Is Luca safe for kids? Is Luca OK for children? Read the Luca Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, an honest parents guide and mom review of the new Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar animated release starring Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer. No spoilers! #PixarLuca May contain commissioned links.
Luca Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide
What lies beneath the surface of this film? Pixar is certainly no stranger to the world of monsters. But has Luca bit off a little more than it can chew?
In this Pixar Luca Movie Review | Safe for Kids?, we are breaking down the visuals, the story, the PG rating for violence, adult themes and language, my personal kids age rating recommendation and if this is the Pixar summer film that families are waiting for or is there a reason that this movie went straight to streaming on Disney+?
The Visuals
Every time I think that I won’t be “wowed” by the visuals of an animated movie, I’m always wrong. Pixar’s Luca is proof once again that cartoon movies keep getting better and better with the technology. From the water simulation to creation of an entire colorful Italian village, Disney•Pixar once again brings the magic of the screen home. Vibrant colors, wanderlust landscapes, mouth watering food, and and overly “bubbly” graphics gives this summer film definite family movie night feels.
The Story
This all-new straight-to-streaming Disney Pixar original animated film is directed by Enrico Casarosa (“La Luna”) with the voice talents of Jacob Tremblay (“Wonder“) as Luca Paguro, Jack Dylan Grazer (“Shazam! Fury of the Gods“) as Alberto Scorfano, Emma Berman (“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures“) as Guilia Marcovaldo, along with Giacomo Gianniotti (“Grey’s Anatomy“), Jim Gaffigan (“That 70’s Show“) and Maya Rudolph (“Disenchanted“).
Confession, I actually avoided all trailers and spoilers for Luca, and went in completely blind for this animated film. Maybe it was all Onward‘s fault, but I felt that most of the “good stuff” was given away in the Pixar trailers. So I felt really excited about a brand-new-no-remake-no-sequel Pixar film.
Without knowing and background for Luca, I was already skeptical that Luca was a “straight to streaming” move for Disney. Why skip the Premier Access? I will say that the storyline was a “slow build” for me. It took awhile to build up Luca’s character and where his journey was going to take the audience, and felt confusing at times. Is this Little Mermaid meets Finding Nemo? Or more Cars 2 with a hint of Inside Out‘s Bing Bong?
But after an hour and 35 minutes of muddling through a sea monster story, it was only during the last 15-20 minutes that I got a hint of that Pixar magic. But even this sweet coming-of-age story didn’t quite leave the sea for me.
Missing that heart-wrenching pull (“Inside Out” or “Coco“), that poignant life lesson (“Wall-e,” “Ratatouille,” “Finding Nemo”), and those Pixar tears (yup, I watched twice and no “Inside Out” or “Up” equivalent eye watering for me), Luca ends up being just another adorable character without much grit.
However, there’s something in the simplicity, the sweetness, and the muted characters that brings the comfort of a soft blanket out of the dryer. While I’m categorizing this film as a “second tier” Pixar movie, we have to admit that Pixar has set the bar really high with their entire repertoire of animated films.
Overall, it’s a successful summer family film filled with Disney Easter Eggs, a few laughs, and a dream of families visiting Italy again. So wrap yourself in a Pixar hug of Luca and enjoy the ride.
That PG Rating
Is Luca safe for kids? Here we go with another PG rated Pixar movie. Should parents be concerned? Is Pixar’s Luca kid friendly? Skeptical? Because I am! It’s no secret that I am highly skeptical of all MPAA ratings (um hello, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker not disclosing any language??). With film ratings unpredictable these days, PG rating oscillating between Incredibles 2 intense to Christopher Robin calm, having fully disclosed parent guidelines can help determine if a movie is family friendly – and worth possibly paying those Disney+ subscription fees. (I’m looking at you, Soul!)
Why is Luca rated PG? With a new Disney Pixar animated film, is this Pixar Luca Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Luca is rated PG for “rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence.” What kind of language are we talking about? And how violent is Luca? Is Pixar’s Luca safe for kids to see? Is Luca ok for children or too scary? Here’s what parents need to know before watching Luca with your kids.
Violence. As a boy coming-of-age story, there always has to be some hardships/villain to overcome. Themes of fist fighting (mild), biting (also mild), use of weapons (throwing harpoons), slaps to the face, death defying daredevil stunts, and also strong bullying messaging can be found throughout this film. Violence on an overall mild cartoon level, there’s never any blood or gore.
Adult Themes. With the bullying theme strong throughout this film, there are many aspects of adult themes that go hand-in-hand. Many insults are used (see the language section below), along with strong usage of words like “murders, dead, and death,” even though this is NOT a dark film (like say Cruella). While not the main punchlines in the movie, preceptive kids may pick on using these words in their everyday, so parents, use discernment.
There’s also one character who can come across as super creepy to some small children. While not violent in any way, this character has some possible grotesque features, a creepy voice and has enough screen time to be a potential threat to nightmare realm.
