Luca

Offering a fresh twist on fish-out-of-water formula — literally, in this case — the animated fantasy Luca is a heartfelt story of friendship and childhood innocence.

A modest entry in the Pixar canon, with a script that lacks the depth and thematic complexity of some of its predecessors, this breezy coming-of-age adventure still has charm to spare. After all, the plot boils down to two mischievous youngsters dreaming of owning a Vespa. What’s not to like?

When we first meet him swimming around some coral, Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) enchants us before we even know what he is.

We learn he’s a young sea monster off the coast of the Italian Riviera, and his parents (Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan) have warned against the dangers of traveling to the surface. But the curious Luca doesn’t listen, of course, and winds up meeting a loner named Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), who already knows their species’ secret.

On land, when their skin dries out, sea monsters turn into humans. Facing stern punishment back home, Luca instead gets a quick tutorial on human characteristics and flees with Alberto to an island village. His parents try to track him down — but they don’t know what he looks like unless he’s exposed to water.

The duo befriends a human girl (Emma Berman) and tries to blend in. However, their relationship is soon threatened under the pressure to conceal their true identity.

Pixar continues to raise the bar in the expanding realm of computer animation. The feature directorial debut of veteran animator Enrico Casarosa boasts a colorful and vibrant visual palette, both in terms of characters and background detail.

More geared toward kids than recent hits like Soul or Inside Out, this entry includes plenty of amusing anthropomorphic creature antics along with easily digestible lessons about acceptance and being true to yourself.

Meanwhile, the screenplay pushes a broader message of coexistence and marine ecology without turning heavy-handed. The thin plot is driven by coincidences, although it yields some big laughs along the way.

Paying tribute to the cultural eccentricities of its seaside setting, the film affectionately tweaks stereotypes while offering a fresh approach to familiar narrative territory.

As children identify with the precocious shapeshifting title character, adults can daydream about basking in the Mediterranean sun. Despite its flaws, Luca captivates on both land and sea.

Rated PG, 96 minutes.