Rated PG for thematic elements and some language.
Now Streaming on Disney+ Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) has had a lifelong passion for Jazz music and has always dreamed of being a professional musician. However, he finds himself stuck teaching a middle school band full of kids who never seem as interested as he is. But on one day, he finds himself inching closer to his dream when he receives the chance to play with renowned Jazz musician Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett). It seems things are looking up for him. That is, until he falls into a sewer and finds that he is now a soul separated from his body. Not wanting to leave for the Great Beyond, he attempts to escape and ends up in the Great Before: the place where souls are given personalities before being sent to Earth. He then becomes the mentor to an infant soul named 22 (Tina Fey), who has a dim view of life despite never having lived. As she aids Joe in finding his way back to Earth, both of them are forced to look at life in a different way and come to realize what it means to really live. Soul is probably the most disappointing “cancelled theatrically and sent to streaming” release out of all the films affected by the pandemic. This was already one of my most anticipated films of 2020, but the trailer displayed animation that looked like it should be viewed on nothing smaller than an IMAX screen. To send it to Disney+ feels like a complete waste of all the effort put into crafting the world. But even if viewed on a tiny screen, the good news is that we got it anyway rather than having to wait a year like a lot of other films. And there is quite a lot to look at when it comes to this one. As we all know, Pixar is known as one of the greatest animation studios of all time. From 1995’s Toy Story to 2010’s Toy Story 3, every movie they released was an absolute masterpiece that proved animated movies could be just as fun for adults as they are for children. Though they kind of dug themselves into a hole with 2011’s Cars 2 (which is still a good movie), they did pick themselves back up with movies like Monsters University, Inside Out, and Coco. They really have never produced a bad movie in their 25 years of business. The reason I bring all this up is because Soul is a kind of film that the studio hasn’t produced in a very long time. Words cannot describe the awestruck wonder that is Soul. From Pete Doctor, who directed classics like Monsters, Inc., Up, and Inside Out, his latest is very different from anything Pixar has produced before. He takes the formula established by those classics and applies it to a completely original story that takes very unexpected directions. It really feels like nothing they’ve made before, while at the same time it feels like one of their early masterpieces, and certainly ranks among them. It’s quite impressive that, while being a fun flick for kids, Doctor crafts an unbelievably dense story. Joe’s journey as a soul brings up questions about how we become the people we are and finding our purpose in life. The movie offers witty and fun interpretations of concepts like passions and lost souls; able to give answers to these without feeling intrusive towards alternate theories. The script also bubbles with originality at every possible turn. It is able to balance its lofty questions with witty one liners and visual gags that will have you consistently busting a gut. There’s a much more deadpan style of humor compared to Doctor’s previous films; probably due to the film’s focus on death. But the movie knows how to pull off these jokes without seeming too mean-spirited. There’s also the character arcs of our leads Joe and 22. A lot of the movie is dedicated to 22 learning about life on Earth, and this is done in a way that makes it feel fresh; especially when so many people believe life is meaningless. But Joe also has an insightful arc that finds him questioning if being a musician really is his true passion. They both make for compelling characters that help emphasize the existential questions at the film’s center. All of this is brought to life by some of Pixar’s most breathtaking animation yet. The world of the souls is ethereal and absolutely stunning; bringing to life a world unlike any other. But it’s also worth pointing out the animation of New York City when Joe is in the real world. If the characters weren’t designed to be goofy-looking cartoons, then this could pass as a live action film. Everything from the lighting to the sheer amount of detail gives the world a hyperrealistic look. This is certainly one of the studios best accomplishments with animation. Soul is a towering achievement for a studio who’s legacy is almost completely filled with them. I was left completely speechless by how masterful everything was about this film. From the animation, to the story, to the voice acting, to the haunting musical score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross; everything is just downright perfect. Even if I didn’t get to see it on a massive theater screen, at least it didn’t get pushed back a whole year like almost everything else. Now let’s hope that Disney doesn’t keep it locked behind a paywall forever and releases it on DVD.
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