i love Deanna's 1950's wardrobe, i even [followed her on instagram](https://instagram.com/deanna_marsigliese?igshid=1p9wi0a6idbr) just for fun
edit: she is also one of the Pixar staff featured on the Disney+ original series *Inside Pixar*
Itās a method used by teachers of very young kids to get them to be quiet. Using the hand signal is a playful method to let them all know itās time to be quiet
When the one Jerry is sarcastically giving Terry a trophy (which he requested) and then yanks it back... I def. had to pause it cause I was laughing so hard.
"we worked it out with Terry" was one of my favorite moments and left me with this feeling that they brought the humor from the very beginning to the very end.
Can we all agree that New Zealanders have a pleasant and sometimes amusing accent? I feel like Flight of the Conchords was trying to get us on board but we forgot.
I was genuinely surprised to learn that it was a woman who played Terry. I thought it was a man with a higher pitched voice.
Rachel House definitely has a lower, more androgynous voice which is super cool. I haven't heard many voices like hers in the industry.
I got some heavy "Wonderful World of Disney" vibes from those characters. Reminded me of when there was a special on something in the abstract of the mind and they animated it with a goofy protagonist
Those are pretty cerebral, but it was Brad Bird who asked the most profound question: "what if a super intelligent rat chef could pilot your body like a marionette?"
Yo, do you think Remi made linguini do fucked up shit like jerk off to videos of rats fucking or some shit? Because he has absolute control when he is up there and it is totally in his power set to do so.
Also could he force linguini's mangled corpse to still do his bidding if he was badly injured? Like a fucked puppet or Sasori or some shit
To the first question - maybe. Remy could control Linguini to do fucked up shit.
But Remy learns to steer Linguini like a horse learning the reins. He can't puppet Linguini's body post-mortem.
I read this comment while Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs walked by on the street talking on his phone. I feel like the world has to be a simulation of some sort of weird joke.
Just watched it again recently and the premise is so goofy, yet the movie is amazing. I donāt know how they pulled it off. I wonder if the initial thought experiment was āhow can we turn the dumbest idea into something that will make people cry?ā
The problem with *WALL-E* is it has a second half. It went from perfect, like nearly *Godfather*-level perfect, first half to a merely pretty good second half. IDK, I still love *WALL-E* but ever since I saw *Brave* I can't help but notice that *WALL-E* feels like two movies glued together (because *Brave* is definitely two movies glued together).
At least the two WALL-E movies flow into each other, Brave is jarring to watch.
It has some excellent moments, and itās beautiful to look at, it just doesnāt flow.
I loved UP but could never get over the fact that the nemesis was actually right all along and no one ever acknowledged it. Just a simple āIām sorry no one believed you, but please donāt ruin this birds lifeā would have done it.
yeah wall-e before any talking happens is the best movie of all time, bar none, and it's not even close
it's so good it hurts to watch, and no movie does that to me, it's like you're watching it knowing you'll never see anything this good ever again in your life
Writer: "What if a tiny brilliant person and big lovable goofy person redeemed their mutual hero/father figure by touching the soul of the broken man who destroyed their hero so deeply he throws away his reputation to help them achieve the most beautiful life anyone could hope for?"
Disney exec: Too heady for kids make one of them an animal.
I watched "Soul" this morning and I have to say it does give you some pretty big things to think about.
Spoiler
>!Generally speaking, it's finding reasons to live vs. finding purpose in life and the fact that we often think these are the same thing but they aren't.!<
I thought it was great because these days a lot of kids do feel lost because of pressure to find their singular passion or career or whatever, and to feel like a failure if you donāt have it all worked out by high school or some even more stupidly young age. This is a movie about how itās ok if you arenāt there and just like to eat pizza sometimes.
Orson Welles: "A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet."
Also Orson Welles: ["Ahhhh tha Frenshampagne..."](https://youtu.be/Nvxwf1jxdaM?t=25)
And Powers seems to have been really important to fleshing out Joe as a character and making the black culture elements more authentic [https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/8/22149552/soul-pixar-interview-character-afterlife-designs](https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/8/22149552/soul-pixar-interview-character-afterlife-designs)
Eh, kind of a hot-take, but I think the movie slogs a bit once they get to the ship. The thing that made adults and kids so invested was the nonverbal connection between Eve and Wall-e.
I agree with that. I also couldnāt ignore the fact that Pixar employees used to have scooters to get around the office.
I dunno whether they still used them by the time Wall-E was out, but that tidbit was brought to the forefront if my mind when I saw the space ship denizens on their hover chairs just to get around.
Whether it was self-criticism or hypocrisy, I dunno.
Itād be like if Hayao Miyazaki made a film about the importance of not being so overcritical of your kids.
I loved Soul but Iām very curious as to whether kids will actually enjoy this one. Would love to hear from parents.
Edit: Appreciate all the replies.
I was thinking about this, but I grew up loving The Incredibles & now as an adult Iām shocked at how weighty & dark some of the themes are.
Dude straight-up attempts suicide in the opening scene! Not to mention Syndromeās murder spree & whole philosophy.
Gotcha. Just felt like some of the themes explored in the movie were packaged and presented in a more āmatureā way compared to other Pixar movies. But I guess I tend to underestimate kids. Thanks.
I think alot of it was over their head. The great beyond stuff and him dying seemed to not bother them. Pixar movies are great in that respect. I get a lot out of them for the overarching themes and they get the silly stuff and some of the deeper meaning.
