Traditionally in fantastical cartoons aimed at small children, orphans turn out to be monarchs in hiding or magical creatures on the cusp of finding their powers. So there’s something refreshing in having Sam Greenfield, the unfortunate protagonist of Luck, be simply an orphan. Just turned 18, she’s been kicked loose from the boutique orphanage in which she’s grown up and now must make her way in the world. Unfortunate, that is, not because of her situation but because she’s chaotically, comedically unlucky. As in, the bread doesn’t just land jam-side-down for her but jam-side-down on her face. Her constant misfortunes, laid out with a Loony-Tunes-meets-Rube-Goldberg sense of disaster, provide plenty of the simple laughs in this animated adventure. Which is good, because the comedy will be key to keeping small kids engaged in this sweet but overextended animated features.
Of course, there’s still a fantastical element to be inserted, and that comes when Sam (Noblezada, star of the Austin-made Yellow Rose) meets Bob the talking lucky Scottish black cat (Pegg doing his best Craig Ferguson impression), and the duo end up traveling to the world of Luck, from whence all luck, good or bad, originates. How does that work? Well, luckily for you, Luck spends a surprising amount of time explaining a needlessly complicated ecosystem of a world run by lucky pigs, dragons, and rabbits (the latter, surprisingly, with all their feet). With Sam disguised as the world’s tallest leprechaun, she and Bob spend a lot of time exploring how Luck works until they remember they’re trying to hunt down a lucky penny that’s actually important to the story.
The first in a two-picture deal between Apple TV+ and Skydance Animation Madrid (formerly Ilion Animation, the studio behind the equally upbeat Wonder Park), Luck is built on a sweet idea, with a really great message for kids that, yes, bad luck sucks but sometimes you come out of the other side a little smarter, a little tougher, and maybe a little kinder. But the endless worldbuilding that dominates much of the movie – none of it handled particularly elegantly – means that Sam’s pratfalls have to carry a lot of weight. It’s a double shame because once Sam and Bob make it in to the Bad Luck underneath of the city, the change in tempo and design is wonderful as they enter a realm of goblins and sentient roots. Either more of that, or earlier, would make Luck a little more enchanting.
Luck is that rarest of releases: G-rated. This is the first G in theatres since 2019, and to have a film that gives parents that extra little bit of comfort for their kids is important (the closest thing to a gag for the parents is a quick cover of Madonna’s “Lucky Star”). It’s just a shame it’s not better over all, but instead is the mirror of what happened with Wonderland. That earlier film fell into development hell, and was released in what felt like an unfinished form. By contrast, Luck feels overthought and overwritten. There’s a lithe, fun, bright, and much shorter movie in here somewhere. The animation is reminiscent of Illumination Entertainment’s plastic fantastic look, most especially the Sing films, and that undemanding aesthetic, combined with the giddy sense of fun, will keep the smallest kids entertained. But it’s hard to think this will be anyone’s fondly-remembered animated film, and that’s a piece of good fortune that should shine on every kids’ cartoon.
This article appears in August 5 • 2022.
