Lulu (film)

Lulu is a 2024 American computer-animated school idol adventure comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is directed by Wan Hazmer in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay written by Aidi G.V.. The film stars the voices of Tara Strong, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brad Garrett, AnnaSophia Robb, Tristan Allerick, Jordan Fry, and Philip Wiegratz.

Synopsis
Disney and Pixar's Lulu introduces Lulu Kamenica, a cute, cheery mermaid torn staying between her mother's dutiful daughter and the chaos of childhood. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Lucija, is never far from her daughter - an unfortunate reality for the tween mermaid. And as if changes to her interests and relationships weren't enough, whenever she is on dry land, she turns into a human girl!

Plot
TBA

Cast

 * Tara Strong as Lulu Kamenica
 * Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Lucija Kamenica
 * Brad Garrett as Captain J.J the Confident/Johnny Matijevic
 * AnnaSophia Robb as Anja Franic
 * Tristan Allerick Chen as Luka Pilipovic
 * Jordan Fry as Leon Kamenica
 * Philip Wiegratz as David Perko
 * Nicki Minaj as Nikki Mirage

Reception
While several critics liked the film, many people criticized the movie for being inappropriate, even stating that the film is telling viewers to disobey their parents. The film even received backlash from members of the press on social media, calling it "sexist" and "racist." Crew and cast members of the movie eventually spoke up on the case. Lead voice actor Tara Strong said the film was meant to appeal to all: "This is an adventure film, everyone goes through this".

Trivia

 * The song heard in the teaser is "Starships" by Nicki Minaj.
 * The song "Team" by Lorde is featured in the first trailer.
 * The song "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble is featured in the second trailer.
 * This film is set in Rijeka, Croatia, as some of the articles of clothing Lulu wears feature the purple nabla symbol of the Croatia flag and a shot of the Dalmatia Tower.

Easter eggs and allusions

 * Near the start of the film, a restaurant in the city named "Ponyo's Seafood" can be seen, alluding to the Ghibli film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.
 * Also, the kitchen scene where Lucija prepares coral blossom stew for Lulu is a slight parody of the scene in Ponyo where Lisa prepares ramen for Ponyo and Sosuke.
 * When Lulu calls her friends at the start of the film, she shouts "Sea Buddies, Let's Go!", a clear nod to the iconic Pokémon phrase "Pokeball, Go!".
 * Lulu's journal has a sticker of the Dim from A Bug's Life.
 * The text on Lulu's trumpet case that says "Chameleon Squad" looks similar to the logo of the 2004 anime Sgt. Frog/Keroro Gunsou.
 * When J.J rides a giant whale through the city during the flood, it is a reference to 3 different films and series, those being Finding Nemo, Luca, and Frozen II.
 * The fight between Lulu and J.J is a reference to the fight between Dim and Rosie in A Bug's Life.
 * The “Pearl Mart”, where Mr. Tadic works, is a reference to a real convenience store called Walmart.
 * The scene where Lulu turns into a human for the first time when she looks at her legs and instantly freaks out is a reference to the 2021 comedy film Luca, when Luca Paguro transforms into a human for the first time.
 * Nikki Mirage's dance moves in the concert are similar to the dance moves of Michael Jackson's "Thriller", Lizzo's "Rumors", and Katy Perry's "Dark Horse ".