Discuss Soul
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Good music score, OK visuals, disjointed story
posted by volkstraumSTAFFMOD on December 28, 2020 at 12:40 AM
The innovative score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross was quite refreshing and aligned perfectly with the tone of the film.
The visuals seem to rely too heavily on the director’s style from Inside Out and the NYC scenes could have been lifted directly out of Secret Life of Pets.... nothing innovative there.
The story .... was a mess. Something about the difference between a spark in one's life versus a purpose. The Protagonist eventually came to understand this distinction but there was a jarring lack of consequences for him and just about all the characters in the film. In one particular scene a music student drifts into the story and after declaring her desire to quit music, she completely changes her opinion by herself without a word of debate and summarily drifts out of the movie, never to be seen again.
Soul seemed to have lofty ideas but I’m not sure they were laid out in a way for five-year-olds to understand. The original Toy Story played with themes of purpose and personality and was leagues ahead of this film.
Reply by JustinJackFlash
on August 7, 2021 at 12:45 PM
Everything you said is pretty much exactly what I thought. The whole thing just didn't seem to flow and gel into a cohesive whole. I think I'd have preferred it if he'd died at the end as well. Because then the film could deal with the theme of accepting mortality, in the same way that Inside Out dealt with accepting sadness.
I noticed on IMDB that the film is rated 8.1, exactly the same as Inside Out. Which I found rather surprising. I see Inside Out as Pixar's finest achievement, a film that conveys difficult concepts to kids (and adults) in such a cohesive, logical and understandable way while delivering a satisfying and imaginative story.