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Pixar has a peculiar problem, one that many studios might like to have: They have been synonymous with animated excellence (and often mistaken as the only good animation studio) for two-plus decades , so any new release is immediately subjected to extra scrutiny. "It's not top-tier Pixar," is the phrase usually thrown around, because not everything can meet the heights of the "Toy Story" series (well, the first three at least). When a studio puts out consistently strong movies, anything less than "great!" may feel like a disappointment, in a weird and unfair way. Their latest, "Luca," directed by Enrico Casarosa, is likely to be labeled "lesser Pixar" but that doesn't mean that it isn't good Pixar.

What, in the eyes of Pixar afficionados and my fellow online list makers, constitutes lesser Pixar? It appears to be the entries that don't have the extra layer in their story, the one that often appeals to the grownups who take their children to the movies. However, "Luca" is good because of its simplicity. It's a freewheeling adventure about two friends, featuring life lessons we have seen in many animated movies before it, but its buoyant energy and colorful visuals make it an enjoyable world to live in.

Luca (voiced by Jacob Tremblay, the terrific young actor from 2015's "Room") is a sea creature who lives deep beneath the waves with his parents (Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan). Like any curious young person, Luca wants to know life outside of his home, but his mother forbids him from going onto land as he can transform into a human being when dry. As defiant as anyone his age, Luca decides to go to land, where he meets Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) and the two of them form a fast friendship. They meet Giulia (Emma Berman), who joins them on their adventures around the Italian Riviera.

The film's setting allows for animators to create gorgeous Italian landscapes and backdrops, which, though animated, could make anyone desperate to live within this movie. The crisp blues and greens fly off the screen, and it's impossible to not get lost in the postcard imagery. Disney has been sending Pixar movies straight to their streaming service (as movie theaters continue to open, it's worth wondering why there's no theatrical component to this film's release), but "Luca" would have been a dream to see on the largest screen possible.

"Luca" is an adventure film that is, at its core, about acceptance. It's a straightforward, maybe even overdone, message for an animated movie, but one worthy of repeating. Not every animated movie has to serve as an existential reckoning for the adults like last year's Oscar-winning "Soul" (a fine movie, but I preferred Pixar's other movie last year, "Onward," which was deemed "lesser"). While some animated movies unnecessarily push their running time to two hours, "Luca" clocks in at 95 minutes, and it uses its time well. Charming, energetic and fun, "Luca" is a great fit for family movie night.

"Luca" will be available on Disney+ starting June 18.