Disney+’s Soul Reviews Are In, See What Critics Are Saying
As the year of 2020 comes to a close, there’s a handful of much anticipated films that the world will be turning their attention to in the coming weeks. And while the world at large is going to have to wait until Christmas Day to see Disney/Pixar’s Soul, the critical community has already seen the finished product, with today marking the day they are officially allowed to share their thoughts. In these early moments, it looks like the animation powerhouse has another hit on its hands, though it does come with some caveats.
Starting with our own home team review, CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell is one of the critics who has thrown in their ruling on Soul. Giving directors Pete Doctor and Kemp Powers’ film a perfect five star rating, he praises Soul with the following glowing terms in our official review:
Originally set to be released into theaters this past June, Soul found itself being delayed to the fall for further theatrical hopes. However, Disney eventually decided to push the film to a Christmas release, as a perfect streaming debut for families at home for the holidays. It was an unconventional move for a movie that looks to be equally outside the box, which is a case that’s only bolstered by critic Perri Nemiroff’s review:
Soul takes its audience through a journey to the Great Before, where the soul of jazz musician/teacher Joe (Jamie Foxx) must travel to find a way to get back to the earthly realm. Part of the magic that the entire project encapsulates is the fact that it boasts music from both Mank and Watchmen co-composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, as well as contributions from jazz impresario/The Late Late Show with Stephen Colbert band leader Jon Baptiste. That melodic harmony contributes heavily to the success of Soul, as seen in the following remarks made by Aaron Neuwirth from We Live Entertainment:
Of course, with a Disney/Pixar movie, you’re going to expect some laughs to fill in the spots where you’re not crying or thinking rather deeply. Soul seems to have that aspect covered as well, as you’ll see in this excerpt from Kate Sanchez at But Why Tho:
However, not everyone’s going to be totally on board with Soul. While Jordan Rulmy with World of Reel’s review was ultimately positive, there were definitely caveats to be included. Those conditions included this constructive criticism:
As critics are now about to flood the market with their reactions, the viewing public is obviously going to become more hyped for Soul to make its joyful noise for Disney+ when it debuts on Christmas Day. We’ll see where the film ends up in terms of mass success closer to the end of the year; but that’s not where the music ends. You can read our 2020 review schedule to see what tunes will be climbing up the charts throughout the rest of the year, be it at home or in theaters near you.
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Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.