Ddirected by the Italian Enrico Casarosa, Luca (at 9.20pm on Rai 3), is a feature film by Pixar. The story, set in an imaginary city in Liguriafocuses on the adventures of two sea monsters who, in order to discover the beauties of the terrestrial world, pretend to be children like everyone else. A pleasant fairy tale for adults and children, although not up to the standard of Pixar masterpieces of the past.
Lucathe plot of the film on Rai 3
13 year old Luca Paguro, together with his best friend Alberto Scorfano, spends the summer on the Rivieranear the sea, eating ice cream and pasta and dreaming of buying a Vespa. However, the boys share (and hide) a big secret: they are not “normal” children, but sea monsters who live underwater.
Luca is introverted and shysomeone who had always respected the main rule of his world, which was not to go to the surface. Until he met the rebel Alberto and was convinced to discover life on the mainland.
One day, in the splendid setting of the fictitious Portorosso, the two meet their peer Giuliadaughter of a gruff and tattooed fisherman, who together with them will try to win the country’s triathlon. At stake, a lot of money that would allow kids to buy the coveted Vespa. But Luca and Alberto must be very careful not to let the inhabitants, especially Giulia’s father, discover their true identity. If they accidentally got wet, they would return to their “monstrous” appearance. A bit like what happened to the cute Gizmo in the film Gremlins.
An only half successful film set in an imaginary city in Liguria
While skilfully mixing suggestions from the animated universe of Hayao Miyazaki – from classics like Red pig to Ponyo on the cliff, Luca seems to confirm the descending parable of the animation giant Disney Pixar which now seems inexorable. Despite the stratospheric success of Inside Out 2 last summer, in fact, the latest titles released in theaters (as Elemental And Red) they are certainly not up to the standard of the masterpieces of the past.
Directed by the Genoese native Enrico Casarosa, Luca unfortunately it is an unexciting film and, above all, “slave” of a narrative that seems to prefer the suggestion of landscapes to introspection psychological. The Portorosso of Luca – imaginary city which is a mix between Boccadasse, Camogli and the pearls of the Cinque Terre – it resembles an all-American daydream. Made of cobbled streets that wind up the hills, photographs by Marcello Mastroianni in the 60s and Vespas who run around the alleys.
Casarosa however manages, and brilliantly, to revisit many typical traits of Italianness – despite some absurd curses from the locals like “Holy Mozzarella!” –, but it is very little compared to the rest of the film. The underwater world works instead, even if it owes too much to Finding Nemowhere fun is guaranteed thanks to the community of sea monsters who live by raising sheep-like fish and cultivating strings of seaweed.
A scene from the film “Luca”. (Disney/Pixar)
Disney Pixar’s upcoming projects
After the stratospheric takings of Inside Out 2 who gave a breath of fresh air, the Pixar animation studio is now working on other sequels but also new original projects. In a recent interview for Entertainment Weekly Indeed, studio head Pete Docter first confirmed the 2026 release of Toy Story 5 and then reveal that they will arrive first two new films.
The first film, scheduled for next June, is titled Helium and tells the story of an eleven-year-old with a vivid imagination who finds himself inadvertently teleported into the Comuniverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives of distant galaxies. However, practically nothing is still known about the second film, except that Enrico Casarosa, the director of, will direct it Luca.
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