Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»3118. Soul (2020)

    3118. Soul (2020)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on October 11, 2020 100-109 mins, 2020, 8 - 10, Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Kids', Movies Of 2020, Oct 20, Review, United States
    8.4 Beautiful
    • Acting 8.4
    • Directing 8.4
    • Story 8.3
    • User Ratings (1 Votes) 1.7

    Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Daveed Diggs

    Director: Pete Docter

    Running Time: 100 mins


    Soul is an American film about a middle-aged musician who suddenly finds himself separated from his body, and must work his way back along with a young soul who has not yet discovered the world.

    Pixar’s incredible capacity for imagination and moving emotion is working at its highest order here. Visually beautiful, deeply touching and powerfully inspiring, Soul is one of the studio’s very best films of all.

    Bold and innovative in its storytelling yet remaining always faithful to what makes Pixar great, Soul has all the ingredients of a great family film, with humour, bright visuals and a fun adventure story – but there’s more to it than that.

    The kids will definitely have fun with this movie, but it’s the way in which Soul looks at thought-provoking themes of life and death in such intimate and elegant fashion that really makes it a spectacular watch.

    Starting brilliantly with typically sharp and engaging characterisation and exposition, you fall in love with Joe Gardener, as we learn about his struggles in the past just as he looks like he’s going to get his big break.

    The film’s opening act on Earth is short but very effective, before things get a little more fantastical – but no less captivating. 

    Though perhaps not the same masterstroke of lateral thinking that Inside Out was, Soul is testament to Pixar’s unparalleled ability to showcase complex and innovative concepts in a simple, fun yet always thought-provoking way.

    The part of the film set off Earth may seem a little silly at first, but it’s rich in bold ideas and powerfully moving emotion, as well as utterly gorgeous, vibrant animation.

    Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey work wonderfully together as the film’s lead pair, both when they find themselves on and off Earth in a series of bizarre but undeniably entertaining adventures.

    Admittedly, after the touching and wonderfully understated start to the film, the central adventure story almost seems to cheapen Soul’s amazing capacity for real, moving drama. But this is Pixar, and you can’t go without a little fun and games, even when the real story at hand is a little more serious.

    The film’s final act is probably the best part of the movie, uniting the often more fluffy fantasy with challenging real-world drama in typically tear-jerking fashion. And as well as its incredible imagination, Soul showcases a gorgeous and soaring passion for music, at times just as good as the beautiful rhythms of Coco.

    Ultimately, Soul tells a wonderfully moving story that doesn’t shy away from some more challenging drama. On the surface, it has all the soft edges of a great Pixar film that will entertain younger viewers, but deep down, there’s so much more to it.

    Maybe I would have liked Soul to be a little more serious all the way through, as its central adventure is never as enthralling as its drama. But you need a bit of fun and humour even when telling a story as rich in depth as this, and that really helps Soul to be just as entertaining as it is moving.

    Overall, I loved Soul. Another example of the still unparalleled abilities of Pixar as a groundbreaking film studio, it’s both a moving drama and a wonderfully entertaining family movie, with gorgeous animation and a staggering imagination. So, that’s why I’m giving it an 8.4.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.5
    Review
    January 10, 20170

    1612. Divorce Italian Style (1961)

    7.8
    Review
    March 24, 20220

    3687. Boiling Point (2021)

    9.2
    Review
    January 11, 20130

    13. God Bless America (2012)

    8.4
    Review
    February 6, 20170

    1648. The Edge Of Seventeen (2016)

    8.0
    Review
    November 14, 20190

    2751. Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.