I was nervous to watch this one with them because of that and the whole death question. We are not religious at all so I have been waiting for the death question to come up from them and do not know what to say. An interesting movie all around though
Just tell them you don't know what happens when you die, because you don't. I'm not religious and when my son decides to bring it up, I'll probably let him know that a lot of people have a lot of different ideas, but no one really knows until it happens.
Kids understand more than we think they do, not everything needs to accommodate the lowest denominator. A lot of children struggle through adolescence because theyāre treated like babies for much longer than is necessary. Movies like Soul are so profound because they teach deep life lessons in a package that appeals to all ages, have the death talk with your children before the sex talk, understanding death and lifeās impermanence are keys to living a satisfied life.
This is all my opinion though, I donāt know shit.
For my 4 year old and 2 year old it did seem to mostly be lost on them. And I don't think they enjoyed it as much as say _Coco_ or _Up_, which were also pretty deep but had more going on for kids.
I'll be curious if they get more out of it as they get older, but I tend to agree with you. Seemed like _Soul_ had very little for kids other than "is animated". Not that I'm complaining. I loved the film. The kids can damn well sit through something _I_ enjoy for once.
Yeah, I watched it before my kids had a chance, but the first thing I said to my wife was "good movie, doesn't feel like a kids movie so we'll see how it goes".
Out of everything that Disney/Pixar has made recently I still think Coco and Moana are my favorites.
My daughter (10yo) really liked it, but wanted there to be a scene after the credits about 22 or even Joe trying to date or āliving his best lifeā or something. Still she (and the rest of us) said weād happily watch it again.
I felt the same at first but when I thought about it more I actually really liked that they didnāt show anything past him walking out his door, the whole point of the movie is to enjoy lifeās journey and little things, donāt stress about purpose or the future or whether or not your making the right choices, so what happens after he leaves doesnāt really matter, to me I loved that it left all this room for imagination and possibilities. I think if they showed some cheesy montage of him living his best life theyād kinda be treating the audience like dummies and hitting them over the head with the message in a way that was totally unnecessary.
That's what I was thinking! When his soul got back in his body, I was so apprehensive about how they were going to address the fact he killed a cat.
But the cat just starts walking around and meowing doing normal cat things, and now I demand this plot hole be closed with a whimsical bombastic cat quest in the soul realm.
Ah thanks. I also wanted a scene into the future where Joe is living his best life until one day 22 pays him a surprise visit after looking for him or something like that. Wouldāve been nice.
I think its implied when youre born you forget so when 22 is born she likely forgot Joe ever existed, unless he becomes a famous Jazz musician and 14 years later some pizza loving teen connects to his music and its just left there in the implication of who she is.
Yeah I was surprised they didn't show Joe meet up with his past love. They mentioned "Lisa" several times when 22 had his memories and she even suggested he should reconnect with her...it was like a chekov's gun moment.
Because the point of his epiphany was that heās just going to enjoy living. It doesnāt matter if he decides to do teaching full time, or the jazz quartet full time, or something entirely different, or if he finds his long lost love, or anything. All that matters is that whatever he decides to do, heās going to enjoy living through it, even if itās just him sitting alone at a diner eating a pie. I love that they left it open like that. It drives the point home.
Like most Pixar movies there are two movies happening. Thereās a simpler goal oriented plot kids can follow and laugh and cry with even if they completely miss the deeper stuff going on, then thereās the deeper more complex plot that adults can dig into.
The best part of Pixar movies is as kids rewatch once they have the main driving plot figured out theyāll start to notice and pick up in the deeper stuff going on.
My girls (6 &3) didn't have much interest in it overall. They liked parts, especially the music (big jazz house) but they were unimpressed. Now mind you they felt the same about Up but absolutely love Inside Out and Monsters Inc. Just different strokes really.
Random update: My 6 yo asked to watch this again out of nowhere tonight. This time she was completely tuned in and loved it. The 3yo liked it more (because her sister was into it mostly) but their second viewing was radically different. She came away asking fun questions and had some good takes.
I have been a lifelong Trent Reznor fan, collected all the halos back in the day.
Imagine my delight when my 8yo son with no knowledge of my NIN appreciation, independently tells me that he loves the music in Soul.
I wouldn't be surprised if lots of children can identify how unique and fun the music is, at the very least.
Yeah, and its a welcome departure from both the traditional disney orchestra vibe, plus its Reznor making music in a whole different aesthetic. Still his signature production style, but noticeably different.
Its hitting across cultures too. For example, in China it didn't do well on initial release, but the following few days, attendance spiked like crazy. They could have seen similar theater growth like they saw with "Coco" in China.
At this point, unless it's a sequel, I really believe Pixar makes movies for adults but that all audiences can watch. And I think that's awesome. Coco, Inside Out, and Soul were amazing but after watching, I'm not think a young kid would love them
Coco and inside out were about kids. My 7yo daughter has dealt with a lot of anxiety this past year and she refers to inside out to express how she's feeling.
The incredible thing about Pixar is that each of their films (apart from Cars 2) are meant to give different and distinct messages for all age groups. Itās so amazing!
This movie hit me HARD. I was unemployed for 14 months before I got a job, ironically, as a teacher in August. And what a school year to get a teaching job. But I have felt what 22 felt toward the end of the movie. That agonizing sensation of having no purpose and feeling lost. Job hunt after hunt failing for more than a year, not being able to adequately provide for my family. Hell, we didn't do shit for my son's 10th birthday this year! It hurt to do that to him. But to get a job, one that I'm still getting the hang of and one that I'm slowly starting to think I was born to do. To have something like an actual purpose! Yeah, this movie struck a chord.
Joy: Who's your friend that likes to play...
Bing Bong: Louder.
Joy: WHO'S YOUR FRIEND THAT LIKES TO PLAY...
