Staff Writer: David McCallister
For the past few years, Pixar has consistently released sequel after sequel. Besides a few exceptions like Coco and Onward, the movie slate from the animation giant has been mostly continuations of past franchises.
Pixar returns to their emotional roots with Soul. Soul is a powerful movie for adults on the meaning of life, and how to live it in the best way imaginable.
Directed by Pete Doctor (Inside Out, Up), Soul follows a musician, who after an unexpected accident gets transported into an out of body world. The musicians’ goal is to return home before an important music gig happens, but along the way he finds meaning in what he experiences.
Very few animated films have been able to relate to adults and the struggle of finding a passion or way to live their life. Soul snags this tough topic perfectly, allowing the audience to really question their choices and actions in life, something that animated movies have a hard time accomplishing.
What also makes Soul stand out is its world. From the bustling streets of New York, to the dreamlike world of You Seminar, each location feels innovative and different. The other world sequences are beautiful and push the filmmaking boundaries of animation to another level.
Soul also has the pleasure of being one of the more genuine hilarious Pixar movies. Most of the innuendos are way over children’s heads, and the comedy really relates to adult modern society. There’s an amazing joke in the middle of the movie that takes a jab of an NBA team which was one of the best moments in the movie.
The whole cast of Soul helps bring their characters into fruition and likability. From Jamie Foxx to Angela Bassett, the actors and actresses really make each character their own and have realistic portrayals that can make almost every character in the film relatable to the audience.
As I said above, Soul is one of Pixar’s most adult films. It tackles life, meaning, passion, and relationships with others. It makes us as viewers think and contemplate on our most important and maybe even subtle life moments that changed who we are as people.
Soul is a fantastic movie for any college student to watch. If you are struggling with finding your voice in life, or you are dead set on your major and career after graduating, this movie will help guide you in some way.
Personally, as a big film lover, Soul really made me think about why I love movies. It is a passion of mine, but I am also a human that is in a world of seven billion others. I love watching and writing, but it doesn’t cloud some of the other aspects of life that I love also.
The great thing about Soul is that it was released on Disney+ in December at no extra charge. It makes a great watch with someone you care about, or just by yourself if you want to think about it after.
Take some time through this next week of classes starting and watch Soul, it’s arguably Pixar’s best movie. It can also help open your mind to what you can be as a person for yourself and others.
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