Language. Are there any bad words or swear words in the Pixar Luca movie? Honestly, I’m still scratching my head at this one. I couldn’t find a single curse word after watching a few times, unless it was spoken in Italian (quite possible). Now I’ve heard rumor that G-rated movies are disappearing, so maybe this new level of movie age ratings has folks going completely overboard? (Get the pun?)
However, there are a few choice “other words” I’d like to highlight for parents. Insults are used often throughout the film, with phrases like “shut up,” “jerk,” “stupid,” “idiots,” “dumb,” and my favorite, “holy carp.”
What Luca Movie Age Rating is Recommended for Kids?
At a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes, thankfully this Pixar original film is the right length for a children’s movie. Sticking with the usual Pixar formula (for the most part), Luca is a middle of the road charming coming-of-age story with inspiring Italy wanderlust and colorful animated visuals geared towards kids and families.
Did I mention how much that I LOVE watching new Disney films at home? Streaming Luca on Disney+ has it’s benefits. Allowing for pause button breaks in the comfort of home makes this family-friendly film more enjoyable, especially for young toddlers and wiggle worms (and for pre-screening parents).
Pixar’s 2021 coming-of-age film is very comparable to Moana and Finding Nemo with a twist of Ratatouille.
Yes, Pixar’s Luca does have one post-credits scene and a few mid credit images to enjoy for hardcore Disney Pixar fans.
This 2021 Disney Pixar original animated film is rated PG for “rude humor, language, some thematic elements and brief violence.“
Based on my Luca parents guide and mom review above, this parent movie reviewer would recommend this Disney Pixar for kids as young as 5-6 years old.
Considering the full PG rating breakdown above, this parent movie reviewer would recommend this Pixar animated film to kids as young as 5-6 years old.
While rated PG, the sliding scale definitely has a big range. And while parents know best for their kids, I overall found this Pixar film to be very mild on the PG level. This is more of the relaxed summer movie flick that families will enjoy. While there are a few moments that may be a little tense for younger kids, the overwhelming themes of acceptance, friendship, honesty and love will definitely appeal to younger audiences. Definitely not on the same level as Soul or Incredibles 2.
Grab your FREE Luca Printable Coloring Sheets and Kids Activities to engage your kids while you watch this summer. You can also make a fun DIY Pasta Vespa with this Luca craft idea!
The Overall
Overall, Luca is an easy-to-digest summer flick that the whole family will enjoy. Stay tuned until the very end for an “interesting” end credit scene and some fun end credit stills along the way. Sweet, adorable but not quite found his sea legs, Luca misses the Pixar emotional pull for me.
But can we expect Pixar perfection when the animation team had to create an entire movie from home instead of their office? Before we all count Luca out, keep in mind what a HUGE undertaking this film is, and how much of a success it is already.
All unused tissues aside, that doesn’t mean that Luca does not bring value to the family, especially in a time when Pixar animated movies are being made during challenging and frustrating pandemic times. With many themes for kids: friendship, prejudice, acceptance, bullying, courage, honesty and love, (just what we would expect from a Pixar film), there’s certainly enough feel-good summer vibes that make this Pixar film great for a family movie night in.
But does Luca rank among my ultimate favorite Pixar films? No chance. More of “The Good Dinosaur” or “Onward” level for me, Luca doesn’t quite reach the potential that I have grown to expect from Pixar. But I certainly expect enough Luca merchandising to make Pixar see a “sea of green.” And now, I’m craving pasta.
Follow Luca on social:
- Website: https://movies.disney.com/luca
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarLuca/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixarLuca
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixarluca/
- #PixarLuca
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The all-new original Disney Pixar movie, Luca, debuts on Friday June 18, 2021, only on Disney+. Will your family be watching?
I was invited to screen the all-new 2021 Pixar animated film in exchange for this Luca Movie Review | Safe for Kids? All photos courtesy of Disney. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more movie updates, celebrity interviews, entertainment and behind-the-scenes info!
Mdcnq says
Im reading this cause i was shocked to hear they said the F *** word towards the end!!!. I rewound it 5 times and put on subtitles. But it just says yelp! Its deffinitly there. Its when they are going down hill on bikes in the town and the evil guy behind picks up his arpoon to throw it.
christie says
Thanks for your comment. I rewatched a few times now with subtitles also. I did not hear any swear words in the downhill nor read any in the captions.
Leela says
I’ve watched it twice and never heard that at all. I’m fluent in english and italian.
christie says
Thank you for letting me know! Appreciate the insight.
Hector Gonzalez says
I do not like that it says the word “stupid” and now I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old saying it, it’s a great movie but them saying stupid so many times..
christie says
It did seem like an unnecessary amount of times!
Anonymous says
Overall the movie is pretty wholesome, but I do not agree with the fact that it normalizes violence by women against little boys.
The scene where they say “What’s wrong with you stupido” to the 2 old ladies with the gelato is what I’m referring to. If you remake that scene, but replace the two old ladies with two old men, and the two young boys to young girls, people would be in an outrage. It would not be okay. But since they are boys, it’s just okay for women to casually hit them with objects, knocking them to the ground and putting gelato in their hair? They said words. They didn’t assault the old ladies. How about we don’t normalize violence against men and boys?