"Soul" Review: The Reflection We Need In 2020
Pixar has a way with giving us films that speak to children, the inner child in adults, and adults. Their latest film, “Soul”, hits all three. While it has its moments of bloat and overly-complex narrative, there’s no doubt that it will leave you thinking about your life and the journey we all walk in finding our purpose.
Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner, a band teacher who has been waiting for his big break as a musician. He spends his time like most people do who aren’t working their dream job. He works at school, tutors after school to make ends meet, and plays gigs in his off time. So when he finally gets the opportunity to play piano for Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett) he’s beyond ecstatic! Blinded by enthusiasm he misses the open man hole he walks into while talking on the phone.
Fresh out of his body, Joe is in a long line full of people going to The Great Beyond, but feeling that he was just about to finally make it, he fights to get out of impending doom. His actions land him in The Great Before, a place where souls are trained before diving to Earth to get a body and pursue their purpose in life. As Joe tries to find a loophole to get back to Earth himself, he’s paired up as a mentor for 22 (Tina Fey), a soul who does everything she can to not go to Earth. Amazingly, everything mentioned above is in the trailer.
If you can get past what feels like a seriously hard attempt to create a beautiful, bright new world that still addresses large issues like Pixar did previously with “Inside Out”, the bones of finding out our purpose in life are solid. Foxx’s Joe Gardner is a kind man with enough of a chip on his shoulder to make him oblivious to the truth that he matters to his community and has a good life. The film analyzes what makes a life “good” and worth living through the eyes of 22. Simultaneously, we see a refresher for Joe as he is able to see the world as 22 sees it.
“Soul” gives us Pixar’s first movie centered around a black character. Like “The Princess Frog”, Joe spends a considerable amount of time outside of his body, but fortunately at least half of the time we see an animated black lead. In fact, Pixar nails a lot of black culture in this film. From the jazz players (notably Angela Bassett as Dorothea) to Joe’s mother’s (Phylicia Rashad) seamstress shop, screenwriters Pete Docter, Mike Jones, and Kemp Jones hit the nuances that are uniquely black vernacular while still universal themes of connection and love. A beautifully captured scene where Joe gets his haircut in the barbershop is equal parts funny and true to life. The barbershop represents a space of education, humor, and camaraderie for black boys and men where conversations can go from the basketball game to how to be a better father in an instant. It’s so fluid with the rest of the film you could miss it, but I appreciated being able to ask my son if it looked familiar and he give a resounding “Yes!”.
We’ve come to have high expectations of Pixar Animation Studios and “Soul” won’t let you down. While it may not be as moving and profound as “Inside Out”, the film still poses big questions in an animated movie. While it doesn’t answer where we come from or where we go after life in our body ends, it does make you think about what you do while you’re living. In a tumultuous year like 2020, “Soul” is right on time to help us focus on what’s most important!
Rating: B+
"Spies In Disguise" Review: Great Message In A Fun Ride
There’s only one spy that we really focus on in Spies In Disguise. While the name may be misleading, you don’t really need more people in a film when you have the charismatic charm of Will Smith. It’s a fun, comedic, espionage animation that manages to pack a great message without hammering it home.
Lance Sterling (Will Smith) is the world’s number one spy. He’s so good, bad guys know him by name and shutter when he’s in their presence. His fellow secret agents and colleagues at work do as well in that rockstar kind of way. This includes a nerdy tech officer named Walter (Tom Holland). Walter’s latest gadget, kitty glitter, gets Lance out of a sticky situation in the field, but not in the particular loud style that Lance is accustomed to and demands. So the two meet under circumstances in which Lance attempts to give Walter a stern talking to with walking papers. Simultaneously, Lance is moved on the agency’s wanted list after a doppelgänger steals a top secret killer drone.
Forced on the run to clear his name, Lance enlists the help of Walter, who just happens to have made an elixir that can change a person into a pigeon for spy purposes. With a new identity, Lance goes after the villain who stole his identity. Along the way, he learns the value of teamwork while Walter learns to believe in himself.
