Luca (2021)

The animation in this latest Pixar film is pretty spectacular, and for me outweighed the story itself, although if you are thinking of giving up midway, which is what happened to me when I started to watch it this summer, stick it out. The story follows a formula of children growing up a bit and wanting to express themselves and break away from their parents, the parents wanting to protect their children, and the unsavory influence who puts ideas in their child's head. The twist is that Luca and Alberto aren't kids, they are sea monsters, or what I think of as merboys, who shed their tails and scales when they are on dry land. The dry land is Italy, so there is a bit of Italian and lots of pasta in this seaside fishing village that is very charming. They are befriended by Guiliana, a local girl who is more of a tomboy who wishes to beat the town bully and seeks the glory associated with being a winner. There is the inevitable falling out amongst friends, and Alberto almost gets them killed, but in the end they all stick together, no matter the price. Fino!