[REVIEW] Luca (2021) Spoke to Me on a Very Personal Level

 

Just like the character of Luca, we sometimes need to say, "Silenzio, Bruno!" and take a leap of faith.

On the 16th of June, DisneyPlus premiered a little film known as Luca, the latest creation from Disney Pixar animation about the adventures of two young sea creatures, but to say that the movie has received mixed reactions since its debut would seem like an understatement.

Some have absolutely adored the film, and some have found it too simplistic, or just straight-up boring. As for me, though? Well, it became an instant favorite of mine, and today, I wanted to explain why and share the personal connection I've formed with the character of Luca.

Written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, the latest Disney Pixar animation "Luca" is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who sets out on a fun-filled adventure with his new friend, Alberto, to a charming seaside town on the Italian Riviera. But the two of them have a big secret that could potentially ruin all of their excitement: Luca and Alberto are both sea creatures from another world that's just below the water's surface.

The film was directed by Enrico Casarosa, produced by Andrea Warren, and features voice work by actors Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto, and Jacob Tremblay as Luca.

The story of Luca is not overly complicated, it's about two friends who find adventure together, pretty straightforward and to the point. But, that said, so much of this story can be interpreted in many different ways depending on what aspects of the movie are most relatable for you.

For me, it's the story of Luca developing the ability to overcome that spoke to me on a much more personal level; thanks in part to the new friendship he forms with the boisterous Alberto, Luca takes a huge risk by leaving behind the sea, and everything he's ever known in order to venture out into the human world and explore life outside of his comfort zone and speaking as someone who has a difficult time coming out of her shell, this felt very inspiring to me.

At the beginning of the movie, Alberto shows his new friend Luca how he can do more of what scares him by silencing the "Bruno" in his head, the pesky little voice that continuously tries to convince us to doubt ourselves, and question what we are truly capable of, and when the two are presented with tough challenges, they frequently repeat the words, "Silenzio, Bruno!" in an effort to push out their more negative thoughts and take a walk on the wild side.

Luca had to actively choose to block out his fear, to allow himself the chance to move forward and try regardless of what the voice in his head was telling him, and in the process, he came to realize just how capable he truly was; Luca's story put emphasis on the reality that our fear will never just "poof" and disappear from our lives, but also reveals that we all have an inner strength that can prevent it from controlling what we do.

Just like the character of Luca, we sometimes need to say, "Silenzio, Bruno!" and take a leap of faith rather than allowing our own worries and doubts to keep us from experiencing all sorts of new and exciting things. Of course, it's not always easy, but the sense of pride we feel after we overcome, and surprise ourselves, makes it all worthwhile, and this movie served as quite the nice little reminder of that for me.

I have struggled with an anxiety disorder from an incredibly young age, and while I have been vocal about this through social media, it can be difficult to describe how much it can affect and interfere with my life, and when I'm going through a particularly hard time, it sometimes seems easier to stay tucked away in my shell, avoiding failure, or embarrassment.

But the truth is, I will never be able to find happiness that way; Luca found happiness in his friendship with Alberto, someone who helped him to change his mindset, and encourage him to come out of his shell and take a few risks, and it's because of Luca's willingness to take a chance, that he ended up with a life full of endless possibilities, something I want, too.

And my appreciation for this film doesn't stop at the message I was able to take away from it. The animation was superb as per usual in the case of Disney Pixar, it's fun, and full of laughs all while maintaining a pretty chill vibe, which makes for a great comfort movie.

Overall, Luca was a delightful viewing experience for me, and while I can understand how some may have seen the film as boring, I found it to be very soothing; watching a friendship grow between two characters as they dream of cruising around on a Vespa motorscooter together, exploring all of Italy, felt very wholesome. And the fact that they had to keep dry in order to conceal their identities from the human world added a creative twist.

What did you think of the latest from Disney Pixar? Did you enjoy Luca? I'd love to know what your thoughts were on the movie, so please be sure to leave me a comment below, and don't forget to follow me over on Twitter @RR_Everything, where I talk about all of the shows and movies that I watch and also provide updates on future content!

[REVIEW] iCarly (2021-) Delivers Nostalgia With a Kick!

Quirky, fun, and just grown up enough for its now-adult audience, iCarly is back and arguably better than ever. 

Almost ten years after Nickelodeon's smash hit series "iCarly" went off the air, Paramount+ has revived the beloved comedy for its now grown-up audience, exploring uncharted territory as the old crew navigates adulthood as they look to bring back their old web show in the age of social media, and social media influencers.

The Positive

For those of you who happened to be living under a rock from 2007 to 2012, iCarly followed high schooler Carly Shay, (Miranda Cosgrove) and her friends Sam and Freddie whose lives are turned upside down when Freddie (Nathan Kress) uploads a hilarious convo of Carly and Sam's to the internet and it shockingly goes viral, prompting the group to create their own web show with the help and support of Carly's whacky older brother, (Jerry Trainor) Spencer.

