Set in a seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s “Luca” is a coming-of-age story about a young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer. Luca shares his amazing adventures with his friend Alberto, but their fun is threatened by a deeply held secret: They’re sea monsters from a world below the water’s surface.
For in-depth thoughts on Luca, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Luca comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a sumptuous and vibrant 2160p HDR transfer. One of the areas where this film excels is the fluidity of the character designs. With each feature, Pixar seems to find new ways to make their animation stand out as some of the most nuanced in the business. All of the individual strands of hair are unique and flowing in a subtly natural way. Just take one look at the underwater material and you are greeted with a visually brilliant world that you could pause and explore for the longest time. The level of detail these animators put into each environment shines through here. The colors present in this transfer are out of this world and practically leap off the screen with the wide range of hues permeating every inch of the frame. Black levels are incredibly strong with no hint of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort. The textures, from the character designs to the environments, are extremely impressive and give the film a real sense of depth. The easiest thing you can say about this presentation is that it is visual perfection.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray utilizes a Dolby Atmos track that gives this immersive film a real shot in the arm. There is an emphasis on the front channels for many of the sounds, but activity kicks in to the surrounds and rears during the more kinetic and action-oriented bits, as well as the magical times underwater. Lookout for the implementation of the height channels that truly transport you to a world of wonder. The film also really satisfies when it comes to the music, and this track fills the room in a really satisfying, enveloping way. The breezy score from Dan Romer is a real crowd pleaser. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting lost amongst the music or sound effects. The low end effects from the subwoofer give certain moments that much-needed extra weight to completely sell it for the audience. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered appropriately within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. Luca has been gifted with a track that is not lacking for power or nuance. Fans of the film should be more than pleased with this presentation.
Special Features
- Our Italian Inspiration: A 14-minute featurette in which Pixar artists travel to Cinque Terre, Italy, to absorb the beauty and culture of the coastal region which inspired the characters and the quintessential Italian backdrop of the film. Seeing this lovely setting makes us wish we could do some “research” as well. It is fascinating to see what each artist latches onto and how they capture these aspects of the land and the sea.
- Secretly A Sea Monster: A 12-minute piece which explores the artistry and technical innovation of Luca’s transformation from sea monster to human, and how the theme of transformation is central to the emotional journey of the main characters. It is a lot of fun getting a glimpse at some of the early hand drawn designs of the characters.
- Best Friends: A seven-minute piece which takes a look at the role of friendship in this feature. The cast and crew of “Luca” share their own stories about how their friends influenced their lives, and how those experiences informed the creation of screen pals Luca, Alberto and Giulia.
- Deleted Scenes: Six unused scenes and an introduction from Director Enrico Casarosa are provided here for a total runtime of nearly 31 minutes. With these scenes we get two alternate openings, a scene at a festival, more Giulia scenes and other moments presented in rough early stages. There is a lot of good stuff to dig into if you are a fan of the feature.
- Trailers: There is an English Teaser Trailer (1:28), an Italian Trailer (2:27) and a Japanese Trailer (2:18) provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Luca may not seem like essential Pixar on its surface due to its less weighty subject matter, but there is something to say about the sheer joy radiating from this film that makes it one that you will want to revisit again and again. As you would expect from Pixar, the visuals are a feast for the eyes at every turn, but it is the story and characters that will make you fall in love and maybe even shed a few tears. This is a film with a lot of heart and themes that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. In short, it is classic Pixar. Disney has provided this one with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that is stunning on all accounts from the lovely A/V presentation to the engaging special features. This is one that adults should find just as rewarding as the younger viewers in the audience. Highly Recommended
Luca will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital on August 3, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
