Movie Review: Soul
Director: Pete Doctor
Rating: 9/10
Review by: Evan Ponstingle
Soul, the latest Disney/Pixar film, and first to officially be released on Disney+, truly plays out like a symphony. The plot revolves around a struggling jazz musician and part-time band teacher, Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), whose soul is cast into a whimsical adventure after he meets his untimely demise on the day of his big break.
Accompanied by an unborn soul (voiced by Tina Fey), Joe discovers what truly makes life worth living, a lively tale that’s as emotionally resonant as anything Pixar’s done before. While the story is great, it packs a lot into its emotional ending, as striking as expected from Pixar.
Of course, the standout aspect of Soul is the animation. Soul is the most beautiful animated movie I have ever seen. Wonderfully inventive character design and gorgeous colors pop off the screen, rendering the precursor to life (called the “You Seminar”) in vivid, stunning detail. Even in the human world, each character, whether main or background, has their own personality that’s instantly readable via their character design. It looks real, yet still maintains the warm, distinctly Pixar quality that director Pete Docter is known for.
Soul grapples with themes that unite all of us: passion, loss, life, purpose. Even though it can’t be experienced in a theater, it still feels inspiring, a reminder to find purpose in everything pursued.