Sometimes a common trope in movies can begin to feel stale, but Pixar's Disney movie establishes a duo with an unbreakable bond, and then eventually, a sequel comes out where they realize their paths are taking them in different directions.
Luca has commonalities with the sequels that follow this trope: Luca and Alberto are shown to be very close, but over the course of the movie, they have to grapple with the fact that they want different things. Luca is another example of a film where the main characters leave each other, though Luca's end credits give a hint about how their friendship will continue past this separation. Its handling of this approach makes Luca stand above several of its contemporaries, at least in this regard.
Luca Uses A Common Disney Sequel Trope (But In A Standalone Movie)
Luca Being A Standalone Means There Aren't Prior Character Developments Being Disregarded
Many sequels that end with the separation of their main characters are highly controversial. When viewers spend so long getting to know characters and how important they are to each other in one movie, spending a sequel exploring what would happen if they spent less time together can feel like a betrayal. In contrast, Luca and Alberto's friendship doesn't even exist within the backstory of Luca, as they meet for the first time on screen.
Luca's status as a standalone movie helps it explore its theme without the pressure of doing justice to something that came before.
The establishment of Luca and Alberto's shared dreams of freedom and owning a Vespa early on in Luca is meant from the beginning as a moment in a larger character arc. There is no prior plot within the universe of Luca about how Luca and Alberto have fought to stay together; Luca is a story about a sea monster boy who wants to achieve his dreams and how that affects his relationships. Luca's status as a standalone movie helps it explore its theme without the pressure of doing justice to something that came before.
Luca’s Portorosso: Where In Italy Is The Pixar Movie Set?
Pixar's Luca is set in a fictional town, but it's inspired by director Enrico Casarosa's childhood on Italy's coast, as well as local folklore.
A similar trope is handled well in another standalone Pixar movie, Elemental. Though Elemental's real meaning tackles the separate needs of family rather than friends, it's another example of how a standalone is able to bake this sort of topic into its premise.
Luca Celebrates Luca And Alberto’s Friendship While Still Allowing Them Growth
Luca And Alberto's Separation Is The Culmination Of Their Character Arcs
Luca explores the friendship shared between Luca and Alberto, Alberto's abandonment issues and jealousy over Luca's friendship with Giulia, and just as importantly, Luca's growing confidence in trying to achieve his dreams even when they put him at odds with the people he loves. All three of these things are important, and their entanglement in Luca's life is the point of the story.
Luca going to school with Giulia does not negate how important Alberto's friendship is to him.
One important way that Luca does justice to this trope is by making it clear that Luca and Alberto's separation isn’t the end of their friendship. Luca going to school with Giulia does not negate how important Alberto's friendship is to him. The ending doesn't feel like a betrayal to the establishment of their friendship; between the early establishment of Luca's interest in the human world and Alberto's fear of abandonment, it feels like a natural culmination. Alberto repeating his earlier Italian phrase to Luca at the end shows his growth and acceptance of where life is taking his friend.
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