Luck

Greetings again from the darkness. "Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long you'll have good luck." That's how the old saying goes, and it plays a prominent part in this first animated feature film from Skydance Animation. Directed by former Disney animation choreographer Peggy Holmes, and co-written by Kiel Murray (CARS, 2006) and writing partners Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, who teamed on the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise (as well as other projects), the film's approach shifted when Skydance hired John Lasseter as head of animation. You may know Mr. Lasseter as the creative force behind Pixar and such groundbreaking films as TOY STORY (1995), but he's also the guy that faced multiple accusations of workplace sexual impropriety and left Disney Pixar in late 2017. His Skydance hiring brought a change of director to the project, and was the reason Oscar winner Emma Thompson recused herself, replaced by Oscar winner Jane Fonda, who evidently had no such qualms about working for Lasseter.

Sam Greenfield (voiced by Eva Noblezada) is a klutzy 18-year-old who has 'aged out' of the foster home where she has lived. Never experiencing a 'forever family', Sam has maintained a positive outlook on life, despite what she sees as a never-ending streak of mishaps, accidents, unfortunate coincidences, and overall bad luck. She's been very supportive of her younger friend Hazel (Adalyn Spoon), who holds out hope for adoption and is a collector of good luck charms ... missing only a lucky penny. While bumbling through her first days as an independent woman, Sam finds a lucky penny, only to have bad luck strike (in the form of an automatic toilet) before she can deliver it to Hazel. And soon, Sam is chatting up a talking black cat (Simon Pegg) before they both enter a portal that whisks them to the Land of Luck.

It might seem odd that a black cat brough Sam her first taste of good luck, but as the story develops, so does their friendship. The Land of Luck is run by a dragon (Jane Fonda), and it's her Captain (Whoopi Goldberg) that has it out for Bob ... and the shenanigans that Sam brings to this new world certainly don't help. The Land of Luck consists of leprechauns and four-leaf clovers, rabbits (none missing a foot), and pigs (never knew they were considered lucky). Down below the Land of Luck is the land of Bad Luck, and it's Jeff the Unicorn (a terrific Flula Borg) who is charged with keeping the 'right' mixture of good luck and bad that gets sent to the land of humans. Yes, it's all a bit convoluted, but what the movie gets right are the colorful visuals and the fun characters. Sam, Bob, the Dragon, and Jeff are all memorable in their own way.

It seems pretty clear that John Lasseter's fingerprints are on the final film, as influences from INSIDE OUT and SOUL are quite evident ... although those films are far superior. Where this one falls short is in memorable and pointed storytelling, always a strength of Pixar. We are left a bit befuddled on the takeaway message. Are our lives determined by a mixture of good and bad luck? What about making our own luck and forging our own path? Taking responsibility for our own actions and building our own network of friends and acquaintances seems every bit as important as whether the toast lands jelly-side up or down. Despite all that, it's a pretty solid first animated feature from a studio likely to continue to improve as more projects are released - assuming they have the best of luck!

In select theaters and on AppleTV+ on August 5, 2022.

A simple and rather childish story about an unlucky lady, trying to make things better for others.

With a good emotional core and a catchy song that came out of nowhere, the movie helps pass the time while being visually stunning. From Architecture, to character design and models.. to lively luck-related cat animations, and unlucky-girl moments (the best part of the movie).

But I must say, I was quite disappointed at the stiffness and lack of good facial expressions.. specially during the delivery of emotional lines! It's like the models don't move, and just their mouths were articulated and animated. Something you wouldn't see in something like Turning Red, where it might even go overboard! It is THAT added and "unnecessary" energy that this movie lacks and normally makes watching an animated movie so fun.

Does not fail to entertain and pass the time, but it doesn't linger.

A really enjoyable film for both adults and children. Lots of funny moments but also many heart warming moments just what you want from a great animation.

It is in my opinion, that we need more of these movies.

To show, that either bad luck or something negative, is not always bad.

To live with harmony across both sides of the ying and yang.

I really enjoyed this one. Well made, exciting and a nice little "lesson".

I thought the first act was good. The main character is very likeable and relatable. An orphan that grew out of an orphanage and cast into the cold adult world. The story had me hooked. The comedy with Murply's law is extremely relatable lol. Unfortunately, the film seemed to lose its way into a convoluted mess by the second half. The main thesis could still be understood, that of making your own way through life instead of being a victim of circumstances. But they complicated the whole good luck, bad luck screenplay too much that I think children will get lost in it too.

The animations are top notch even if it has a Disney princess vibe to it. I noticed little things like the water droplets falling on the puddles on the New York City streets in the background as the animated characters performed their roles. I think the animators did a fab job with details. It was just the screenplay later in the film was made unnecessary complicated and convuluted.