“Soul” is written and directed by Pete Docter (writer and director of “Inside Out,” “Up,” and “Monsters Inc.”), co-written by Kemp Powers (writer of “One Night in Miami…”), and is Pixar’s 23rd feature film. Jamie Foxx (“Django Unchained”) voices Joe Gardner, an aspiring jazz musician and part-time Middle School band director who, after finally getting his big break, falls down a manhole and dies. Not ready to go to the Great Beyond, Joe finds himself in the Great Before, where he meets Soul #22 (voiced by Tina Fey, SNL and 30 Rock), who he must mentor and find her spark so she will be ready to go down to Earth in order to return to his own body in time for his big break.
I just recently, over the past couple months, rewatched all 22 of Pixar’s feature films in order to prepare for their 23rd, “Soul.” Having just seen all of them in a row and now this, I got to say, this might be my 2nd favorite Pixar film of all time (nothing will ever beat “Coco” for me). I also think this is one of Pixar’s more adult films. Not in terms of like it being inappropriate for children, but the message in this is 100% geared towards adults and I think they will have just as strong of a connection to this as I did.
“Inside Out” is also easily in my top five favorite Pixar movies and writer and director Pete Docter explores similar themes in this as he did there back in 2015. Both films explore the idea of what makes you, YOU and both in different ways which I find fascinating. I think both films would make a perfect double feature because where “Inside Out” is about the nurture side of things where you upbringing, surroundings, and past experiences define your personality, “Soul” explores the nature side of things and explores how your personality is defined before you get on this Earth. Docter does just as great of a job at this, if not better, than he did in “Inside Out.”
While the film is definitely deep and will have you questioning if you’re living your life to the fullest by the end, it’s also surprisingly funny. I don’t mean “surprisingly” in the way that I’m surprised that I laughed (it’s a Pixar movies, of course I laughed) but in the way that I’m shocked at some of the kind of jokes they use. There are some very smart jokes that you don’t see much in animation. Some of my favorites being one about Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson on money and one about the New York Jets.
Jamie Foxx is fantastic in this. He’s only done two other animated films before (small roles in both “Rio” films), but his voice work in here is amazing and he adds so much to the character of Joe. He also completely disguises his voice where you don’t hear Jamie Foxx, you hear Joe. Tina Fey is also wonderful as 22 and brings so much humor and sass while Graham Norton is a standout as a hippie type character.
The score is incredible and easily the best all year. Academy Award winning composers (and Nine Inch Nails band members) Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“The Social Network” and “Gone Girl”) craft probably their best score yet beautifully mixing in jazz elements to it. I also need to give a shoutout to Jon Batiste who did all the jazz music being played outside of the score which was fantastic as well (this coming from a non-jazz fan). Between this and Reznor and Ross’s other film this year, “Mank,” I think they’re a shoe in for TWO Oscar nominations this year.
It’s a Pixar movie so of course the animation is going to be top-notch. It’s extremely colorful and breathtaking in every single frame of this. This is Pixar’s first ever film with a Black lead and although I was worried going into this that it would be like “Princess and the Frog” or “Spies in Disguise” where the Black character is turned into a blue or green being for the majority of the film, they find a way to keep Joe’s human for in the movie as well as having many, many other Black side characters as well. I also loved the animation on the “Jerrys” in the movie which are a very unique type of a design for Pixar.
Overall, I have nothing but praise of Pixar’s “Soul” and it is definitely one of the Pixar’s best and one of the best films of the year.
Jordan Woodson's Reviews 