I have seen this movie twice now and can definitively say that it is a good movie! It has a great message to it and explores high level ideas that we all ponder at some time or another. While I really enjoyed it, I am not surprised to see negative reviews or criticism because this films breaks the Pixar mold in some ways. Chiefly, I believe that adults can relate to this movie more than children. It's not unusual for a Pixar movie to appeal to both adults and kids, but is unusual for the story and characters to be more adult in nature.
First of all, Soul is a bit more abstract than other other Pixar movies, even more so than "Inside Out" which tackled the concept of emotions very well but had a child protagonist and plenty of kid centered scenarios. On the other hand, this movie has an adult spin on before/after life, which is something kids may not relate to as well as a movie like Coco. References to historical figures such as Aristotle, Mother Teresa, Abe Lincoln and some of the humor will also likely go over the heads of the under 10 audience.
The movie features a likable character, Joe Gardener, whose life is cut short and is forced to face the fact that he never accomplished his ultimate goal in life: playing gigs as a jazz pianist. He spends the whole movie bouncing between the supernatural and physical world, trying to get back into his own body so that he can live out his dream only to discover that his ultimate goal does not define his life. The movie ends with the realization that you should enjoy the little things in life and make "living" your ultimate goal. It's not a hedonistic message, but more of a stop and smell the roses message which is very refreshing.
Technically speaking, the movie is gorgeously animated and features a great soundtrack. I don't think I'd go so far as to say that this is my favorite Pixar movie, but it's definitely a good one!
First of all, Soul is a bit more abstract than other other Pixar movies, even more so than "Inside Out" which tackled the concept of emotions very well but had a child protagonist and plenty of kid centered scenarios. On the other hand, this movie has an adult spin on before/after life, which is something kids may not relate to as well as a movie like Coco. References to historical figures such as Aristotle, Mother Teresa, Abe Lincoln and some of the humor will also likely go over the heads of the under 10 audience.
The movie features a likable character, Joe Gardener, whose life is cut short and is forced to face the fact that he never accomplished his ultimate goal in life: playing gigs as a jazz pianist. He spends the whole movie bouncing between the supernatural and physical world, trying to get back into his own body so that he can live out his dream only to discover that his ultimate goal does not define his life. The movie ends with the realization that you should enjoy the little things in life and make "living" your ultimate goal. It's not a hedonistic message, but more of a stop and smell the roses message which is very refreshing.
Technically speaking, the movie is gorgeously animated and features a great soundtrack. I don't think I'd go so far as to say that this is my favorite Pixar movie, but it's definitely a good one!