Tony the Tigger
Well-Known Member
See, I couldn’t even sit through that, and I liked this.
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Pixar's Soul
- Thread starter brb1006
- Start date
mf1972
Well-Known Member
we watched it last night & enjoyed it. it’s nice to see pixar go back to something original (although onward was so so) vs sequels. as others mentioned here, the animation was very sharp & impressive, as well as the music. very lively. i look forward to watching it again down the road.
1 question i did have but didn’t notice. did john ratzenberger have a voice cameo in this movie? i know he usually pops up somewhere in pixar movies.
1 question i did have but didn’t notice. did john ratzenberger have a voice cameo in this movie? i know he usually pops up somewhere in pixar movies.
I would Soul over "The Good Dinosaur" and "Onward' anyday!
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
*SPOILER ALERT* you may not want to read this if you want to see the movie.
I was looking forward to watching Soul because I thought it was gong to have a lot of soul music in it. Nope. OK so I watched it anyway.
After watching it, I was trying to figure out the moral of the story.
If you really love something and are passionate about that thing, and are really, really truly talented at that thing, that could be your vocation in life, don’t be too sure you will want to do that thing for the rest of your life..
A musician or any artist is not like a stock broker or business man. Music and art truly comes from within and it truly could be a wonderful life if you can make your vocation in life something you truly love to do..
To me, Joe went from knowing passionately wanting to do what he loved, doing it and loving it (albeit only once) to literally not knowing what he wanted to do going forward..
P. S. I liked Wonder Woman 1984 better....
I was looking forward to watching Soul because I thought it was gong to have a lot of soul music in it. Nope. OK so I watched it anyway.
After watching it, I was trying to figure out the moral of the story.
If you really love something and are passionate about that thing, and are really, really truly talented at that thing, that could be your vocation in life, don’t be too sure you will want to do that thing for the rest of your life..
A musician or any artist is not like a stock broker or business man. Music and art truly comes from within and it truly could be a wonderful life if you can make your vocation in life something you truly love to do..
To me, Joe went from knowing passionately wanting to do what he loved, doing it and loving it (albeit only once) to literally not knowing what he wanted to do going forward..
P. S. I liked Wonder Woman 1984 better....
waltography
Well-Known Member
The moment when Joe/22 leave the hospital and 22 is overwhelmed by the noise of NYC was very well done. One of a few moments where I really wish I was in a theater watching the movie (whenever Joe got into the zone was another part).
I don't think that's the point of the movie at all.
Joe is no less passionate about jazz once he gets the gig (his Epiphany piece inspired by the trophies 22 collects clearly shows that), but he expected there to be a fundamental shift in how he experienced life once he got the gig, like a sort of satisfaction or view shift that would make life make sense. But as one of the counselor Jerrys point out, the spark isn't your purpose; it's your desire to live and experience living that gives people life. That's personal growth for Joe, who thought that achievement (and his lack thereof) was the only thing that defined his life.
Jedijax719
Well-Known Member
That's EXACTLY how we felt about it. To us (my wife and I) it felt like the movie never got finished (due to COVID 19?). He was a teacher and inspired other souls. That was a greater purpose than doing what you wanted to do for yourself. And*SPOILER ALERT* you may not want to read this if you want to see the movie.
I was looking forward to watching Soul because I thought it was gong to have a lot of soul music in it. Nope. OK so I watched it anyway.
After watching it, I was trying to figure out the moral of the story.
If you really love something and are passionate about that thing, and are really, really truly talented at that thing, that could be your vocation in life, don’t be too sure you will want to do that thing for the rest of your life..
A musician or any artist is not like a stock broker or business man. Music and art truly comes from within and it truly could be a wonderful life if you can make your vocation in life something you truly love to do..
To me, Joe went from knowing passionately wanting to do what he loved, doing it and loving it (albeit only once) to literally not knowing what he wanted to do going forward..
P. S. I liked Wonder Woman 1984 better....
22 was, in turn, inspired by Joe. So it would make sense that they both went on to inspire others. But we never got to see what happened with 22 and Joe didn't know what he wanted to do when it was presented to us at the very beginning. All he had to do was accept what he seemed to reject in the first place.{/spoiler]
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Overall I liked it. Don’t love it. I’m not the biggest fan of Docters films although this one is probably my favorite in recent memory. Definitely liked it more than Inside Out. I think the film would have been better served being located somewhere like New Orleans and having more of an emphasis on Jazz/ Soul music. The after life and before life scenes felt a little too Inside Out to me and I wasn’t crazy about the character design of the souls and baby souls. I did like the abstract look of all the Jerry’s and how they moved/ functioned.
I really like the voice of the “antagonist” and the score that played every time he was in a scene. Tina Fey didn’t do anything for me as 22. Although I’m not so sure it’s her performance as much at the character not being compelling.
