Streaming 'Soul' Gives 2020 The Wholesome End We All Need
Starring Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Questlove, Angela Bassett, Daveed Diggs
PG
Animated
Run time: 1 hr, 40 min
Directed and written by Pete Docter
On Disney+ December 25, 2020
While Disney seems to have done at least semi-decently with releasing movies via streaming (Hamilton earlier this year and then Mulan a few months ago), this one is probably the company’s biggest success. Soul is a relatively simple movie, which means it can have just as strong of an effect when viewed in one’s living room as it would in a theater. The theme of this movie follows in the same vein as Inside Out or Coco, delving into some intangible aspects of life: souls, the afterlife and emotions. There are bright colors, heartwarming music and characters and a plot simple enough for children to follow but with enough nuance to charm adults into enjoying it as well.
Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx) is a band teacher who finally seems to have his dream of being a musician right within his reach when an accident occurs and his soul is separated from his body and he has to spend time trying to find his way back, and learning what really matters to him in life. When in this “soul world,” he meets a very young soul that has yet to journey to earth known only as 22 (voiced by Tina Fey) who is on a similar quest, even if she thinks it’s a waste of time. The two of them link up to go on an adventure Joe never expected to be on, but hoped to find something good at the end.
One of the only things that made me not rate this movie higher is due to the fact that Soul didn’t hit me in that way I’ve become used to experiencing, that truly heart wrenching, sob inducing feeling that seemed to always smack you across the face. (I mean who truly would have expected a movie about a tiny robot could make an adult weep? I’m looking at you here, WALLE.) For me, this movie stalled out a bit around it just being cute. That isn’t negating the fact that it is a well-written, fantastically produced animated film with a ridiculously talented voice cast. Foxx and Fey manage to make me believe in a friendship through lines that were (I’m assuming) read and acted completely separate from one another, and that is no small feat.
I still can’t fully put my finger on why this movie didn’t blow me away. The only fault I can come up with is that the ending felt a little bit too cheesy for my taste. I felt like I knew where it was going pretty early on and kept expecting it to be subverted in the intelligent way some Pixar films are, but it just played out exactly as I assumed it would. I think there are enough witty one-liners and creative side characters to help bolster this movie up and make it endearing enough to want to enjoy repeat viewings, which is something we all need going from 2020 to 2021. I think Soul does exactly what it needs to do. It gives us a hopeful, adorable story with a charming cast that helps us escape the world for a bit, and maybe put some things into some much needed perspective. And that is what I think Pixar really does best.