Disney-Pixar’s animated film, Soul, premiered Christmas Day on the streaming platform Disney+. It was originally intended to be released in theaters, but because of the uncertainty of COVID-19 it debuted digitally instead to discourage the spread of COVID-19.
Soul revolves around main character Joe Gardiner, an aspiring Jazz musician in New York City working as a middle school band teacher. When Joe dies right after he lands the gig of his dreams, he learns about the real purpose of his life by visiting the Great Before, a place in the universe where souls exist before they head down to Earth. Along his journey he meets 22 — a soul in the Great Before reluctant to go to Earth, voiced by Tina Fey.
With the animation styling of Pete Docter, as well as the voice-acting talent of Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, this movie tugs on the viewer’s heartstrings. The movie’s visuals help transport the audience to a world of mysticism and wonder. The landscapes and design of the Great Before in particular were absolutely breathtaking. I’ve always been a fan of Pixar movies, but this production addresses the mature topic of the purpose of one’s life with grace and childlike wonder that uniquely distinguishes it from Pixar’s other works.
Soul conveys the value of true friendship and encourages self-acceptance, as well as addressing the age old question: “What is the meaning of life?” While watching this movie, it’s very easy to forget that Soul was made for younger audiences. It beautifully juxtaposed scenes of laughter with teary-eyed moments. I give this movie 4 horseshoes out of 5. It was a wonderful movie, but not perfect. Although it blew my expectations out of the water, I felt that some ideas mentioned by the characters deserved further development. For example, 22 refers to Joe’s past romantic interest, Lisa, but her character and their relationship never develops on screen. A look into this relationship could have added further development to Joe’s character as a whole. I highly recommend Soul to anyone who has Disney+ and wants a heartwarming movie to watch, (as long as you have a box of tissues on standby).