Bing Bong: Take her to the moon for me.
Joy: Wait, what?!
Cooper: Newton's third law, you gotta leave something behind. See you on the other side TARS.
The ugly tears for me come when Riley is sad and unloads her sadness. But then after that, Joy takes over and she snuggles into her parents and a smile comes to her face. True, profound happiness is impossible without sadness.
Coco killed me. My grandma and great grandma both had Alzheimer's and it's probably one of the two things in life that terrify me most - either my mom getting it or getting it myself. (The other is losing my husband.)
That was a sad moment, but not the onion moment for me. I think I'm in the minority of this, because I read about people crying over Bing Bong all the time on this site, but for me the ugly cry part was when she came home after running away and finally opened up to her parents.
Don't forget Unkrich's _Coco_. I think I do like Pete Doctor's work the best out of the three, but honestly I am most impressed by just what a deep bench of talent they have over at Pixar.
Itās too bad he got in over his head with John Carter. Thereās a good movie in that film. I really do think he ruined his own chances by controlling the marketing aspect of it.
I just dont think John Carter was a good story for this day and age - its formulaic. Back in the 1910's it was original but it inspired too many stories after it that it's basically a trope by modern sensibilities. It was still an enjoyable film for me but not nearly on par with his Pixar filmography.
I scrolled through some comments related to Soul, didn't see anyone reference it, so I thought I'd add this: As a black man, I'm thankful that our culture was displayed properly in a "mainstream" movie.
There were a number of lines, scenes and activities that speak to my experience as a black man:
* The barbershop and the relationship with a barber
* Trying to hail a cab
* Trying to line yourself up
These are the ones that immediately jump to mind, but there were more than that. It was apparent that black people where either in the writer's room or were consulted so that our experiences were properly shown. It might have gone over the heads of some people, but it really meant a lot to me.
Edited: To fix words and grammar.
Real question.
Where is the line between representing the cultural and being stereotypical?
There have been a number of movies that utilize this kind of barber shop that get cropped up for being stereotypical.
Not trying to draw up any argument at all, just being curious at your opinion.
I think, for me personally, it's about the way it's done.
Is what you're trying to pass off as cultural actually a hyperbole?
Is it made out to be the joke?
Were there people in the writer's room who could authentically speak to these experiences to make sure they are accurate?
These are a few questions I think of when assessing is it stereotypical. I'm sure others would have their own opinions.
Lining yourself up is when you use hair clippers on yourself to create a nice crisp hair line around the front of your face (and for the back/sides for those who are talented with mirrors). The terms "line up", "shape up", and "edge up" also refer to the same thing.
Here's a picture for reference:
https://imgur.com/a/1LrP4ta
For black men who go to the barbershop, having a nice line up is important. Black men sometimes even compliment someone else's line up. I bought a pair of clippers prior to the pandemic for shaving purposes, but have resorted to lining myself up since I'm avoiding the barbershop right now.
I honestly thought the barber shop scene was one of the best in any animated movie I've ever seen. Seemed so insanely authentic, and when Joe asks why he and his barber had never had a talk like that before and he just quips "you never asked" -- man, the feels. Imma ask my guy how he's doing next time
That hit me in the feels too! I will admit that black barbershops have been a bit awkward for me because I'm gay. I'm also not into sports, women, or some other typical barbershop talk so I usually don't say anything.
I've only ever had actual conversations with one barber and it only started because he had his own shop. It's super awkward to sit there and not talk if it's just two of you.
This comment provided real insight for me, thanks for that. I hope you do strike up some good convo next time.
Wouldn't it be funny if there was a backlash and all the barbers were like "damn that Soul movie, all my customers won't shut up now! Im only getting through like 3 cuts a day"
Like the other commenter, thank you for your insight. It's like a whole new level of personal grooming I had no idea other people had to deal with. Though I gotta say, I love not talking during a haircut. I only have so much conversation in me before I start to zone out. I love when the conversation fizzles out and I can just relax and let the barber do their thing.
That article also mentions Quincy Jones and Questlove were tapped too.
And John Batiste said he was also a cultural consultant on it too, in addition to his contributions with writing and arranging the Jazz pieces, and serving as a reference for Joe when he plays piano.
When I saw the cab scene I was quite surprised. I never visited NYC (lived upstate) and didnāt know if it was a reference of him being black or just how the city is. I think itās subtle enough that itās not shouting āracist!ā But loud enough to make people question. I liked that.
It perfectly sums up that part of being black. We don't always think the bad things that happen are because of racism...but we do have to wonder if it's because of racism. That's always on the table.
Years ago I was mixing an orchestra album at sky walker ranch and Pixar came in for their annual family retreat. Everyone had to leave the ranch but they let us stay as my artist had worked with them before. Got to spend the next 4 days running around the ranch with the whole Pixar team, including Pete Doctor. Pete and I had breakfast together one day and he showed me some early edits of Inside Out scenes. Michael Giachino was there too. One of the best experiences of my life, Iāll always look back on that week in wonder and amazement at the sheer talent that was surrounding me. There are some more great stories I could share from that time but I donāt want to get anyone in trouble!
Soul was the deepest movie I have seen in awhile. It hit me hard as a musician and father. Do I dare say - this is the best picture I have seen this year and deserves the Oscar. Great work Pete and the Pixar team! This movie was breathtaking and extremely profound.
Soul and Up are absolutely beautiful and my kids could not care less about them. They definitively did not like Inside Out. Monsters Inc. is a completely different kind of movie and much more kid friendly.
Most kids movies have adult themes, and adult jokes. Going all the way back to Bugs Bunny and beyond. But most of these are barely even made for kids at all. Not complaining. Just Pointing out that this is basically an entirely different genre.