The show ended in 2012 with its finale, "iGoodbye" in which Carly decides to move with her father, Colonel Shay, to Italy. Leaving her friends, and web show, behind; fast-forward to 2021, Carly is back in Seattle with Spencer and Freddie, and fresh off of a breakup decides to bring iCarly back to the internet in the age of social media and social media influencers.

This time around, Carly has to go it alone, as her co-host has been written off the show and is "following her bliss with that biker gang." as Carly describes in the first episode of the revival, due to the fact that Jennette McCurdy is now retired from acting and opted not to reprise her role as Carly's fried chicken loving, butter-sock slinging bestie, Sam, in this continuation.

But with the love and support of her friends behind the scenes, Carly is more than ready to take on the challenge of going solo. Freddie is back behind the camera and serving as the show's producer, while her trendy friend and roommate Harper, helps to keep Carly's social media presence strong. Oh, and we can't forget about the return of Baby Spencer!

While maintaining the humor of its Nickelodeon predecessor, this new version of iCarly seems to have struck a good balance between being just grown-up enough to appeal to its now-adult target audience of those who watched its original run, without feeling too jarring for the viewer as if they were watching an entirely different show.

Admittedly I was worried when I heard that this revival would be tackling more mature themes since most shows tend to push the envelope so much further than they actually need to these days, with no real consideration behind it, but I was pleasantly surprised that wasn't the case this time around, at least for the first three episodes.

The old episodes of iCarly were rated TV-G for older kids and teens, where the first three episodes of this new series have only been bumped up to a TV-PG rating which allows the show to explore a bit of uncharted territory without straying from the format that made it so beloved in the first place; the debut episodes featured storylines that involved dating as an adult, raising children and of course, fighting off social media trolls...As grown-up as it gets!

This new version of the show does feature a small amount of language and the occasional alcoholic beverage but ultimately seems to have captured the essence of the original series on Nickelodeon by keeping things quirky, fun, and self-aware, not to mention hilarious.

But even with the unfortunate absence of Jennette McCurdy's Sam, we were lucky enough to have seen the return of some familiar faces such as Nora Dershlit, the crazy, iCarly obsessed super-fan who once locked the three friends in her basement, and of course, Freddie's mom, Marissa Benson portrayed by Mary Scheer who Freddie is back living at home with.

And there are still some pretty iconic returns yet to come, but in addition to old faces, we've seen the inclusion of some new ones as well with Carly's friend and roommate Harper, (Laci Mosley) and Millicent, (Jaidyn Triplett) Freddie's adopted step-daughter.

Millicent adds an interesting element to the show with Freddie as a single dad following his second divorce, and considering Millicent is living with Freddie and Grandma Benson instead of her mother, it appears to be quite the complicated situation. But, as an aspiring influencer herself, Millicent is a bit envious of Carly's popularity, and frequently tries to take her down a notch or two, making for a clever foil during this chapter of Carly's life.

Harper, on the other hand, is a fashionista who dreams of becoming a stylist as she works as a barista at a local coffee shop. She's the daughter of formerly wealthy parents who suffered a financial hardship but instead of wallowing in her own self-pity, she decided to take the difficult situation and turn it into an opportunity to work and discover her passion in life.

The Negative

While there isn't much to complain about this early on in the series, I do feel the need to mention that you do feel the absence of Jennette McCurdy's Sam Puckett throughout these first three episodes. The character added a splash of conflict to the series with her signature sarcasm and excessive use of violence, both of which are greatly missed.

Sam was my second favorite character growing up, after Spencer, and it was probably due to the fact that there wasn't a lot of difference between Sam and young Rachel personality-wise. But for this reason, I think it might take me a while to warm up to the character of Harper, through no fault of the show's writers or the actress.

Harper has some big shoes to fill as she ultimately is a replacement for Sam, and it can be difficult when a character is created in order to take the spot of one that was beloved by so many, it can take an adjustment period for the viewer to get used to that change.

Thankfully Harper isn't a rip-off of Sam, she's her own character, her own person. But she's also different enough to the point where you miss that bit of spice Sam added to the show a little bit extra; Even though I'm not super into the character yet, Laci Mosley's performance has been enjoyable, and I am excited to see what direction they will take her in as we go through the rest of the season.

Conclusion

Needless to say, I'm very impressed by this direction Paramount+ has chosen to take the new iCarly in, the slightly more mature nature feels very natural as if the show had never stopped, and had grown up in the same way our favorite characters did.

You can stream iCarly over on Paramount+ where new episodes are set to premiere every Thursday and be sure to check back with me for a full season review after the first season wraps up...Until then, who's up for Spaghetti tacos?

iStarOver - 8/10

iHateCarly - 9/10

iFauxpologize - 8/10

Have you seen the first three episodes of the new iCarly revival? I'd love to know what your thoughts were, so please be sure to leave me a comment below, and don't forget to follow me over on Twitter @RR_Everything, where I talk about all of the shows and movies that I watch and also provide updates on future content!