Luck * Great Characters, Fantastical Setting, Sweet Message About Controlling Your Own Destiny
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2022
Luck centers around the story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world. When she discovers the never-before-seen Land of Luck, Sam must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around. When she ages out of foster care, Sam discovers the Land of Luck and embarks on a quest that could change her luck forever. Bob becomes Sam’s partner in the quest to find a lucky penny in hopes of preserving his lucky life.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Maica N. comments, “Luck is a new film with so many twists and turns that it will have you captivated from the start. The high-quality animation supports an interesting storyline, making Luck a unique cinematic experience.” Madeleine H. adds, “Luck is a heartwarming film with great characters, a fantastical setting and a sweet story. I love this film! It made me think about good and bad luck in a whole new way…” Katherine S. comments, “Luck’s world building is spectacular—the animation is so vivid and beautiful. The colors are vibrant, and the textures are so unique and striking. I also love the character designs of all the characters in the Land of Luck…” Kendall wraps it up with, “The message of Luck is that you can decide your own destiny. Sam grew up thinking that her life was one filled with bad luck and that was set in stone, but she eventually realizes that she can change her destiny and go down whatever path she chooses.” See their full reviews below.
Luck
Maica N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, Age 14
Luck is a new film with so many twists and turns that it will have you captivated from the start. The high-quality animation supports an interesting storyline, making Luck a unique cinematic experience.
Have you ever heard the saying, “If it weren’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have any at all”? Well that describes Sam (Eva Noblezada) in a sentence. Growing up as a foster child from a very young age and never finding her forever home, it seems as if Sam is doomed to a life of one unfortunate moment after the other. After forming a close bond with a young foster girl named Hazel (Adelynn Spoon), who reminds Sam a lot of her younger self, Sam realizes she wants nothing more than for Hazel to have a life much luckier than her own, even if it means sacrificing her happiness. After discovering a black cat she befriended can talk, Sam follows him into the Land of Luck to see if she can turn it all around.
Luck is an enjoyable movie to watch. The animation and visual effects in Luck are very impressive and give it a really fun vibe. The vibrant colors and action scenes really draw the audience into the adventure. The creative team translates the story beautifully from paper to screen. Kiel Murray and writing duo Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger keep the plot moving in an unpredictable way. With Sam sliding from the human world into the Land of Luck where there are creatures of every kind, the unexpected can and does happen, keeping the audience’s attention throughout the movie. Kudos to casting director Jason Henkel for bringing together a star-studded cast for this film. Each of them portrays their characters in an authentic way. Although it’s hard to imagine anyone having so much bad luck, Eva Noblezada makes us feel every emotion Sam feels throughout the movie, whether she is let down because of yet another unfortunate event, or optimistic at the thought of making someone else’s day better.
The message of Luck is that even if it seems things never go exactly your way, if you stay persistent and never give in to what seems like misfortune, you’ll be able to take whatever life throws your way. Sam experiences so many let downs and setbacks throughout her life, but she learns to always try plan B and plan C to achieve her goals. In the end, she realizes these experiences are what shape her into the resilient young woman she is.
I give Luck 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, though everyone in the family will enjoy it. Luck releases on AppleTV+ and in theaters on August 5, 2022. Make sure you check it out!
Luck
By Madeleine H., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 10
Luck is a heartwarming film with great characters, a fantastical setting and a sweet story. I love this film! It made me think about good and bad luck in a whole new way; perhaps bad luck is not so bad after all!
Sam Greenfield (Eva Noblezada) is not very lucky, yet she wants her friend Hazel (Adelynn Spoon) to have all the luck she has never had. As Sam sets out on her own she is determined to find a lucky penny for Hazel to complete her collection of lucky trinkets. When her path is crossed with a black cat, Bob (Simon Pegg) and a lucky penny is found, Sam’s luck changes. But before she can get that lucky penny to Hazel, bad luck returns when the penny goes down the drain, along with Sam’s luck. Sam runs into Bob again and a pursuit begins for a new lucky penny which finds Sam in the land of luck.
There are many great moments in this film – Sam’s spate of bad luck in her new apartment; her pursuit of the incredibly lucky black cat, Bob; her ill-fated job as a giant leprechaun shining pennies; Sam leading the “bunnies” in a choreographed dance set to Madonna’s “Lucky Star!” (My favorite). Director Peggy Holmes gives life to the characters with her talent as a choreographer and keeps the story interesting with her skills as screenwriter pulling it all together to make a heartwarming film that speaks to hope and optimism, good and bad luck! Skydance Studios delivers animated characters in a vibrant and familiar way — from the movement of Sam’s hair to the fire of Babe the Dragon (Jane Fonda).
Luck is partly set in a fantastical world of Luck where the backgrounds are colorful and magical in the land of good luck and dark and clunky in the land of bad luck — even though they are mirror images of each other. I instantly related to all the characters, from the genuinely friendly leprechaun Gerry (Colin O’Donoghue), to the hilarious Jeff the Unicorn (Flula Borg), to the stern no-nonsense Captain (Whoopie Goldberg) and the easy-going, self-appointed mayor of the land of bad luck, Rootie (John Ratzenberger). Each one has fun, zippy dialogue and a distinct personality. The musical score propels the action, setting a quiet mood at one point or expressing the woefulness of being unlucky or the exuberance of being lucky at another.