There’s a message at the heart of Spies In Disguise that needs to be heard by everyone. You have to look past Will Smith’s animated charm, DJ Khaled’s interesting voice acting debut, and the humor. Be yourself and it’s ok to be weird are a couple of the messages, but the deeper message we can gain from the movie is that we should try our best to solve conflict without destroying the person or entity we’re in conflict with. All of Walter’s gadgets are non-lethal but are still effective. After Joyless (Reba McEntire) tells Walter that he’s the future of the organization, I couldn’t help but think she was talking to the young kids in the audience. They have the ability to change the world, but it may be too late for the generations currently in power.
Spies In Disguise is an enjoyable time at the movies for families. You’ve definitely seen the character archetypes before, but its messages are worth hearing. If there is a better way to resolve conflict, choose it! At the very least you’ll learn that pigeons fly as fast as ninety miles an hour!
Rating: B
"Frozen II" Review: Disney, Let It Go!
Perhaps much like the theme of the movie, the Frozen franchise is in its autumn. Frozen II offers up a change in its characters, settings and gives a form of growth to all. Suffering from the sophomore slump, while this film offers big numbers and beautiful scenery, it doesn’t quite capture the magic of its predecessor because it’s too busy trying to stand in the shadow of it.
Picking up shortly after the original, Anna (Kristen Bell) and Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) are leading the kingdom of Arendelle with Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and a newly permafrosted Olaf (Josh Gad) by their sides. Still trying to find herself, Elsa can’t ignore the voice she hears calling out to her. The voice may hold answers to the past as the kingdom tries to find answers to its future after the spirits of Earth, Fire, Wind and Water remove everyone from their homes.
Following the voice takes the group to an enchanted forest, which previously could not be entered by anyone. Inside they meet two factions that have been stuck inside for years and search for answers to the past to secure their future. Equipped with solo songs for each character throughout the film, like its songs, it’s forgettable. In fact, most of the songs help to move the struggling story along rather than being an extension of each characters’ inner feelings bursting out of them as musicals should do.
Another reason this outing isn’t as great as the last is because it’s missing heart and a true villain. The heart of the first film was the love between two sisters and the power that exists and can be cultivated from that love. Here, each character follows their own storyline and thus, as a whole, the movie suffers from meandering at times due to a seemingly forced narrative instead of the organic story in the first film. Without a true villain to physically go up against, these characters aren’t written well enough to display the true struggle of (wo)man vs. self that it whiffs at. There’s an opportunity for the film to explore what happens when a loved one smothers you with good intentions, but doesn’t realize they’re holding you back. There are decisions that some characters make that seem to be, well, out of character. It’s as though going from the beat sheet that five writers created for the story wasn’t quite filled in by Jennifer Lee’s screenplay.
On a positive note, Olaf steals the show as the lovable snowman who seems to be graduating from kindergarten to first grade metaphorically. He’s inquisitive about the world around him and his curiosity and zest for life is endearing. Olaf certainly provided most of the laughs that the children in the audience I saw the film with had.
Frozen II is an example of Disney’s machine over-cranking. While the film will undoubtedly be a money maker, lightning hasn’t struck twice. You won’t be able to name a single tune you heard upon exiting the theater. With glimpses of what could have been a solid, universal story, the writing is half baked and thus this film falls short. Your kids will love it though!
Rating: C
"Toy Story 4" Review: A Welcomed Finale...Hopefully
The announcement of Toy Story 4 was a shock to the system. Toy Story 3 was the perfect bow for the franchise. Pixar definitely can teach other studios how to keep a franchise going past its seemingly end. While the latest film has all the warm fuzzies, jokes, love, and deep storytelling that we’ve enjoyed in the past, I respectively and lovingly hope this is it.
