The beauty of the sea surrounds the Italian Riviera. Deep in the water lives Luca, a young sea creature full of curiosity. He has a loving mom, dad and grandmother who avoid the “land monsters” or humans and stay far away from the surface where many dangers lurk. Of course, Luca is curious about the land above, and when he meets another sea creature, Alberto, they venture to the surface. Much to his surprise, Luca learns he’s a human boy once out of the water. His newfound friend teaches him the ropes of being human on land, walking, breathing air, and getting used to gravity. They become fast friends and dream of escaping their world on a Vespa.
His parents discover Luca’s jaunts to the surface, but before they can send him away to the deep with Uncle Ugo, the anglerfish, Luca runs away to the surface with Alberto. They meet Ercole, aka “Mr. Vespa,” an egotistical town bully, and Gulia, who saves them from his clutches. The three kids enter an annual race to beat Ercole at his own game and take the winnings to buy the coveted Vespa. Luca and Alberto must figure out how to pass as humans, stay dry, and win the race to fulfil their dream.
Director Enrico Casasrosa makes his feature debut with the Pixar-animated Luca. Canadian actor Jacob Tremblay stars as Luca, Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto, and Emma Berman voices Guilia in this sweet story that encourages imagination, believing in yourself and staying hopeful in the face of naysayers. It’s a lesson in accepting each other’s quirks and differences while teaching close-minded adults a thing or two.
