"Soul" sure has style, but also a whole lot of classic Pixar substance
“Soul” Film Review
90/100 “sweet”
By Quinn Marcus
After writing my quality in-depth rant on Wonder Woman 1984, I was sued for 501 million dollars by Patty Jenkins herself! So, I was thrown into the big house only hours later with nothing but my laptop. I’m dying in this cell, I have no one to help me, all I have left to do is this Soul review I guess. Curse you Warner Bros! Curse you! Anywho, whether this happened or not, that’s up to your imagination, maybe we are all in metaphorical prisons, wouldn’t that be something. Sorry, getting a little off-topic here, but then again, maybe I’m not. Soul has plenty of philosophy packed deeply into it’s brilliantly handled message. Pixar is all about answering life’s greatest questions, questions that we didn’t think about asking. The tagline for this movie says it all “is all this living really worth dying for?” That my friends is the big picture, the main topic that Soul covers. However, you probably didn’t click on this link just to hear me attempt to break down the meaning of life or whatever, you came to hear my review.
Don’t you worry my good fellow, I shall deliver triumphantly! (hopefully) It’s weird seeing a Pixar movie again, the last one I saw was Onward in March, and it was relatively good. Packed with colorful animation, entertaining voice-work, and plenty of tears, Onward was another welcome addition to the Pixar universe, but not quite a perfect one. You see, Pixar’s latest movies (Inside Out, Onward, etc.) have all been great, but they each share a problem, they all went too big. Onward is probably the best example of this, going from a fast-paced lighthearted fantasy, all the way to battling a building that turns into a dragon. It was because of these bombastic moments that their prominent messages were silenced a tad for the sake of keeping the attention of children. While not a massive issue, Pixar hasn’t been as focused as it once was, but I am pleased to say that Soul has brought back my faith in Pixar.
Soul kicks off with Joe, a man who’s passion for music has depleted due to the lack of support from those around him. However, one day changes everything when Joe lands a gig with a huge jazz musician, Dorthea Williams. There’s only one problem, he falls down a well, and his soul is transported from his body to “The Great Before.” There, he must figure out a way to get back to Earth with the help of an annoying infant named 22 who is only just beginning to learn about herself and the world.
Not a very common plot for an animated film, you’re probably thinking. Well, that’s because this is a rare creation, a shining example of how the animated genre should be handled. This is my second favorite Pixar movie, behind Wall-E of course. Before we get into the positives, did I have any issues whatsoever? The first 10-20 minutes had me worried, the ideas presented started to become a little wacky, and the story was moving too quickly. I could tell my papa had the same problem…because he fell asleep. However, things really started to pick up when Joe and 22 were paired together. Both characters were so fun to watch on screen, and while not every one of their jokes landed, they brewed up some fantastic comedy. Where the movie truly shines is it’s marvelously crafted third act. There’s a masterfully done scene involving Joe realizing the beauty of his time with 22, and discovering what he truly wants on the inside. If you didn’t already guess, that’s where the waterworks come in, I teared up pretty well.
My favorite aspect of Soul was easily the animation, I can’t believe how damn good the animation was. The tech used improves slightly with every passing Pixar film, but the city, the subway, every single background was detailed and forged to perfection here. It seemed as though we were viewing animated characters strolling through New York in real life, but the characters look amazing as well, so it’s not distracting. Jamie Foxx (Joe) and Tina Fey (22) were astounding together, the casting was on point, and it was some of the best voice-work I’ve seen in a long time. Together, they provide some hilarious scenes, while also taking time to build character through intense, deep, beautifully poignant moments throughout the film. The final “battle” towards the finish isn’t crazy at all, in fact, it’s quite powerful to watch, I won’t get into any spoilers, but you get the picture. Pete Docter, director of Monsters Inc. Up and Inside Out took the helm once again, and his climax, his whole film felt like classic Pixar movies such as Toy Story. It wasn’t too rushed, it let it’s message ease-out, and made me cry happy tears. The writing is also very clever, the trailers clearly didn’t hand us all the info about the film because there is a solid twist that leads to some of the best humor of the film. Did Soul make me think? That is just about the most important question to ask when you see a Pixar film, and for me, it’s a yes!
The final verdict is: Soul is a visual feast for the eyes that uses Pixar’s signature formula to conjure up another thought-provoking animated feature that’s entertaining as well as intellectual…$PLURGE IT!