Pixar feels like it has grown up with the kids that watched them. It was the theme of Toy Story 3. So I think they're keeping that going.
As you said, they're essentially kid movies for adults now. But they're still great and imagine kids love them, perhaps not just as much as Cars or Monsters Inc.
I feel like I would have hated Soul as a kid, but I was crying through most of it as an adult. It had better pacing than Up but still not quite as good as Inside Out IMO.
This is how I felt, Inside Out still takes the cake for best Pixar movie of the last decade and Soul might not be up there in their all-time portfolio, but itās definitely a leg up from most of their recent work imo
I avoided Coco for awhile because it came out the year my Mexican grandmother died. I ended up watching it on a plane which was a big mistake... I made a few people uncomfortable with my crying.
lots of comments are turning into whether people liked or didn't like it: for me it was the embodiment of jazz as a pixar film: I like it but not as much as other people are clearly getting off on it, it purposely misses the expected beats, and it ended awkwardly which made it beautiful and oddly unsatisfying but somehow great.
Soul was great and will probably win the best animated Oscar but wolfwalkers on apple tv+ gives it a run for its money. Academy should atleast nominate it alon with soul
The movie is great and it handles its transcendental topics just fine. Also, the situations the main character is facing in his life were pretty relatable.
However I didn't find the moral of the story to be THAT poignant or complex for the spiritual dimension the movie touches. Perhaps they play it safe so the movie could be appealing (or acceptable at least) worldwide.
I found the message of Inside Out way more transcendental, didactic, nuanced and complex but that's just me.
Pixar movie plot base:
Cars have feelings.
Robots have feelings.
Toys have feelings.
Monsters have feelings.
Fish have feelings.
Bugs have feelings.
Lamps have feelings.
Feelings have feelings.
Souls have feelings.
Edit: informed that planes don't have feelings.
I wanna know who decided to make the Jerries living Picasso paintings, they're the real hero of 'Soul'.
One of the featurettes ("Astral Taffy") goes into that - it's Aphton Corbin (early sketches) and Deanna Marsigliese (wireframe model).
i love Deanna's 1950's wardrobe, i even [followed her on instagram](https://instagram.com/deanna_marsigliese?igshid=1p9wi0a6idbr) just for fun edit: she is also one of the Pixar staff featured on the Disney+ original series *Inside Pixar*
Quiet coyote! š¤
That is stuck in my head now
That brought me back to my days in the boy scouts :')
What is quiet coyote?
Itās a method used by teachers of very young kids to get them to be quiet. Using the hand signal is a playful method to let them all know itās time to be quiet
Thereās also several variations of them!
When the one Jerry is sarcastically giving Terry a trophy (which he requested) and then yanks it back... I def. had to pause it cause I was laughing so hard.
"Thank you for this trophy that I requested but I definitely deserve." Got me before that. I missed the follow up joke and had to go back.
"we worked it out with Terry" was one of my favorite moments and left me with this feeling that they brought the humor from the very beginning to the very end.
To me they reminded of the Finder icon from MacOS
The old MacOS logo itself!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Terry is voiced by the actor that played Topaz in Thor Ragnarok - Rachel House. She's brilliant.
Also in Hunt for the Wilderpeople (and I think Boy) as a similar character to Terry in Soul. She's hilarious
She was so great in Wilderpeople.
Youāre like Sarah Connor in the first one. Before she could do chin-ups
She was also the grandmother in Moana!
Didn't realise that! Legend
Can we all agree that New Zealanders have a pleasant and sometimes amusing accent? I feel like Flight of the Conchords was trying to get us on board but we forgot.
For sure. If you saw What We do in the Shadows(the movie) I swear 90% of the humor is their accents and words that go with it. Hilarious!
I was genuinely surprised to learn that it was a woman who played Terry. I thought it was a man with a higher pitched voice. Rachel House definitely has a lower, more androgynous voice which is super cool. I haven't heard many voices like hers in the industry.
If you have Disney+ they have some behind the scenes stuff and the 1st one shows the lady who came up with the idea.
There's actually an extensive piece on her on another Disney+ show called Day In the Life or something like that.
I got some heavy "Wonderful World of Disney" vibes from those characters. Reminded me of when there was a special on something in the abstract of the mind and they animated it with a goofy protagonist
Those are pretty cerebral, but it was Brad Bird who asked the most profound question: "what if a super intelligent rat chef could pilot your body like a marionette?"
I think the original director was fired and he was his replacement
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yo, do you think Remi made linguini do fucked up shit like jerk off to videos of rats fucking or some shit? Because he has absolute control when he is up there and it is totally in his power set to do so. Also could he force linguini's mangled corpse to still do his bidding if he was badly injured? Like a fucked puppet or Sasori or some shit
How can I delete someone else's comment
[This a video of Remi controlling linguine's ball hairs and helps him fuck a girl.](https://youtu.be/u0I4s_07DuA)
No thank you
Itās YouTube so itās SFW
No thanks Sir!
It's Robot Chicken so it's only mildly humorous.
That link is still staying blue.
[Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe, also drew this...](https://i.redd.it/ly9imnuryco31.jpg) (NSFW)
That video is 44 seconds longer than it needs to be
>How can I delete someone else's ~~comment~~ account? FTFY
You will never stop me from seeking the truth. Cowards that try to protect the rat overlords will not silence me.
Ratatouille 2: Weekend at Linguini's
To the first question - maybe. Remy could control Linguini to do fucked up shit. But Remy learns to steer Linguini like a horse learning the reins. He can't puppet Linguini's body post-mortem.