The film picks up where the last left off but a few years down the line. Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) is on her way to kindergarten. She still has Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the gang. While she’s not old enough to stop playing with all of her toys, Bonnie certainly has her favorites, and Woody is not one of them. He gets left in the closet and collects dust bunnies while everyone else gets played with. Since Woody has always been the leader, this change is something he’s grappling with.
After her first day of school, Bonnie comes back with a new toy she created named Forky (Tony Hale). Understanding how much a toy means to the human he serves, Woody makes it his mission to keep Forky from throwing himself in the trash and getting himself lost. This includes making sure he stays safe on the family road trip in the RV, which of course is a task in itself.
What Pixar does better than most is explain life to us with child-like simplicity. They take us back to the basics time and time again. In this film, the big lesson is how we evolve in our relationships with loved ones. Woody has had his time with Andy and got a second chance with Bonnie, but what happens when our metaphorical Bonnie moves on? What do we do with the feeling of no longer being needed? How do you overcome your mentality of finding your self-worth in someone else or the opinion of others? There are all kinds of deep lessons that can be learned when you dig past the surface of what’s presented, and of course it’s laced with gags and humor.
The adventure the gang goes on is a fun and comical ride. There certainly was another story that could be told with Toy Story. The directors have stated that this is a fitting end for Woody and possibly the franchise but they thought it would be over after Toy Story 2. I hope they let this be the end because they have squeezed all the juice out of the lemon to create the delicious pitcher of lemonade that is the franchise. Perhaps Toy Story 3 left us thirsty for more, but Toy Story 4 is the confirmation that we’re good to go.
Rating: B
"UglyDolls" Review: Bless Its Ugly Wittle Heart!
STX Entertainment isn’t necessarily a household studio name, but it’s quickly growing its portfolio. Giving us recent films like The Upside, The Best of Enemies, and the forthcoming 21 Bridges, the studio is slowly making a name for itself. UglyDolls is their move into family friendly films and like any first outing it has its bumps. While the film has the spirit of Trolls, its execution is disjointed and poor pacing makes for a difficult watch at times, but bless it’s ugly heart if the messaging isn’t the positivity the world needs right now!
The film starts with a positivity drenched ballad led by Moxy (Kelly Clarkson). She tells the story of how living in the town of UglyVille is great. UglyVille is where dolls go after being separated from the “perfect” dolls on the assembly line in the sky. While all the defected dolls enjoy live in the Ville, Moxy dreams that everyday may be the day that she gets picked by a kid to live in the big world.
After seeing a new ugly doll come out of the tube in the mountain, Moxy decides she wants to see where the tube leads. She takes her friends Ugly Dog (Pitbull), Babo (Gabriel Iglesias), Wage (Wanda Sykes), and Luck Bat (Leehom Wang) along for the adventure. The crew eventually finds the Institute of Perfection, where all the good looking dolls are tested before going to the big world to meet their child. A doll named Lou (Nick Jonas) runs the show and sings brutally frank ballads about being perfect versus ugly. Most of the dolls at the institute are obsessed with perfection and Lou or hiding flaws as not to be shamed.
The heart of this film is about not being afraid to be who you are and let the things that make you who you are shine. The opening number is so beautiful and you can quickly see the imperfect dolls are brimming with talent and happier than the dolls at the institute. It’s a great message, even if it’s overt. Messaging aside, the film limps along from musical number to musical number. While casting tons of talented singers and comedians may be great for social media tags and posts for marketing the film, the acting talent and chemistry that Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake in Trolls can’t be found here. It feels more like a dress rehearsal with understudies for a better film that could have come out of this movie.
Overall, the plot is noticeably Frankensteined from Trolls, Monsters Inc, Toy Story and other classic animation films. Which is kind of funny in a movie about ugly dolls. However, it doesn’t make for a creative, fresh film about being yourself. There’s no doubt that the conversation parents can have about the deeper meaning behind this film on the car ride home will be worth it, but you can’t escape the ugly truth!