This is the kind of story that is healing for our times. It’s timeless in its optimistic message about facing challenges, helping others before yourself, and never giving up on luck — good or bad!
I give Luck 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. It releases on Apple TV+ August 5, 2022
Luck
By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14
Luck is a cute and relatable movie for all ages. The animation is very well executed, and the plot is also very different than a traditional animated movie.
Sam (Eva Noblezada) is the unluckiest girl in the world. That is, until she meets Bob (Simon Pegg), a lucky cat, and gets accidentally transported to the magical Land of Luck.
Luck’s world building is spectacular—the animation is so vivid and beautiful. The colors are vibrant, and the textures are so unique and striking. I also love the character designs of all the characters in the Land of Luck—the bunnies are adorable, and the leprechauns are all different and memorable. In the Land of Luck headquarters, it explains how and where luck (and bad luck) is made and all of the sections/offices that are created are hilariously relatable. The plot is so creative—I haven’t seen many movies that deal with the age-old topic of luck and superstitions.
This movie has a lot of star-power, including Whoopi Goldberg, Jane Fonda and John Ratzenberger, and the most entertaining performances come from Flula Borg, Jane Fonda and Simon Pegg. Flula Borg, as the voice of Jeff, has a hilarious — although a bit stereotypical – German accent that’s perfect for his character. Jane Fonda is very lovable voicing The Dragon. Simon Pegg as Bob the “lucky cat” is a joy to watch and hear. Although he’s grumpy at first, the audience grows to love him.
The messages of Luck are to never lose hope even when times are hard and to find the good in the bad.
I give Luck 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults. It comes out on Apple TV+ August 5, 2022.
Luck
By Kendall B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11
If you’re looking for an adventure filled movie with awesome voice acting, remarkable animation, and a great script with a sweet message for you and your family to watch, then I recommend Luck.
Luck follows Sam Greenfield (Eva Noblezada), the most unlucky person in the world. After finding a lucky penny on the street and then losing it due to her bad luck, Sam accidentally follows Bob (Simon Pegg), a lucky black cat, into a land of luck where she meets leprechauns, unicorns, magical rabbits and other crazy animals. There she must work together with these creatures in order to retrieve a lucky penny and turn her luck around for good.
The animation in this film is outstanding and very realistic looking. But, by far the best thing about this movie is the voice acting. I especially love the Irish accent Simon Pegg uses for his cat character Bob. Bob is one of my favorite characters. I love how practical he is throughout the film; sometimes it feels like he’s the only sensible character. Another favorite character is Jeff (Flula Borg). He is just SO funny. My favorite scene when he is introduced, because he’s dressed in a purple jumpsuit and just living his best life – it’s hilarious. He doesn’t care about what others think either. A detail that I love about him is that he speaks in Swedish sometimes. Somehow that really completes his character. All the characters grow a lot during this film, but I especially love the friendship that develops between Sam and Bob. What is really great is that Bob isn’t a very affectionate character and yet Sam brings out the best in him with her bubbly and outgoing personality.
The message of Luck is that you can decide your own destiny. Sam grew up thinking that her life was one filled with bad luck and that was set in stone, but she eventually realizes that she can change her destiny and go down whatever path she chooses.
I give Luck 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. It releases on Apple TV+ on August 5, 2022.
Luck
By Mikella G, KIDS FIRST!, Film Critic, age 16
Luck is a cute and lovely animated film. It’s exciting and adventurous, while still feeling enjoyable and fun.
The storyline follows the life of Sam (Eva Noblezada), who has the most terrible luck. She just recently grew out of the foster care system, and often feels very lonely. However, one evening, as she’s sitting all alone, Sam encounters a cat, which leads to a whole new mysterious world of luck that she never could have even imagined.
The entire Land of Luck idea brings a whole new imaginative world to life, and the concept is so unique from other films. Something that really stands out to me in this film is the quality of the animation. Everything feels so realistic, almost as if it isn’t animated. This is a strong aspect that gives the viewer the illusion that they are actually there. All the backgrounds are beautiful and vivid. For example, in the area outside the Land of Luck, all the colors are quite vibrant and everything has a magical feeling to it. Plus, in the bad luck level, the tiki juice bar has such a fun vibe. The interior design of that is colorful and it lightens the mood of a not-so-lovely area.
All the characters, both humans and special creatures are very lifelike. I really enjoy how each character has a distinct personality, and yet they have a lot of similarities with others in the group. Bob (Simon Pegg) is very high-strung, but loving as well. The Captain (Whoopi Goldberg) is all about taking charge and doing things her way; however, she eventually learns to love others. I really like the storyline and, although the story is geared for a younger audience, it definitely captured my attention. It has such a creative concept, especially when it comes to all the different types of creatures. The film has a calm feeling to it, but at the same time, it left me always wanting to know what would happen next.
The message of Luck is that balance of both good and bad things are necessary for the cycle of life.
I give Luck 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12. You can watch Luck on Apple TV+ starting August 5, 2022.