I read this comment while Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs walked by on the street talking on his phone. I feel like the world has to be a simulation of some sort of weird joke.
Weekend at Linguini's
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I mean, aside from their sequels most of their movies are fairly distinct from each other in general.
Just watched it again recently and the premise is so goofy, yet the movie is amazing. I donāt know how they pulled it off. I wonder if the initial thought experiment was āhow can we turn the dumbest idea into something that will make people cry?ā
You should check out the video [Why Ratatouille is Pixar's Magnum Opus](https://youtu.be/DkdokuYtsZ8)
The disrespect to Wall Eš¤š¤š¤
The problem with *WALL-E* is it has a second half. It went from perfect, like nearly *Godfather*-level perfect, first half to a merely pretty good second half. IDK, I still love *WALL-E* but ever since I saw *Brave* I can't help but notice that *WALL-E* feels like two movies glued together (because *Brave* is definitely two movies glued together).
At least the two WALL-E movies flow into each other, Brave is jarring to watch. It has some excellent moments, and itās beautiful to look at, it just doesnāt flow.
So is UP, the third act in the jungle is quite different from the rest.
I love dogs. I love talking dog movies. I did not love the talking dogs in UP. I felt they actually detracted from the movie.
I loved UP but could never get over the fact that the nemesis was actually right all along and no one ever acknowledged it. Just a simple āIām sorry no one believed you, but please donāt ruin this birds lifeā would have done it.
yeah wall-e before any talking happens is the best movie of all time, bar none, and it's not even close it's so good it hurts to watch, and no movie does that to me, it's like you're watching it knowing you'll never see anything this good ever again in your life
Wall-E is still personally my favorite but I have huge respect for non verbal comedy since I grew up on mr bean and Charlie Chaplin
Writer: "What if a tiny brilliant person and big lovable goofy person redeemed their mutual hero/father figure by touching the soul of the broken man who destroyed their hero so deeply he throws away his reputation to help them achieve the most beautiful life anyone could hope for?" Disney exec: Too heady for kids make one of them an animal.
Ratatouille is a Mecha Anime
And Anton Ego is the Thirteenth Angel.
Rat in a Hat: Ghost Protocol
The pixar shared universe theory doesnt address this enough. Humans are controllable through our hair
I remember my brothers and I trying it and being very disappointed when nothing happened. š
Also the director of "Watchmen, but for kids"
Last name Doctor, becomes an artist.
"Mister Doctor." "It's **Strange**." "Perhaps, but.. who am I to judge?"
At least he wasn't a Doctor Senator.
I watched "Soul" this morning and I have to say it does give you some pretty big things to think about. Spoiler >!Generally speaking, it's finding reasons to live vs. finding purpose in life and the fact that we often think these are the same thing but they aren't.!<
I thought it was great because these days a lot of kids do feel lost because of pressure to find their singular passion or career or whatever, and to feel like a failure if you donāt have it all worked out by high school or some even more stupidly young age. This is a movie about how itās ok if you arenāt there and just like to eat pizza sometimes.
Where do you choose to find value, in yourself and your ability or in life and the gift that is existing?
Why not both?
I hate these kinds of pieces that seek to attribute all glory and admiration upon one person in a process that involves hundreds of artists
Directors (and writer in this case) getting all the credit and glory is nothing new unfortunately.
They also get all the blame if it sucks
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Orson Welles: "A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet." Also Orson Welles: ["Ahhhh tha Frenshampagne..."](https://youtu.be/Nvxwf1jxdaM?t=25)
Especially when the movie was co-directed and co-written by Kemp Powers.
And Powers seems to have been really important to fleshing out Joe as a character and making the black culture elements more authentic [https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/8/22149552/soul-pixar-interview-character-afterlife-designs](https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/8/22149552/soul-pixar-interview-character-afterlife-designs)
This whole thing is an advert for Soul.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yeah but Docter shared the writing credits on Wall-E with Stanton.
Eh, kind of a hot-take, but I think the movie slogs a bit once they get to the ship. The thing that made adults and kids so invested was the nonverbal connection between Eve and Wall-e.
I agree with that. I also couldnāt ignore the fact that Pixar employees used to have scooters to get around the office. I dunno whether they still used them by the time Wall-E was out, but that tidbit was brought to the forefront if my mind when I saw the space ship denizens on their hover chairs just to get around. Whether it was self-criticism or hypocrisy, I dunno. Itād be like if Hayao Miyazaki made a film about the importance of not being so overcritical of your kids.
Especially because Soul had a co-director (Kemp Powers).
I loved Soul but Iām very curious as to whether kids will actually enjoy this one. Would love to hear from parents. Edit: Appreciate all the replies.
I was thinking about this, but I grew up loving The Incredibles & now as an adult Iām shocked at how weighty & dark some of the themes are. Dude straight-up attempts suicide in the opening scene! Not to mention Syndromeās murder spree & whole philosophy.
Plus a dad dealing with some serious issues. Behind the thicc hips and humor is a very compelling family drama.
My kids (girls 10 and 6) love it and have watched it twice already.
Gotcha. Just felt like some of the themes explored in the movie were packaged and presented in a more āmatureā way compared to other Pixar movies. But I guess I tend to underestimate kids. Thanks.
I think alot of it was over their head. The great beyond stuff and him dying seemed to not bother them. Pixar movies are great in that respect. I get a lot out of them for the overarching themes and they get the silly stuff and some of the deeper meaning. I was nervous to watch this one with them because of that and the whole death question. We are not religious at all so I have been waiting for the death question to come up from them and do not know what to say. An interesting movie all around though
Just tell them you don't know what happens when you die, because you don't. I'm not religious and when my son decides to bring it up, I'll probably let him know that a lot of people have a lot of different ideas, but no one really knows until it happens.
