Pixar's latest feature Soul's existential examination of life's purpose, which one is better? Both films deliver on Pixar's promise of quality, as the legendary studio continues to boast top-class animation and effective storytelling in each of its last two releases. But each represents an entirely different narrative endeavor, directed by filmmakers at entirely different points in their respective careers. When choosing what to stream from Pixar's recent fare, it's helpful to compare where each is strong and where each is less so.
Luca follows its titular protagonist, a young sea monster (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) who appears human on land, as he discovers the fascinating but dangerous world above the surface. He's encouraged by a fast friend and fellow sea monster, Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), and the two up with a young human girl (Emma Berman) to win the local triathlon race and earn enough money to buy a Vespa and thus the freedom to explore the world. But the threat of the townsfolk, leery of fearsome sea-monster legends, discovering Luca and Alberto's identities complicates their struggle, as does the changing dynamics of the friendship triangle. It's an engaging and delightful story in a quaint and satisfyingly mystical little world.
To say that it is simply better than Soul falls short of understanding the bigger picture. Soul and Luca function very differently. Whereas the former asks hefty thematic questions about how we assign meaning and purpose to our lives, the latter is content to tell a straightforward story executed with enough charm to earn viewers' smiles throughout. To compare them on one singular assessment point doesn't for the influences that went into each, which guides how to approach these films. With that understanding, it becomes clear which film works better in what context.
Like authentic trenette al pesto, Luca is light and summery, delighting in a cherubic visual style and familiar coming-of-age narrative. The scope and stakes are kept relatively small, and the film makes few demands on its audience, preferring instead to tour the world it builds with the excitement of its young leads but the patience of director Enrico Casarosa, who worked nearly 20 years as an animation story artist before this, his feature-length debut. In this way, along with the Ponyo (2008), this film is right up their alley.
On the other hand, Soul is wracked with the existential questions that have gripped the work of industry legend Pete Docter since 2015's Inside Out. The Pixar stalwart, now CCO, uses his latest Academy Award-winning effort to explore what makes life worth living, along with co-director Kemp Powers' thoughtful examination of a slice of Black culture. Fifteen minutes into Luca, the protagonists are fawning over a picture of a Vespa; fifteen minutes into Soul, the recently-deceased protagonist declares in the afterlife "my life was meaningless." While it certainly dips into some dark thematic places, the emotional catharsis of Soul's ambitious message becomes that much more gratifying. For audiences looking for something more mature and seasoned, perhaps as a means of coping with nefarious pandemic-related mental health struggles, this film is the perfect match.
Perhaps instead of asking which film is empirically better, the choice ought be decided by which is right for its viewership. The factors that went into each movie's production, as well as the job each story is designed to do, should guide how each should be approached. At the end of the day, both films do their respective jobs very well, and Pixar guarantees a high bar when it comes to animation quality (Soul's lighting and Luca's water effects are Pixar innovations). While one may be more ambitious, or the other may edge its competitor out on charm, it's a win-win choosing between two options as enjoyable as Luca and Soul.
