Anybody else here concerned about Pixar? This is like their sixth film in a row that explores death. I thought they got it out of their system with Coco, but Pixar is all over the afterlife again in Soul, Pixar’s answer to both The Princess and the Frog and Heaven Can Wait. At this rate, I fully expect Cars 5 to open with Lightning McQueen in Hell, where (I’m told) the French are the auto mechanics.
Joe (voice of Jamie Foxx) teaches band at an inner-city middle-school. Joe is an extremely talented –yet undiscovered- musician who can’t seem to impart his gifts upon his students. Oh well. Despite his failures and perceived self short-comings, he is immediately given a permanent job offer. Woohoo!
And apparently Joe got hit with a lucky stick today, cuz right after one offer comes another, the chance to perform with noted jazz performer Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett – good casting; I can’t remember Angela singing since What’s Love Got to Do with It). When faced with a missing musician, I’m quite sure most jazz divas don’t look around and say, “what we need here is a middle-aged part-time never-was teacher,” and yet, here we are. (The film knows this is a stretch, btw.) Life is synching beautifully for Joe until he falls down a manhole.
Apparently, heaven has a lot less definition than one would hope. Sentient beings tend to be either squiggles or ghosts and the terrain resembles the out-of-bounds places in video games. Funny how the more advanced animation gets, the more we’re back to TRON. And this Heaven is less Heaven and more “Heaven,” a way-station for the recently departed to mentor a new Soul on how to be a crappy human being. This is 
where the film actually acquires a plot as Joe gets attached to 22 (Tina Fey), a cynical and reluctant Soul-in-waiting.
The film doesn’t pick up however, until Joe and 22 find Earth again. And –despite my love for Pixar- I don’t mind saying it’s a long wait to get there. The question is: how much will you tolerate before the story gets good?
Soul has some nice pieces; I thought the film picked up considerably in Acts II and III. Also, fans of Stephen Colbert will recognize wingman Jon Batiste as the genius behind the music arrangements in the film. But, you know, jazz appreciation takes up a considerable amount of this film. What if that doesn’t describe you? Honestly, I think thrusting Soul upon the jazz-challenged as a bit like showing a horror film to somebody who doesn’t like to be scared. I love where Soul ended up, but I wasn’t wild about the destination.
♪Coming to you with a tweed coat
Play piano when I can’t emote
And I get up, I got a crick
Don’t worry ‘bout me, I know a trick
I’m a dull man
I’m a dull man♫
Rated PG, 100 Minutes
Director: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
Writer: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, Mike Jones
Genre: Fundeath
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Jazz pianists, perhaps
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: The impatient
♪ Parody Inspired by “Soul Man”