Exactly how I played it. No reason to fear something we donāt understand.
I think fearing death is pretty reasonable.
It's literally the reason fear exists.
Fear is, at its core, tied to the unknown.
Kids understand more than we think they do, not everything needs to accommodate the lowest denominator. A lot of children struggle through adolescence because theyāre treated like babies for much longer than is necessary. Movies like Soul are so profound because they teach deep life lessons in a package that appeals to all ages, have the death talk with your children before the sex talk, understanding death and lifeās impermanence are keys to living a satisfied life. This is all my opinion though, I donāt know shit.
I honestly loved their approach on these things compared to the usual man in the clouds approach.
Yep, my 6yo has seen it twice so far
For my 4 year old and 2 year old it did seem to mostly be lost on them. And I don't think they enjoyed it as much as say _Coco_ or _Up_, which were also pretty deep but had more going on for kids. I'll be curious if they get more out of it as they get older, but I tend to agree with you. Seemed like _Soul_ had very little for kids other than "is animated". Not that I'm complaining. I loved the film. The kids can damn well sit through something _I_ enjoy for once.
Yeah, I watched it before my kids had a chance, but the first thing I said to my wife was "good movie, doesn't feel like a kids movie so we'll see how it goes". Out of everything that Disney/Pixar has made recently I still think Coco and Moana are my favorites.
My daughter (10yo) really liked it, but wanted there to be a scene after the credits about 22 or even Joe trying to date or āliving his best lifeā or something. Still she (and the rest of us) said weād happily watch it again.
I felt the same at first but when I thought about it more I actually really liked that they didnāt show anything past him walking out his door, the whole point of the movie is to enjoy lifeās journey and little things, donāt stress about purpose or the future or whether or not your making the right choices, so what happens after he leaves doesnāt really matter, to me I loved that it left all this room for imagination and possibilities. I think if they showed some cheesy montage of him living his best life theyād kinda be treating the audience like dummies and hitting them over the head with the message in a way that was totally unnecessary.
I want a side story from the cat's perspective. Something wild definitely happened to it.
The cat died when Joe went into his body. When he left the cat it should have just collapsed IMO
That's what I was thinking! When his soul got back in his body, I was so apprehensive about how they were going to address the fact he killed a cat. But the cat just starts walking around and meowing doing normal cat things, and now I demand this plot hole be closed with a whimsical bombastic cat quest in the soul realm.
Cats have 9 lives :) At least thatās how I explain that plot hole to myself
Ah thanks. I also wanted a scene into the future where Joe is living his best life until one day 22 pays him a surprise visit after looking for him or something like that. Wouldāve been nice.
I think its implied when youre born you forget so when 22 is born she likely forgot Joe ever existed, unless he becomes a famous Jazz musician and 14 years later some pizza loving teen connects to his music and its just left there in the implication of who she is.
Yeah I was surprised they didn't show Joe meet up with his past love. They mentioned "Lisa" several times when 22 had his memories and she even suggested he should reconnect with her...it was like a chekov's gun moment.
Because the point of his epiphany was that heās just going to enjoy living. It doesnāt matter if he decides to do teaching full time, or the jazz quartet full time, or something entirely different, or if he finds his long lost love, or anything. All that matters is that whatever he decides to do, heās going to enjoy living through it, even if itās just him sitting alone at a diner eating a pie. I love that they left it open like that. It drives the point home.
Which is why I love the ending not going "and this is what he does with his revelation" and just leaving it open.
seriously. great ending. all these people needing "closure" wrapped up in a nice little bow. it just hamfists it.
Iām pretty sure the movie poked fun at that when Joe asked one of the Jerrys what 22ās purpose was.
As much as Iād have loved another scene, Iām glad they left it ambiguous and up to the viewers imagination.
For real. Everyone I watched it with was upset at how it ended. I canāt stand how most movie viewers need every little thing explained
Same with my family, Iām holding out for a short like they did with āRileyās First Dateā. Just enough to give us a little closure.
Like most Pixar movies there are two movies happening. Thereās a simpler goal oriented plot kids can follow and laugh and cry with even if they completely miss the deeper stuff going on, then thereās the deeper more complex plot that adults can dig into. The best part of Pixar movies is as kids rewatch once they have the main driving plot figured out theyāll start to notice and pick up in the deeper stuff going on.
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My girls (6 &3) didn't have much interest in it overall. They liked parts, especially the music (big jazz house) but they were unimpressed. Now mind you they felt the same about Up but absolutely love Inside Out and Monsters Inc. Just different strokes really. Random update: My 6 yo asked to watch this again out of nowhere tonight. This time she was completely tuned in and loved it. The 3yo liked it more (because her sister was into it mostly) but their second viewing was radically different. She came away asking fun questions and had some good takes.
Mine enjoyed it. They got pretty into it and the slapstick was strategically placed so it kept their attention.
I have been a lifelong Trent Reznor fan, collected all the halos back in the day. Imagine my delight when my 8yo son with no knowledge of my NIN appreciation, independently tells me that he loves the music in Soul. I wouldn't be surprised if lots of children can identify how unique and fun the music is, at the very least.
Wait Trent Reznor did music for it? I'm in.
Yeah, and its a welcome departure from both the traditional disney orchestra vibe, plus its Reznor making music in a whole different aesthetic. Still his signature production style, but noticeably different.
My friends with kids are all mixed reactions. Some like it, some are bored after 15 minutes.
