Disney Plus new release: “Soul”
On December 25, 2020, Disney Plus released “Soul,” which follows a middle school jazz teacher named Joe and an annoying soul named 22. Joe has a near death experience that helps him appreciate the family he would have left behind and the friends he has never really gotten to know. Along the way, Joe befriends 22, a soul who has given up on having a life on Earth and feels that she has no purpose in life. At first the two only seem to antagonize each other, but in the end they benefit from each other in their respective aspects of life. Joe gains more appreciation for life in general, and learns to both communicate his feelings towards loved ones and ask questions of others. Twenty-two, on the other hand, learns that it’s never too late to be excited for new things to come. Rather than being negative all the time, she opens up and starts to become happy for others.
Critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Times of India says “Soul’ is another landmark film from Disney Pixar, likely to sweep next year’s animated film awards.” The New York Times offers even greater praise, saying that “‘Soul” is integral to its argument about how beauty is created, sustained and appreciated — and to its grounding of a specifically Black experience in New York.”
Not all reviews have been so glowing, however. Rotten Tomatoes criticized the film, stating: “While it deals with grown-up topics such as the meaning of life, it tip-toes around the idea of mortality, choosing instead to put forward a candy-coloured cosmology that often suffocates its deeper questions under layers of whimsy.”
As many people have faced hardship as they’ve been forced to stay at home the past year, it seems that, at some point, many of us lost focus on our true meaning or purpose. Fortunately, this movie has managed to captivate the hearts of many, allowing them to see that they are not alone in your situation. When you least expect it, someone can come around and make you want to keep on living and fighting for your dreams. “Soul” will have you reflect on yourself and your purpose in life.Get your popcorn and family,and get ready for Joe and 22’s adventure.
Darling, C. (2020, December 23). Review: Pixar’s sublime ‘Soul’ one of the year’s best films. Retrieved January 16, 2021, from https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/movies-tv/review-sublime-soul-one-of-the-year-s-15817432
Author: Brianna Garcia|Staff Writer
Author: Nikki Campos|Editor in Chief
