Luck

There is an appealing directness to Luck. It knows it is an animated film, understands the expectations attached to that label, and then looks for small ways to give the material its own voice. Directed by Peggy Holmes and Javier Abad, it leans on Eva Noblezada and Simon Pegg to give the material a human centre. At story level, curtain, pulled and millennia old shape the central setup, but the later turns are best left for the film to reveal.

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The animation gives the film its clearest identity, especially when colour, movement and comic timing work together. The voice performances keep the characters from feeling like pieces on a storyboard, and the visual energy rarely becomes difficult to follow. The ingredients are appealing, but the balance is inconsistent. Energy and character come through in bursts, followed by stretches that feel overextended or underdeveloped. It is engaging enough in the moment, though less persuasive when considered as a complete piece.

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Performance wise, Eva Noblezada provides the most dependable anchor, bringing focus to the film whenever the plot threatens to become mechanical. Simon Pegg offers a useful contrast in energy, and Jane Fonda helps widen the emotional range of the ensemble. The acting is not equally subtle in every scene, but the group understands the required tone and rarely appears to be performing in different films.

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Thematically, Luck is interested in identity, belonging and the difficult step of deciding who you are when other people have already supplied an answer. The visual freedom makes those ideas accessible, but the emotional value comes from recognisable uncertainty beneath the colour and movement. The film is most persuasive when these ideas emerge from behaviour rather than speeches. That additional layer gives the story more purpose than a sequence of familiar genre beats, even if every implication is not explored with equal depth.

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Craft is a major part of the appeal. Production design establishes the world quickly, cinematography gives it shape, and the edit keeps visual information from becoming clutter. Even when the film reaches for scale, sound and image remain connected to the characters' immediate experience, which prevents spectacle from feeling completely detached from consequence.

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Too many scenes state their purpose openly, leaving little room for discovery. The performers add nuance where they can, yet the writing often sends them toward predictable reactions. A sharper structure would have transformed several isolated strengths into a coherent film.

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Overall, Luck is a mixed experience: engaging in places, undercooked in others. It is best approached by animation fans looking for visual personality as well as an accessible story who can forgive inconsistency for a promising idea.