Days prior to watching this movie with my family I received a couple warnings. “Get ready for your life to change”. “It’s super heavy”. “It’s about your inner soul and it made me rethink my entire life”. OK so that last one may have been a bit obvious, but all of the warnings together set the bar extremely high for life changing factor. Don’t get me wrong, the movie was very moving and definitely got me thinking about my life, but the prior warnings had gotten me so prepared to be completely reinvented that I was ready to be a different person. Although that didn’t quite happen, I still very much enjoyed it and value it as a great inspirational film.
The movie was great! Overall a classic Disney-Pixar story including comedic relief characters, spiritual guides, and new perspectives. I enjoyed it thoroughly and will be watching it again sometime in the near future. Given the heavy subject matter of the movie it was not as fun to watch as other Disney/Pixar movies, but that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it. It’s a very valuable movie with a message that everyone would do good to hear. It talks about the meaning of life without giving into utter despair, it hits on personal passion without putting pressure on the individual, and it’s still funny and relatable! The animation is also rich with color and captivatingly beautiful. Overall, wonderful movie.
I don’t want to start ranking or rating movies, but rather commenting in regards to specific subjects. Here are the subjects that I have first thought to include: re-watchability (trademark pending on that ten dollar word), enjoyment, and spirit. Would I go back and watch this movie again? Many more times? Did I enjoy the first watch and would I recommend it to people? Does the movie have spirit? Is it unique and worthy of being put up on the big screen? These are questions I want to answer because I think they give more value to a movie than a simple 7/10 or 4 star rating. So with that being said…
Re-watchability: This is easily a movie that I could sit and give my undivided attention to again. There are some movies that I have done so for years now, classics like Toy Story or The Incredibles, but I don’t think Soul quite makes it into the same league as them. If someone I know hasn’t seen Soul I would gladly sit down and watch it with them. But as for going back on my own and re-watching, I’d give it one maybe two more times.
Enjoyment: It was sweet, funny, had great music, and the animation was captivating. The heavy subject matter was not a new topic for me; considering I have just graduated from college without a job in the midst of a global pandemic while experiencing the worst political climate of my life, I’d say that my confidence in life is not necessarily at an all time high. The two sides of the coin that is Soul (funny Disney-Pixar film and commentary on the meaning of life) both exist symbiotically within this movie. I have no gripes, no criticisms for this movie, yet find myself unable to give it more praise simply because I enjoy a Disney movie with a little more light-heartedness.
Spirit: The Jazz music alone could account for all of Souls’ spirit. Improvisational Jazz music is something I have seldom been exposed to and it was a very welcome addition to my movie watching experience. It played an important part in the plot and brought another dimension to the story. This is not a new attribute for a Disney-Pixar movie to have though, they typically come with a wonderful soundtrack. But this specific type of music was fresh and a major pillar of the film, attributing greatly to my enjoyment.
Overall, a great watch that I thoroughly enjoyed, but I must say that it may not make my Disney Classics list.