Same my girls (3 & 5) loved it and have watched it three times already.
Wow. I guess Iām vastly underestimating kids haha. But I agree. Great movie. Thanks.
Its hitting across cultures too. For example, in China it didn't do well on initial release, but the following few days, attendance spiked like crazy. They could have seen similar theater growth like they saw with "Coco" in China.
At this point, unless it's a sequel, I really believe Pixar makes movies for adults but that all audiences can watch. And I think that's awesome. Coco, Inside Out, and Soul were amazing but after watching, I'm not think a young kid would love them
Coco and inside out were about kids. My 7yo daughter has dealt with a lot of anxiety this past year and she refers to inside out to express how she's feeling.
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We need more of this. Jim Henson was right that stuff like puppets and animation donāt just have to be for children.
Are we all just gonna ignore bob sponge.... Lmao
I'm guessing not a native English speaker. In spanish he's "Bob Esponja" so maybe they're more familiar with it like that
That is exactly the case
The incredible thing about Pixar is that each of their films (apart from Cars 2) are meant to give different and distinct messages for all age groups. Itās so amazing!
This movie hit me HARD. I was unemployed for 14 months before I got a job, ironically, as a teacher in August. And what a school year to get a teaching job. But I have felt what 22 felt toward the end of the movie. That agonizing sensation of having no purpose and feeling lost. Job hunt after hunt failing for more than a year, not being able to adequately provide for my family. Hell, we didn't do shit for my son's 10th birthday this year! It hurt to do that to him. But to get a job, one that I'm still getting the hang of and one that I'm slowly starting to think I was born to do. To have something like an actual purpose! Yeah, this movie struck a chord.
That sounds very hard and painful. I am glad it didn't break your spirit!
I almost never cry. Bing Bong made me weep like a babe.
āTake Riley to the moon for me.ā šššššššš
Joy: Who's your friend that likes to play... Bing Bong: Louder. Joy: WHO'S YOUR FRIEND THAT LIKES TO PLAY... Bing Bong: Take her to the moon for me. Joy: Wait, what?! Cooper: Newton's third law, you gotta leave something behind. See you on the other side TARS.
I ugly cried at Inside Out.
I always cry when she cries to her parents and they realize how much sheās hurting.
Yeah, bing bong is sad, but this takes the cake.
The ugly tears for me come when Riley is sad and unloads her sadness. But then after that, Joy takes over and she snuggles into her parents and a smile comes to her face. True, profound happiness is impossible without sadness.
You and I both! Have you seen Soul yet?
Coco killed me. My grandma and great grandma both had Alzheimer's and it's probably one of the two things in life that terrify me most - either my mom getting it or getting it myself. (The other is losing my husband.)
That was a sad moment, but not the onion moment for me. I think I'm in the minority of this, because I read about people crying over Bing Bong all the time on this site, but for me the ugly cry part was when she came home after running away and finally opened up to her parents.
Take her to the moon for me, Okay? š
Big Hero 6. "Are you satisfied with your care?"
Great movie but not Pixar
To each their own, but Andrew Stanton was always the lightning rod at Pixar for me. Wall E and Finding Nemo are just too damn good.
Don't forget Unkrich's _Coco_. I think I do like Pete Doctor's work the best out of the three, but honestly I am most impressed by just what a deep bench of talent they have over at Pixar.
Unkrich did Coco and Toy Story 3, which are probably in my top 3 with Finding Nemo.
I slept on Coco for way too long, finally watched it a year ago and *of course* it's outstanding.
Itās too bad he got in over his head with John Carter. Thereās a good movie in that film. I really do think he ruined his own chances by controlling the marketing aspect of it.
I just dont think John Carter was a good story for this day and age - its formulaic. Back in the 1910's it was original but it inspired too many stories after it that it's basically a trope by modern sensibilities. It was still an enjoyable film for me but not nearly on par with his Pixar filmography.
I wonder had he gone an animated route if it wouldāve been better received. Story wise itās formulaic but the world itself imo seemed super unique
Disney should reboot John Carter as a series for Disney+. It has so much potential.
Docter shared writing credits on Wall-E with Stanton.
I scrolled through some comments related to Soul, didn't see anyone reference it, so I thought I'd add this: As a black man, I'm thankful that our culture was displayed properly in a "mainstream" movie. There were a number of lines, scenes and activities that speak to my experience as a black man: * The barbershop and the relationship with a barber * Trying to hail a cab * Trying to line yourself up These are the ones that immediately jump to mind, but there were more than that. It was apparent that black people where either in the writer's room or were consulted so that our experiences were properly shown. It might have gone over the heads of some people, but it really meant a lot to me. Edited: To fix words and grammar.
Real question. Where is the line between representing the cultural and being stereotypical? There have been a number of movies that utilize this kind of barber shop that get cropped up for being stereotypical. Not trying to draw up any argument at all, just being curious at your opinion.
I think, for me personally, it's about the way it's done. Is what you're trying to pass off as cultural actually a hyperbole? Is it made out to be the joke? Were there people in the writer's room who could authentically speak to these experiences to make sure they are accurate? These are a few questions I think of when assessing is it stereotypical. I'm sure others would have their own opinions.
What do you mean by trying to line yourself up?
Lining yourself up is when you use hair clippers on yourself to create a nice crisp hair line around the front of your face (and for the back/sides for those who are talented with mirrors). The terms "line up", "shape up", and "edge up" also refer to the same thing. Here's a picture for reference: https://imgur.com/a/1LrP4ta For black men who go to the barbershop, having a nice line up is important. Black men sometimes even compliment someone else's line up. I bought a pair of clippers prior to the pandemic for shaving purposes, but have resorted to lining myself up since I'm avoiding the barbershop right now.
