Rating of
3/4
All That Jazz
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/05/21
While 2020 was a pretty down year, at least right at the end Disney gave us something good. And while Soul should have been enjoyed by families in theaters nationwide, watching from the comfort of your own home is a pretty good second choice. Pixar has always been great at providing films that are fun for the kids but that adults can truly enjoy as well. Wall-E, Up and The Incredibles all have elements for both age groups and Soul may be the first that seems more geared towards adults with the children a second - and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Soul is also the first Pixar film to feature a black lead and while many people were mad that most of the film said black person was either a blue blob spirit or voiced by Tina Fey - I think many people also overreacted. Just the fact you have Jamie Foxx, Jazz music and some surprisingly deep conversations (in the barbershop and with his mother) is a big step in the right direction in terms of representation. But more than even that, the film touches on some surprisingly adult themes revolving around life and what is truly important - while most of the film revolves around finding your spark, the true message isn't that everyone in life has something they have to be good at - but that life is just worth living and to take time out and remember that every once in awhile.
Deep meaning aside, the film is also a lot of fun - I love the fact that spirit guides look like cubist art (think Picasso) or that Graham Norton is captain of a peace-loving spirit pirate ship (Mystics without Borders) that save lost souls and plays Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" as its theme song, or even that the opening Disney "Wish Upon a Star" is played by a middle school band (off-key) to set the mood or that for roughly a 1/4 of the film Foxx is stuck in a cat - you have to have fun with the deeper emotional stuff and Soul is still a lot of fun.
The last film I saw in theaters was Birds of Prey in February of last year - but Soul reminds me there are still great films out there that should be seen. And while I miss the theater experience, it's not so bad sitting back at home and Soul is a perfect way to spend an evening.
