into humans when they are out of water .

This is more than a bit of a shock for an inquisitive young amphibian called Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay).

He is a bit fed up with his life of escorting shoals of fish back and forth to school and is tempted to swim further afield after he discovers a clock and gramophone dropped from a fishing boat.

The discovery prompts him to pop his head above the surface and he gets the shock of his young life when he morphs into a human boy.

Thankfully, he discovers a new pal (Jack Dylan Grazer) who shows him how to adapt to his new body.

The pair have similar thirst for new experiences which is initially satisfied on their sheltered cove but the fun really begins when they look further afield and come into contact with humans.

Behind the fun of fish turning into boys and vice-versa is a clear anti-discrimination message, showing that all people have the similar needs, desires and intrinsic goodness whatever their outer surface.

But Casarosa's film is not at all preachy - it breezes along quickly and has a storyline which will excite.

I would venture that it is certainly worthy of being a contender for the 2022 Academy Award for best animated feature.

Reasons to watch: Breezy and original animation

Reasons to avoid: Might be too twee for some

Laughs: Five

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? Sea monster Luca has 3,436 scales on his body

The final word. Enrico Casarosa: "There was something about the shame we feel when we’re growing up. Every day we change, every day we feel like monsters, there’s transformations in us.” Gold Derby

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