There were some funny and clever moments. As an “ex” singer/ musician, the story was thought provoking and really hit home in a lot of ways. I would have like to see more of the music scene and more time spent on earth. It had some heart but It didn’t have the emotional impact that Cocos ending had for me.
I really like the voice of the “antagonist” and the score that played every time he was in a scene. Tina Fey didn’t do anything for me as 22. Although I’m not so sure it’s her performance as much at the character not being compelling.
There were some funny and clever moments. As an “ex” singer/ musician, the story was thought provoking and really hit home in a lot of ways. I would have like to see more of the music scene and more time spent on earth. It had some heart but It didn’t have the emotional impact that Cocos ending had for me.
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5thGenTexan
Well-Known Member
I'd watch a test pattern in black and white over The Good Dinosaur.. Hated it in the theater and it didnt get any better in later viewings.
erasure fan1
Well-Known Member
It was good, not great. I wasn't thrilled with the ending, it just didn't have that emotional punch. I really had no desire to see it a second time once I finished. That really is my gauge if the movie resonated with me. I would have to guess that this one wouldn't have done very well at the box office, and Disney knew it.
Archie123
Well-Known Member
It was indeed very very bad.
gerarar
Premium Member
Just got done watching it with my family. We agree that it’s a better made movie than Onward which came out earlier this year.
However, the ending, like others noted, is a bit lacking imo. I was hoping they wouldn’t go with Joe being allowed a second chance to live, but alas they did. But at the same time, he found his new will to live. I imagine he loves to teach and give other people, like his students, something to look for. So he definitely has that going for him since he realized that an achievement isn’t what defines his life.
Also, I wished there was some sort of scene after descending onto Earth or end credit scene with 22, whether it being her born into a human/baby or what she’s doing with her life later on. I much prefer some closure with 22, but I guess that’s the point — it’s ambiguous.
The score, animation, characters, plot, etc was all there. My favorite parts are when 22 is in Joe’s body enjoying what life/Earth offers. I also enjoyed the numerous flashbacks to 22’s previous mentors; that being the Abraham Lincoln being my favorite — Andrew Jackson!! Also loved the lost soul broker dude, I didn’t get it at first but laughed so much after realizing what “Make a Trade” meant.
Would probably give it a 8.5/10 and obviously recommend everyone to go watch it. It’s sad it didn’t get the full theater experience. Hopefully this doesn’t deter Pixar from pursuing original movies/stories after there 2 original movies this year got shafted because of the pandemic.
However, the ending, like others noted, is a bit lacking imo. I was hoping they wouldn’t go with Joe being allowed a second chance to live, but alas they did. But at the same time, he found his new will to live. I imagine he loves to teach and give other people, like his students, something to look for. So he definitely has that going for him since he realized that an achievement isn’t what defines his life.
Also, I wished there was some sort of scene after descending onto Earth or end credit scene with 22, whether it being her born into a human/baby or what she’s doing with her life later on. I much prefer some closure with 22, but I guess that’s the point — it’s ambiguous.
The score, animation, characters, plot, etc was all there. My favorite parts are when 22 is in Joe’s body enjoying what life/Earth offers. I also enjoyed the numerous flashbacks to 22’s previous mentors; that being the Abraham Lincoln being my favorite — Andrew Jackson!! Also loved the lost soul broker dude, I didn’t get it at first but laughed so much after realizing what “Make a Trade” meant.
Would probably give it a 8.5/10 and obviously recommend everyone to go watch it. It’s sad it didn’t get the full theater experience. Hopefully this doesn’t deter Pixar from pursuing original movies/stories after there 2 original movies this year got shafted because of the pandemic.
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Jedijax719
Well-Known Member
Thing is, Joe never had a problem with a will to live. He had achieved his "purpose" but realized that it wasn't the be-all and end-all in life. It seemed like they wanted to avoid making it just like Mr. Holland's Opus where his new "purpose" was to teach others. He had already inspired 22 (who we never got any closure for) and he may have realized his true gift was through inspiration of others. But then they just stopped the movie and made US figure out the meaning for ourselves. I don't like that in movies. When we have to just assume, it means we could be wrong and that means the movie didn't (in my opinion) relay its message strongly enough.
But if the movie is about just enjoying life for what it is, I'm not sure if that was well delivered either. Was that the message? Don't worry about dreams or aspirations because those are fleeting and not all they're cracked up to be. Just enjoy being alive and enjoy things that you, well, enjoy?
Is the above the meaning? See, I am not even sure so I have to be told.
But if the movie is about just enjoying life for what it is, I'm not sure if that was well delivered either. Was that the message? Don't worry about dreams or aspirations because those are fleeting and not all they're cracked up to be. Just enjoy being alive and enjoy things that you, well, enjoy?
