Sam Greenfield is arguably the unluckiest human to ever live. That is until she finds a lucky penny and things begin to change; however, her own misfortune leads to her losing that penny (which she intended to give to a dear friend who could use her own lucky break). As she attempts to recover another penny from the black cat she meets on the road, she is transported to the Land of Luck where all fortune begins. This is the story of Luck.
Straight away, this film makes a couple of bold choices with its music and vivid animation style that told me that this is definitively a children’s movie but then delivers one of the biggest punches to the gut I have every experienced in an animated film. The universe building starts immediately after that with a hyper intelligence that will soar past those not paying full attention, so don’t make this one of those films you just put on the background and do other things. It is impressive how the narrative sets up so much to be called back on throughout the story, which shouldn’t be surprising since this is from the writing team of Kiel Murray (Raya and the Last Dragon), Jonathan Abiel, and Glenn Berger (both responsible for the Kung Fu Panda movies).
Simon Pegg is the unquestionable star talent of Luck as the black cat, Bob, who leans heavily into the “Scotty” voice that we are all familiar with from the recent Star Trek movies but plays into the theme on a level I doubt any would expect. While Bob may have been the only dynamic character in delivery, the rest of this voice cast is also very talented, with Eva Noblezada (Yellow Rose as well as the upcoming Easter Sunday) using the perfect vocals to cover the music and be the warm, kind heart at the center of the story. In accordance with California state law, John Ratzenberger makes an appearance in a pivotal role late in the film while there are also great turns by Jane Fonda as the Luck Dragon, Whoopi Goldberg as the leprechaun captain, and Flula Borg (The Suicide Squad) as a unicorn named…Jeff.
The only detractor for me seemed to be a disconnect in some of the animation. The backgrounds are amazing and many of the character designs/motion was perfect, but at times the animations on the dialogue itself became distractingly subdued. I am curious to see if this was done intentionally to more easily dub the movie with other languages based on the nature of this film being represented by various cultures. Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Luck and have watched it multiple times already. It may be the most family friendly film of the year, with the amount of heart and feeling in it, bring a box of tissues so you can enjoy it as much as I did.
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