Disney and Pixar's "Soul" Review

Where do our passions come from? What is our purpose in life? These are all questions people have been asking since the dawn of time. "Soul" answers these questions and makes viewers think about every aspect of life.

"Soul" revolves around the life of Joe Gardner, a middle school band teacher with a dream of becoming a professional Jazz musician. When Joe falls down a manhole shortly after landing his big break, he finds himself in the Great Beyond. Not prepared to die, Joe does everything in his power to find a way back to his body. Through this, he meets 22, a disgruntled soul who wants to avoid going to Earth at all costs. Both Joe and 22 discover the true meaning of life on their journey together.

American actor Jamie Foxx did a great job of voicing Joe Gardner. I had no idea that Foxx was the voice behind Joe until after I saw the movie. This role really shows Foxx’s talent of bringing characters to life, which not everyone can do as successfully as he does. The same can also be said about actress Tina Fey, who plays 22. Fey is hilarious as usual, but her character was also very insightful. Along with Joe, 22 finds out what the true purpose of life on earth is, which prompts viewers to do the same. Fey also does an amazing job of conveying the emotions the characters experience on screen through her voice.

The animation in this movie is beautiful, which is always expected from Pixar. They paid attention to the little details, such as the sewing tools that character Libba Gardner uses in her shop, the name tags 22 has on her wall, and the NYC specific references throughout the movie. In many Pixar movies, things like fur and facial features look wildly realistic. "Soul" really shows how much love and effort the animation team put into producing this movie. The scenes in the Great Beyond are striking and will definitely stick with you. Their version of the afterlife is beautiful yet scary. "Soul" shows just how creative the animation team is because of the way that certain scenes depicting Joe’s feelings in the afterlife are shown.

The score in this film is also one of the best parts of "Soul." When Joe plays the piano, the music he plays demonstrates his love for jazz and the beauty of music in general. The musicians they hired for the score did an amazing job of portraying Joe’s love of music through the songs used. Not only this, but the music is very enjoyable even to the average listener. The team made the music accessible and enjoyable to all, even to those not familiar with Jazz, which is no easy task.

The movie "Soul" makes you think about questions that many ask, namely the purpose of life. It’s rare to see a children’s movie tackle such complex questions."Soul” does a great job of answering these questions for kids who may be already asking tough questions such as this. For older viewers, "Soul" makes you consider all of the little experiences in life that we tend not to appreciate as much as we should. "Soul" puts a lot of things into perspective such as walking on a busy street with COVID-19 restrictions still in place. The answer to the age old question, "What is the purpose of life?” is to just live and appreciate the little things.

"Soul" is a great movie for both children and adults alike. Everyone will find something they love about this film. I would rate this movie a 4.5 out of 5. I believe it is one of Pixar’s best movies to date. You can stream "Soul" on DisneyPlus today!