Is the above the meaning? See, I am not even sure so I have to be told.
The message is: "Don't ask *why* you're here... just be here and follow your passion and appreciate what you have. You're not pre-ordained to do a certain something. You can choose to do it or not. The purpose of life is to live."
That's why 22's resolution was to chose to live a life, not what became of them in life. Joe realized he wasn't made for music, but he freely chooses music as his passion. And so he stopped trying to force 22 to pre-chose their life-purpose.
Now, one can quibble with that message of the movie, but, it's the message I believe it's trying to send.
That's why 22's resolution was to chose to live a life, not what became of them in life. Joe realized he wasn't made for music, but he freely chooses music as his passion. And so he stopped trying to force 22 to pre-chose their life-purpose.
Now, one can quibble with that message of the movie, but, it's the message I believe it's trying to send.
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Jedijax719
Well-Known Member
Yeah that's what I assumed it to be. I have mixed feelings about the message. There's nothing wrong with it and it certainly is something that we all need to appreciate. However, I feel that one can see it as preaching against having goals to achieve something specific. I'm not saying I see it that way, but there could be a debate. It can be twisted around to say that "hey, having goals and dreams are not all they are cracked up to be so don't focus on them. Just be".
Fox&Hound
Well-Known Member
Spoilers below:
1. The theme:
The more I think about this movie the more confused I get. I think the movie would have made more sense if Joe was miserable in his life as a teacher, but he wasn't. He liked teaching and you see him smiling and joking with the kids; it is just that he feels slightly stuck and feels like he is missing his big break. But when he gets his big moment, it is not what he thinks it would be. But, why does he have to die in the movie then? He learns all by himself that some times moments you wait you whole life for are not what you thought they would be. They could have skipped everything about the confusing afterlife and just shown Joe learn this himself. I get it that him dying is the gimmick of the movie, but it just seems like such a circumvented way to make a very basic point- enjoy the small things in life. Like, that is the big reveal? Okay, thanks car bumper sticker for that profound message?!?!?!? I just don't see how people are walking away from this movie saying it was life changing and it revealed to them profound truths. Yes, life is what you make of it. Yes, don't get caught up pursuing one thing when you are missing all the small things. What am I missing here?
2. Is Joe well developed?
I also did not think Joe was likeable or at all fleshed out. He seemed very one-dimensional to me, and again, I wish the movie spent more time just exploring him as a character. Stop turning people into frogs and blobs and just let them be themselves, especially when we get the rare treat to have a protagonist in an animated movie that is a person of color. Why can't he just be an amazing, complex human for the duration of the movie and we get to follow his story? At the end of the movie, I feel like I know so little about Joe and that is why I didn't really feel anything at the end. We know he teaches music, his dad turned him onto Jazz, and his mom does not support his dream to be a musician. But do we know anything else about him? I think the movie would have been so much better to flesh him out as a human instead of trying to split the time between him and 22 (another unlikeable character, but that is another point).
I just don't see myself ever wanting to watch this again and as a huge fan of Disney and Pixar it bums me out that I waited so long and this was the movie they gave us. It had a lot of potential, but it feels very unfinished to me.
1. The theme:
The more I think about this movie the more confused I get. I think the movie would have made more sense if Joe was miserable in his life as a teacher, but he wasn't. He liked teaching and you see him smiling and joking with the kids; it is just that he feels slightly stuck and feels like he is missing his big break. But when he gets his big moment, it is not what he thinks it would be. But, why does he have to die in the movie then? He learns all by himself that some times moments you wait you whole life for are not what you thought they would be. They could have skipped everything about the confusing afterlife and just shown Joe learn this himself. I get it that him dying is the gimmick of the movie, but it just seems like such a circumvented way to make a very basic point- enjoy the small things in life. Like, that is the big reveal? Okay, thanks car bumper sticker for that profound message?!?!?!? I just don't see how people are walking away from this movie saying it was life changing and it revealed to them profound truths. Yes, life is what you make of it. Yes, don't get caught up pursuing one thing when you are missing all the small things. What am I missing here?
2. Is Joe well developed?
I also did not think Joe was likeable or at all fleshed out. He seemed very one-dimensional to me, and again, I wish the movie spent more time just exploring him as a character. Stop turning people into frogs and blobs and just let them be themselves, especially when we get the rare treat to have a protagonist in an animated movie that is a person of color. Why can't he just be an amazing, complex human for the duration of the movie and we get to follow his story? At the end of the movie, I feel like I know so little about Joe and that is why I didn't really feel anything at the end. We know he teaches music, his dad turned him onto Jazz, and his mom does not support his dream to be a musician. But do we know anything else about him? I think the movie would have been so much better to flesh him out as a human instead of trying to split the time between him and 22 (another unlikeable character, but that is another point).
