Thoughts on Pixar's Soul (2020)?

John Vaughn4 said:Soul is such a beautiful movie. It’s just another Disney film that feels more like it was made for the parents than for the kids.

It actually hurts my feelings a little bit whenever I see people calling a Pixar film a Disney film. 😬

Grace Sanders24 said:Maybe eventually something like The Fisher King or even The Pursuit of Happyness. Though you've probably seen them already and I can't be sure if they hit that exact same note for you, but personally, they stirred up a very similar emotional response while I was watching.🍿

Thanks, Joshua! 🙂 I haven't seen the other one, but I sat down and watched it tonight. They’re both solid films; watching them actually brought back a few of those quotes SpeedKing pulled up earlier.

rustywalker1, I'll have to check that out, thanks!

vivideagle7 said:It honestly hurts my soul to see people constantly calling a Pixar film a Disney film. 😬

It honestly irks me when people just label everything from Lucasfilm, Pixar, or Marvel as a "Disney film." Why can't we call them what they actually are?

Well, both Disney and Pixar produced this one. 😁

Look, I guess I still prefer Inside Out, but man, this movie is just beautiful 😍

I’m not buying the hype. The core issue here is this midlife, infantile protagonist—it’s clear the studios aren't even pretending to make feature animation for kids anymore; they've pivoted entirely toward catering to hordes of infantilized 30-somethings. It isn't that a child can't grasp the concept of "Soul"—my ten-year-old daughter understood it perfectly, down to the detail that you actually have to pay for taxi rides (a point even the filmmakers seem to miss)—but rather, there's simply no meaningful... I haven't seen any posts from storytellinga yet.Because it simply doesn't exist. The story—if you can even call it that—is lacking depth. It feels rushed—almost hollow—and lacks any real emotional weight.*Soul* feels more like a glorified self-help manual than an actual story—it lacks any real sense of cause and effect. While the whole concept of the Great Before might seem charming at first, the execution is completely half-baked and narratively arbitrary. Because of the protagonist’s midlife crisis energy, we don't even get that sweet, simplified child-like perspective found in *Inside Out*—and thanks to the thin plotting, there isn't enough substance here to deliver any real emotional payoff. impactom Much like "Coco," it shares a similar theme—but after "Onward," that makes two disappointing Pixar films in a row.

I guess > was always going to be a bit of a letdown; I mean, it’s not like Pixar is churning out masterpieces every single week. You look at their track record and it’s all over the place. They had the absolute brilliance of >, but then > came out in the same year and just flopped. Then you have >, which was incredible, but it was paired with >. When you factor in stuff like >, >, and >, it feels like they actually put out more mediocre movies than great ones lately.

Honestly, > is even more of a disappointment to me. If you think about it, > and > are pretty much the heavy hitters at Pixar—they're the duo that gave us > and > (for >), plus > and > (for >). It’s not that > is a total disaster or anything, but compared to where they were with >, it feels like a massive step backward.

Plus, > really struggles with its pacing. There are parts of the movie that feel rushed, almost like the director is just trying to power through certain scenes as quickly as possible just to get to the next thing.

Well, it's a relief to see I'm not the only one feeling underwhelmed by this.

Honestly, reading all your takes just makes me even more excited to sit down and watch this movie. I’ve always had a huge soft spot for animated films like this one anyway. 😁

I caught this yesterday, and man, what a beautiful story... I think it would really resonate with those more introspective types—people who tend to drift away from reality and get lost in their own heads—because, honestly, this isn't your typical family adventure. The plot itself isn't overly complex or even particularly straightforward (it’s actually a little messy in parts), so you can't just sit there and watch it passively; you really have to let it hit you emotionally...😍

I honestly don't see how kids are supposed to wrap their heads around it🤷. Sure, there's some humor and the animation is absolutely brilliant, which probably keeps the little ones engaged enough, but at its core, this is a movie for adults. I actually witnessed a pretty funny situation while watching it; there was a young mom and her son sitting right near me. Just as the film was hitting its climax, the kid started begging to go to the restroom because he was clearly bored out of his mind, but the mom just completely ignored him for about ten minutes because she was too captivated by the screen... not until he started throwing a full-blown tantrum did they finally have to get up and leave. 🤣

Anyway, as someone who is incredibly easy to win over with these kinds of philosophical themes, this film totally won me over! There weren't any big tears or that heavy lump in my throat, but I watched the whole thing without blinking once, and I walked out of the theater feeling deeply spiritually fulfilled...😍
a solid 9.5/10 from me

Hold on a second, what theaters? I was under the impression that movie houses were still shut down because of the pandemic.

goldenhound32 said:Hold on a second, what theaters are you talking about? I was under the impression that all the movie houses were still shut down because of the pandemic...

