In celebration of Disney+ Day, a new short based on Pixar’s Luca, Ciao Alberto, was released.
With Luca and Giulia away at school, Alberto and Massimo are left in Portorosso to tend to the pescheria until they return in the summer. Alberto’s only goal: to impress Massimo, the coolest person in the entire world.
The short only runs about five minutes minus the credits, but the five minutes pack a punch! We know Alberto had troubles with his father, and we hate Alberto’s father, and clearly, he’s trying to fill in that gap with Massimo, who is seemingly hesitant to take on the role. While Alberto works to impress his surrogate father figure, disasters strike.
As a viewer, I was sad to see Alberto left behind at the end of Luca (I cried), so getting a little snippet of his life in Portorosso fills in that little Alberto-sized void in that ending. It was also welcome to see that the two friends are still very much in contact. Without giving too much away, Massimo comes alive in a way I didn’t anticipate, laying down a reality for many parents nowadays who may be watching with their children.
If there’s one thing that some parents continuously try to do, it’s not to fall victim to the shortcomings of their own parents, and Massimo is no exception. Where he saw a wrong, he sees a chance to replace it with a right for both himself and Alberto, even if Alberto isn’t his flesh and blood. Ciao Alberto is the perfect epilogue to Luca for parents and children alike.
The animation remains as vivid and enchanting as its parent film, sending us back into the colorful world of Portorosso. Plus, Machiavelli gets a bigger role here, and I, for one, am all for it.
Ciao Alberto is currently available on Disney+! Follow along with all of the Disney+ Day announcements, news, reveals, and more here!
