Disney+ definitely won the Christmas-streaming-showdown with this one. Soul is a life-affirming, jazz-fueled story about discovering the difference between meaning and purpose.
When a music teacher suddenly dies on the verge of his big break, his soul ventures through the realm between life and death as it tries to make its way back to its body. Along the way, his soul encounters a number of fledgling spirits and a variety of characters who govern the in-between.
Pete Docter and Kemp Powers co-directed the screenplay they wrote with Mike Jones and it was more tonally adult than I anticipated. It’s not a bad thing, just an observation. These movies are typically aimed at a younger audience with their parents in mind, but this one felt different in that way. Even having jazz music as a central element of the story skews more towards adults.
The humor is still there and Tina Fey’s character, 22, is basically a kid who’s learning the value of life from the guy who died, Joe (Jamie Foxx). There are several good voice performances but, for me, the best of them belongs to Sarah House as the meticulous Terry who keeps inventory of souls in transition.
This was a cute, heart-warming effort from Disney/Pixar that has beautiful jazz compositions from Jon Batiste, a great score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and an enriching message about why life is worth living. While I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I wasn’t overcome with emotion either. It does implicitly ask the viewer to do some personal inventory, so it may hit closer to home for some.
Recommendation: If you only see one animated film this year, Soul is a solid choice. Disney/Pixar has a reputation for quality and it’s well earned because of movies like this.