Actually, AMC Theatres have been back in business for about five months now...🤣

Ah, I wasn't aware. I was under the impression they had been locked up.

Even better. 👍

It’s decent, but hardly breathtaking. It lacks that certain something required to truly pull you in...
My kids felt the exact same way...
Miyazaki would have handled it differently. 🙂

Personally, I’d say the movie is decent enough, though I wouldn't go so far as to rave about it. It isn't the kind of film that’s going to stick with me long-term, nor will it find a spot in my personal ranking of the best animated features from recent years. While the themes, the underlying message, and the characters are all top-tier, I can't help but wonder if the storytelling hit the mark. Specifically, was using an allegory for the afterlife truly the most effective way to tackle a theme centered on finding one's purpose in life? I'm genuinely undecided on that. The central plot feels quite unoriginal—a character is simply walking down the street, falls into a manhole, and suddenly finds themselves in some version of the Great Beyond. The first act feels rushed and somewhat underwhelming, though, thankfully, things eventually begin to click into place later on.

Another stellar production from Pixar. Truly a fantastic film.

Watched it yesterday with a friend! 🎉

@sebastianpgptvk first off, thanks for the recommendation—man, what an absolute masterpiece 🙏

didn't feel any tears or even a lump in my throat

For me, it did—I actually had to restrain myself a bit; I’ll have to watch it again just so I can properly have a good cry 🤣 but there were so many moments that really hit home, even at the very start when he didn't want to head toward The Great Beyond, which—honestly—I don't think they even intended to be an "emotional" scene 😁 So many little details just resonated with me.

The movie pulled me in 100%—not just because it's about a pianist like myself, but because of how it tackles the whole meaning of life and the weight of destiny... finding joy in the small things and the "ordinary life." It reminded me of the ending of the movie "About Time," if anyone here has seen it.

In short, all the psychological beats are perfectly executed. For instance, when the 22-year-old is near the end of the film, looking completely despondent and hopeless, he says things that sound exactly like my buddy; it made everything feel even more poignant. I'd go as far as saying the entire film is one massive psychological study of man and existence.

And of course, it's that perfect blend of humor and heartbreak we've come to expect. Very similar to Disney / Pixar's Inside Out—incredibly creative, thoughtful... just top-tier.

James Stewart9 said:I really don't know how kids can do this🤷 there's enough humor and the animation is so brilliant that it keeps them engaged, but generally speaking, the film is definitely for adults. I witnessed a fascinating situation while watching where a young mother and her son were sitting near me; right around the climax, the kid started insisting he needed to use the restroom (he was clearly bored), but the mom just ignored him for maybe ten minutes because she couldn't tear herself away from the screen—at least until his begging turned into a full-on meltdown and they had to leave.

That's an interesting observation, though I think it depends heavily on the child's age. They always try to craft films that work on two levels, and a kid certainly won't grasp the depth of a story like this, but it's so dynamic and fast-paced that I believe children soak it up just as much as adults do. 🍿 I felt the same way about Inside Out—it turns out my friend's little sister watched it so many times that she knew the whole thing by heart and seemed to enjoy it even more than I did.😁

For me, this is a 10/10, and honestly, I haven't been able to give a film that kind of rating in quite some time. 🙂

It makes me want to stop watching live-action movies altogether and make up for all the Disney / Pixar films I've skipped over. 🍿

A truly beautiful film😍

People keep saying it’s like Inside Out, but honestly? It doesn't touch that level. The opening is great, I'll give it that. That jazz soundtrack is woven through the whole thing pretty smoothly, and visually, it's definitely eye candy. There are moments where it gets weird and funny too. But man, it's a mess in parts. You get these lines that actually make you stop and think, but they're just scattered everywhere, and by the end, you're left scratching your head wondering what the creators were even trying to say. Look, despite all that, it’s still a solid animated flick. Just don't expect it to be something you'll want to rewatch like Inside Out.

7/10

Just a little spoiler.

P.S. First souls are already dropping down toward the States. When '22' hits the ground, it’s heading straight for India. Since '22' is an "old soul," was this whole section actually about reincarnation? 🍿

The reviews for this movie are truly exceptional. Honestly, I don't think we've seen an audience response this positive for any single film since the pandemic started.

A truly uplifting and heartwarming film. 🙂

Macan (Mr. Mittens) is simply the best. 😁