Soul

D: Pete Docter

Disney/Pixar (Dana Murray)

US 🇺🇸 2020

100 mins

Animated

W: Pete Docter, Mike Jones & Kemp Powers

Mus: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Jon Baptiste

Jamie Foxx (Joe Gardner), Tina Fey (22), Graham Norton (Moonwind), Rachel House (Terry), Phylicia Rashad (Libba Gardner)

Disney & Pixar do their thing for diversity & inclusion with this animated fantasy about a jazz musician whose soul gets separated from his body and seeks to reunite them before his big break as a pianist for a famous singer.

The main plot device has been used before, borrowing heavily from films like Here Comes Mr. Jordan & Heaven Can Wait, switching the lead character for an African-American man because the writers probably pay too much attention to Twitter. The story is entertaining enough for its duration, it’s just a shame that it couldn’t have been more original.

Intended to be aimed at a black audience, I’m really not sure who would take to the film, and would heavily doubt that younger kids (of any race) would appreciate it. Still, Disney executives are probably patting themselves on the back over the good deed that they think they’ve done. It is a well-intended and fine film in all respects, with the music score standing out as the main asset and the animation of the excellent quality you’d expect from both Disney & Pixar, but it just felt like it was released merely to win awards rather than entertain.

6/10