On shore, for some reason, sea monsters assume human form, which is where Luca meets Alberto (“It’” and “Shazam!’s” Jack Dylan Grazer), a slightly older sea monster with a wandering spirit who has this whole land thing down – or at least, insists that he does. Naturally, Luca’s inquisitive nature exasperates his mother (Maya Rudolph), who warns him, “The curious fish gets caught.” Indeed, he’s introduced nearly doing just that, coming too close to the fishing nets of a “land monster” from the quaint village nearby in the Italian Riviera. The title character owes a debt to another curious ocean-dweller that helped launch the modern resurgence of Disney animation, “The Little Mermaid.” Discontented with his life under the sea, Luca (voiced by “Room’s” Jason Tremblay) yearns for an existence he can scarcely fathom above the waves, which seems magical to a young sea monster (or “little merman,” in a sense). Although the movie touches on familiar themes about friendship, overcoming differences and letting children go, there’s roughly enough story for something between an animated short and the film that lands, understandably in hindsight, via Disney+ instead of theaters. Pixar dips into the ocean once too often with “Luca,” a colorful but thin (and literal) fish-out-of-water tale.

Luca movie 2021