MOVIE REVIEW: SOUL

 

Joe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn't quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz -- and he's good. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul.

Director: Pete Docter

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, Angela Bassett

Release Date: December 25, 2020

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy 

Rated PG for thematic elements and some language

Runtime: 1 h 40 min

Review:

Pixar's latest Soul pushes the boundaries of abstraction and metaphysical meditation especially for what's considered a kids movie.  Pete Docter, who directed the equally abstract Inside Out, delivers a beautiful film, each frame is visually dense and detailed whether it occurs in the real world or on the astral plane.  The story's meditation on what makes life worth living is an interesting subject to tackle for a children's film and the story never dumbs it down.  As such, a bevy of references will fly right over smaller children's heads but the candy colored afterlife which is populated by abstract Picasso like overseers and adorable newborn souls puffs will offer plenty to keeps kids interested.  Throw in a fun bit of body swapping comedy in the middle act which should give them lots to enjoy even if the larger themes seemed aimed at their middle aged parents.  Those themes are handled with great care and consideration which the film brings to a thoughtful conclusion.  The voice cast is excellent across the board with Jamie Foxx & Tina Fey doing the largest part of the heavy lifting. They share a good rapport together which shines throughout the film.  The supporting cast of is made up of excellent actors and actress such Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad and Angela Bassett which each leaving their mark with their distinctive tenors.  Soul is a heady film that will probably linger with the adults longer than the children they see it with, it's a testament to the kind of storytelling that Pixar can pull off as they continue to push the envelope as to what these type "kids" movies can be.   

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: INSIDE OUT

Emotions run wild in the mind of a little girl who is uprooted from her peaceful life in the Midwest and forced to move to San Francisco in this Pixar adventure from director Pete Docter (Up, Monsters Inc.). Young Riley was perfectly content with her life when her father landed a new job in San Francisco, and the family moved across the country. Now, as Riley prepares to navigate a new city and attend a new school, her emotional headquarters becomes a hot bed of activity. As Joy (voice of Amy Poehler) attempts to keep Riley feeling happy and positive about the move, other emotions like Fear (voice of Bill Hader), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) make the transition a bit more complicated. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Pete Docter 

Cast: Mindy Kaling, Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black

Release Date: Jun 19, 2015 RealD 3D

Rated PG Mild Thematic Elements and Some Action

Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min. Genres: Animated, Family

Review:

Inside Out is a great Pixar film that’s thematically dense and impressive on multiple counts.  It works wonderfully as a kid’s film but I can’t help but think that small kids who see this now will view it differently as they grow older.  That’s what makes this film so special.  There’s something universally relatable about the story being told.  Peter Docter directs his film with a breezy sort of feel while keeping his audiences thoroughly engaged in all the characters.  The animation designs are wonderfully realized with a sort of retro feel to them.  The voice cast is excellent all around with Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith carrying the majority of the weight.  Poehler, whose performance is akin to a Leslie Knope squared, and Smith make for a great pairing with each being a perfect counter balance to each other.  Richard Kind’s Bing Bong, Riley’s imaginary friend, shows up about half way through the film seemingly for comic relief but the character leaves a massive emotional impression.  Inside Out is that good of a film and destined to become a classic.

A

Movie Reviews: UP

Saturday, May 30, 2009
Movie Reviews: UP
IN THEATERS

UP

Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old balloon salesman, finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. From the Academy Award®-nominated director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.), Disney•Pixar’s “Up” invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth. “Up” will be presented in Disney Digital 3-D in select theaters.

Cast: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Bob Peterson, Jordan Nagai, Delroy Lindo

Director: Pete Docter

Opened May 29, 2009

Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min.

Rated PG for some peril and action

Genres: Family-Oriented Adventure, Children's/Family

Review:

I can’t think of a studio that has a better and more impressive track record than the creative dynamo that is Pixar. Ourside of Cars, their weakest entry, each of their films have been excellent or just plain spectacular. Last year’s Wall-E was a marvel and an accomplishment that would make pretty much anything any thing else look very ordinary, even from Pixar. Up more than maintains those high standards and it also shows Pixar’s continued ability to tell incredibly heartfelt and emotional stories in an animated setting. With the opening of the film director Pete Docter takes us delicately through the main character’s life long love story and that handles weighty issues such as the couple’s inability to have children to the wife’s eventual death. The montage is told only with images and music but it’s done with such style and effectiveness that it’ll probably be the images you remember much later down the road. Once we are introduced to Carl Fredricksen, voiced excellently by Ed Asner, we feel the character’s loss and his loneliness. Asner does a wonderful job of conveying sincerity in his words in a way that it’s nearly impossible to not connect with Carl. Newcomer Jordan Nagai voices Carl’s stowaway 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell and does a wonderful job giving his bulbous shaped character an excellent sense of childlike innocence and naivety. Anser and Nagai work well off each other and their characters are perfect foils for each other; Russell is dealing with a similar sense of loss. Christopher Plummer rounds out the voice cast as the great South American explorer and adventurer Charles F. Muntz who inspired Carl and his wife Ellie as children. Muntz’s character is limited to the third more action oriented act but Plummer does a wonder job of giving Muntz a crazy Ahab sensibility. Pete Docter’s direction is well handled and the movie flows lyrically from scene to scene. The visuals are beautifully realized and are a real treat for the eyes especially if you see this in 3-D. The character design is sufficiently distinctive but you can’t help but feel like they borrowed some ideas from The Incredibles. Scripting is solid and the jokes and slapstick are fun if at times a tad predicable. Up really is another step forward for Pixar and their ability to tell a well grounded emotional story in fanciful setting in an enjoyable manner is simply unmatched.

A