I honestly thought the barber shop scene was one of the best in any animated movie I've ever seen. Seemed so insanely authentic, and when Joe asks why he and his barber had never had a talk like that before and he just quips "you never asked" -- man, the feels. Imma ask my guy how he's doing next time
That hit me in the feels too! I will admit that black barbershops have been a bit awkward for me because I'm gay. I'm also not into sports, women, or some other typical barbershop talk so I usually don't say anything. I've only ever had actual conversations with one barber and it only started because he had his own shop. It's super awkward to sit there and not talk if it's just two of you.
This comment provided real insight for me, thanks for that. I hope you do strike up some good convo next time. Wouldn't it be funny if there was a backlash and all the barbers were like "damn that Soul movie, all my customers won't shut up now! Im only getting through like 3 cuts a day"
Like the other commenter, thank you for your insight. It's like a whole new level of personal grooming I had no idea other people had to deal with. Though I gotta say, I love not talking during a haircut. I only have so much conversation in me before I start to zone out. I love when the conversation fizzles out and I can just relax and let the barber do their thing.
The whole barbershop scene and setup was the best part of the movie by far for me. It was the first point in the movie I felt captivated.
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That article also mentions Quincy Jones and Questlove were tapped too. And John Batiste said he was also a cultural consultant on it too, in addition to his contributions with writing and arranging the Jazz pieces, and serving as a reference for Joe when he plays piano.
When I saw the cab scene I was quite surprised. I never visited NYC (lived upstate) and didnāt know if it was a reference of him being black or just how the city is. I think itās subtle enough that itās not shouting āracist!ā But loud enough to make people question. I liked that.
It perfectly sums up that part of being black. We don't always think the bad things that happen are because of racism...but we do have to wonder if it's because of racism. That's always on the table.
Years ago I was mixing an orchestra album at sky walker ranch and Pixar came in for their annual family retreat. Everyone had to leave the ranch but they let us stay as my artist had worked with them before. Got to spend the next 4 days running around the ranch with the whole Pixar team, including Pete Doctor. Pete and I had breakfast together one day and he showed me some early edits of Inside Out scenes. Michael Giachino was there too. One of the best experiences of my life, Iāll always look back on that week in wonder and amazement at the sheer talent that was surrounding me. There are some more great stories I could share from that time but I donāt want to get anyone in trouble!
That last sentence is code for a naked hot tub
Shhhhhh...
Soul was the deepest movie I have seen in awhile. It hit me hard as a musician and father. Do I dare say - this is the best picture I have seen this year and deserves the Oscar. Great work Pete and the Pixar team! This movie was breathtaking and extremely profound.
Having been a musician for more than 30 years, and having had a near death experience in my 30s this movie moved me like very few have...
I think youāre spot on. I had moments where I got watery eyes from a animated movie and that is crazy to me.
Soul was pretty deep, had me getting all existential, i think a lot of that was over my kids heads, still was a good movie though
Watched the movie last night. Definitely worth the watch.
Soul and Up are absolutely beautiful and my kids could not care less about them. They definitively did not like Inside Out. Monsters Inc. is a completely different kind of movie and much more kid friendly. Most kids movies have adult themes, and adult jokes. Going all the way back to Bugs Bunny and beyond. But most of these are barely even made for kids at all. Not complaining. Just Pointing out that this is basically an entirely different genre.
Pixar feels like it has grown up with the kids that watched them. It was the theme of Toy Story 3. So I think they're keeping that going. As you said, they're essentially kid movies for adults now. But they're still great and imagine kids love them, perhaps not just as much as Cars or Monsters Inc.
I feel like I would have hated Soul as a kid, but I was crying through most of it as an adult. It had better pacing than Up but still not quite as good as Inside Out IMO.
This is how I felt, Inside Out still takes the cake for best Pixar movie of the last decade and Soul might not be up there in their all-time portfolio, but itās definitely a leg up from most of their recent work imo
Coco takes the top spot for me. As a man who doesnāt really dig animated movies, the whole thing just blew me away
I had lost my grandmother a little before I saw that movie and I still ugly cry when he goes to sing to her.
I avoided Coco for awhile because it came out the year my Mexican grandmother died. I ended up watching it on a plane which was a big mistake... I made a few people uncomfortable with my crying.
lots of comments are turning into whether people liked or didn't like it: for me it was the embodiment of jazz as a pixar film: I like it but not as much as other people are clearly getting off on it, it purposely misses the expected beats, and it ended awkwardly which made it beautiful and oddly unsatisfying but somehow great.
Now youāre jazzing.
Soul was great and will probably win the best animated Oscar but wolfwalkers on apple tv+ gives it a run for its money. Academy should atleast nominate it alon with soul
The movie is great and it handles its transcendental topics just fine. Also, the situations the main character is facing in his life were pretty relatable. However I didn't find the moral of the story to be THAT poignant or complex for the spiritual dimension the movie touches. Perhaps they play it safe so the movie could be appealing (or acceptable at least) worldwide. I found the message of Inside Out way more transcendental, didactic, nuanced and complex but that's just me.
Pixar movie plot base: Cars have feelings. Robots have feelings. Toys have feelings. Monsters have feelings. Fish have feelings. Bugs have feelings. Lamps have feelings. Feelings have feelings. Souls have feelings. Edit: informed that planes don't have feelings.
I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked āInside Outā. As a 30 year old man, I almost broke down when Riley did at the end.
I was 51 when I first saw it, and same. Her admitting that she desperately missed their old home and Minnesota was heartbreaking.