I just don't see myself ever wanting to watch this again and as a huge fan of Disney and Pixar it bums me out that I waited so long and this was the movie they gave us. It had a lot of potential, but it feels very unfinished to me.
Jedijax719
Well-Known Member
Good points! I think what made it confusing is that Joe is around middle-age or at least a full adult and doesn't have a consistent job (part time teacher until he was FINALLY offered a full time job) or a family of his own or even a house. Not that the last two are absolutely necessary for a fulfilling life, but he claims he (or we are to suspect that he) just wants to "live life". Does that mean he is going to continue onward with the way he has been living? He doesn't need to be a travelling performing star, but did he take the full time teaching job? Did he rekindle whatever he had with "Lisa" (whoever that was)? Or was he to continue struggling but being happy doing so?
Not to sound snobby and I hope I don't, but the idea of being grateful and content with your life is a wonderful concept, but is Joe truly in the position to just stay with the status quo? And if he does, is that the best message in his circumstances?
I think it would have made more sense if the last shot was him in the classroom teaching kids.
Not to sound snobby and I hope I don't, but the idea of being grateful and content with your life is a wonderful concept, but is Joe truly in the position to just stay with the status quo? And if he does, is that the best message in his circumstances?
I think it would have made more sense if the last shot was him in the classroom teaching kids.
gerarar
Premium Member
Some more thoughts after a couple days:
This movie has such an open book ending that I think a sequel is possible, but probably not going to ever happen because this movie never got the chance at the box office.
Someone mentioned above about Joe’s relationship with his ex-Lisa...completely forgot about that! Also his new offered full-time job, his new permanent “gig”, his family, etc. I feel like this all could’ve been touched upon at the end, but it wasn’t.
Then there’s 22. We spent more than half the movie learning about the soul and see its character grow. We gotta have some closure on their new life on earth! A sequel can for sure explore 22’s life as a human, what their spark/passion is, and maybe reunite 22 with Joe, even if they don’t know it. But they can maybe communicate with each other in the “zone”.
I feel like with past Pixar movies we’ve always gotten some type of closure with the protagonist and supporting characters....here, there’s barely any. Such a deviation imo
This movie has such an open book ending that I think a sequel is possible, but probably not going to ever happen because this movie never got the chance at the box office.
Someone mentioned above about Joe’s relationship with his ex-Lisa...completely forgot about that! Also his new offered full-time job, his new permanent “gig”, his family, etc. I feel like this all could’ve been touched upon at the end, but it wasn’t.
Then there’s 22. We spent more than half the movie learning about the soul and see its character grow. We gotta have some closure on their new life on earth! A sequel can for sure explore 22’s life as a human, what their spark/passion is, and maybe reunite 22 with Joe, even if they don’t know it. But they can maybe communicate with each other in the “zone”.
I feel like with past Pixar movies we’ve always gotten some type of closure with the protagonist and supporting characters....here, there’s barely any. Such a deviation imo
Heppenheimer
Well-Known Member
Just saw it today. Kind of a meh for me.
1) None of the vocal performances really stood out.
2) I was hoping for a lot more jazz.
3) I usually trust Pixar to make the complex in-universe rules of the movie make sense (Toy Story, Monsters Inc, In and Out), but the mechanics of the pre-life world were just too convuluted.
4) Although I liked what I took away as the message of the film, it was kind of muddled. I agree with others that it seems like perhaps the ending ws rushed or not completely worked through.
On the other hand, 22's initial reaction to NYC almost exactly mimics mine... but then again, I've usually felt oppressively overwhelmed in that city.
Also, Disney and Pixar usually take you to amazing worlds that you want visit and explore. The last two Pixar flicks have taken us to a fantasy version of a boring midwestern suburb, and NYC with all its grit and dirt. Neither are particularly compelling places, and its not as if NYC is an underutilized location for movies and TV.
1) None of the vocal performances really stood out.
2) I was hoping for a lot more jazz.
3) I usually trust Pixar to make the complex in-universe rules of the movie make sense (Toy Story, Monsters Inc, In and Out), but the mechanics of the pre-life world were just too convuluted.
4) Although I liked what I took away as the message of the film, it was kind of muddled. I agree with others that it seems like perhaps the ending ws rushed or not completely worked through.
On the other hand, 22's initial reaction to NYC almost exactly mimics mine... but then again, I've usually felt oppressively overwhelmed in that city.
Also, Disney and Pixar usually take you to amazing worlds that you want visit and explore. The last two Pixar flicks have taken us to a fantasy version of a boring midwestern suburb, and NYC with all its grit and dirt. Neither are particularly compelling places, and its not as if NYC is an underutilized location for movies and TV.
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