Luca- A Straightforward Tale of Friendship

A charming tale of the power of friendship- pure and simple bliss from Disney/Pixar as if it were developed during the days of Toy Story. There's no hidden agenda, and no language or characters that would make the most sensitive of parents question whether a preschooler could watch it. There is nothing in Luca even remotely offensive, so relax and enjoy a film meant to put a smile on your face. 

The growing friendship between main character Luca and Alberto is as innocent as the summer season the film portrays. When they meet new friend Giulia, the trio is complete, and the story becomes all the more richer. In a nice twist, our hero has both parents, and neither are remotely close to being repressive or anything but emotionally healthy.

Contrary to what you may have have heard about it being a tale of LGBTQ sensibilities with a growing male to male romance, you have to be actively reading into the story and the main friendships to go that direction. In fact, in an interview with Luca director Enrico Casarosa by Yahoo! Entertainment, he emphatically states, "... it truly goes without saying that we really willfully went for a prepubescent story … this is all about platonic friendships.” 

The landscapes of the town strongly echo the gorgeous region of Cinque Terra, Italy, and the colors of the village, sky, and water, are a feast for the eyes. The whole movie is delightful- It's a breath of fresh air and makes me hopeful for more films like this from the powerhouse in family entertainment. Movies that exist just to entertain without an agenda. Well done, Pixar! Well done!