Luca

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While Disney/Pixar has been having some hits and misses with some of their recent releases, as soon as I saw the trailer for their latest film, Luca, I knew I had to see it as watching two young sea monster kids learn about life outside of the ocean was too good to pass up. Thanks to the awesome power of 4K UHD Blu-ray with HDR, this fun-filled film looks and sounds amazing and will have families exploring its depths figuratively and literally.

Our own Ethan Brehm enjoy his time under the sea with the movie which you can read all about in his review for plot details and more while I go into my take on the film and the home release here. Ethan summed up exactly how I felt about Luca as I love how it focuses on momentary but deep friendships and bonds that last for life, while also having fun along the way.

Watching the smart though often times naive Luca being a fish out of water literally was always fun and exciting as you can’t wait to see what he gets into next as he learns about humans and life of the surface. This is made even better once he befriends Alberto and Giulia as they get into all sorts of misadventures, mainly with Luca and Alberto keeping their sea creature forms hidden while adapting to human life and forming bonds along the way.

I’m also glad to have experienced this film on 4K UHD Blu-ray with HDR that makes every scene and color pop off the screen to pull you into its classic Italian setting, and the Dolby Atmos audio makes sure every dramatic and funny line of dialogue, as well as the catchy 1950s era Italian songs are heard perfectly. For those who watched this movie via Disney Plus in 4K, this release looks and sounds just as great if not better than the streaming service, and you get the benefit of being able to watch this should your internet go out or if none is readily available.

After the ocean settles and the end credits roll, you can check out the short but cool special features. “Our Italian Inspiration” has the Pixar artists that worked on the film travelling to Cinque Terre in Italy for inspiration of the characters and 1950s Italian backdrop for the movie, “Secretly A Sea Monster” goes into Luca’s transformation from sea monster to human and how the film’s theme is centered around it as well as the emotional journey of the characters.

“Best Friends” has the cast and crew sharing their own personal stories about their best friends and the impact they’ve had on their lives, and lastly director Enrico Casarosa introduces some delete scenes not included in the final cut, with most of them consisting of rough sketches and animatics. Among them are two alternate opening scenes and other parts that neither add or take away from the final film, but are fun to see nonetheless.

It may not be their best film, but Disney/Pixar has a soon to be classic on their hands with Luca. A timeless tale of friendship and the ups and downs that come with it, along with a nice fantasy twist and humor reminiscent of stories the two companies are best known for. Experiencing it in 4K with HDR along with the special features just makes it even better, as families all over the world will want to get lost in the depths of fun this release offers.