Rating: C
"Ralph Breaks The Internet" Review
When Wreck-It Ralph was first released in 2012, it quickly became one of my favorite animated Disney films to come out within the last few years. It was innovative, the video game references I grew up with were fun, and it was a perfect starring vehicle to utilize the talents of John C. Reilly. When Disney announced that a second one was coming, it was one of the films I was looking forward to watch this year. After watching the film, even though there are some bumps on the road, I’m happy to report that Ralph Breaks the Internet is a solid sequel.
Set six years after the events of the first film, Ralph (Reilly) and his best friend Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) find themselves traveling to the world of the Internet after Mr. Litwak (Ed O’Neill) recently installs a WiFi connection in his arcade. When a mishap causes a player to accidentally break the controller to Sugar Rush, Ralph and Vanellope have just days to find the part and raise the money before Mr. Litwak pulls the plug on Sugar Rush for good. Along the way, Ralph and Vanellope come across a game called Slaughter Race, which sparks Vanellope’s interest and causes her to question if she wants more to life.
First off, the animation in this film is still absolutely gorgeous to look at. Returning director Rich Moore and co-director Phil Johnston (who co-wrote the first film) and their animators do a good job in separating the different worlds and characters apart to have each stand on their own. Conceptually, Moore and Johnson’s visualization of the Internet to make it a futuristic and Utopic view, works well. Initially, I was somewhat worried that the product placements in the film, since it takes place on the web, would be overbearing or just be paid advertisements for the various apps or websites featured, but for the most part, the filmmakers don’t shove it down your throat, or have the story be compromised with the apps or websites that agreed to be in this film.
Since this is a Disney release, luckily, they don’t overdo the synergy of their various franchises that are featured in this. You can believe the hype you’ve been hearing about Vanellope meeting the Disney Princesses. In an amazing act of genius they got all of the actresses to come back and the banter includes a fun joke at another animation company that Disney owns. The film really begins to hit its groove when Ralph and Vanellope need to find the funds to get the new piece, and some of the skewing of the material is absolutely spot-on and extremely funny at times.
When we view sequels, we tend to see the same song and dance, rinse and repeat again. I appreciate that the screenplay that Johnston and Pamela Ribon concocted in trying to tell something different. If the first film was about how someone who is perceived as bad can become good, this one is about how you grow up and realize that you and your friend sometimes don’t share the same dreams and aspirations as one another and you both come to that crossroad, which is something that I can relate to from time to time. With how they handle it, it’s a nice message and this film wears its heart on its sleeves. Even though we see the Internet these days use for hate and vitriol, this highlights how sometimes the Internet can bring people together for good. Voice wise, the chemistry between Reilly and Silverman is still strong as ever, and they bring some new dimensions to their respective roles that can be quite effective at times. All the other voice actors were good in this and don’t feel out of place, including an uncredited Bill Hader as J.P. Spamley, a figure that Ralph and Vanellope meet along the way, and Gal Gadot as Shank, a racer in Slaughter Race. The cameos in this are fun as well.
Ralph does take a bit to actually get going. Since it’s introducing so many things that at times, it tends to be a little clunky, which is especially evident in the first act. For the 112-minute runtime that this has, Ralph in hindsight, could have been trimmed down in some places as the pacing hits a snag. There are some story threads that the filmmakers introduce that they don’t follow through on, and some of the characters from the first are barely in this, like Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer) and Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch).
Overall, I enjoyed what Ralph Breaks the Internet brought to the table and what it was trying to accomplish. Reilly and Silverman give it their all, and the filmmakers were smart in having the sequel focus more on them and their growth. With the beating heart that this sequel shows, if they continue making films in this series, I’ll surely be there every single time. If you’re looking for something to watch with your family during this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with this. When you do, I would suggest staying until the end of the credits for something special that will surely bring a smile to your face. On that note, I would recommend watching this in the theater!
Rating: B