in a body-swap twist that includes a therapy
cat. Not all of this works, in the end; “Soul” is
seeking such a high plane of sublimity that it’s
sometimes forcing Pixar-styled transcendence a
little too much.
But the landscapes of “Soul” are full of life. City
streets teem with it. This is, undoubtedly, the
best the Manhattan subway has ever looked.
Little joys — pepperoni pizza, lollipops,
helicopter seeds spiraling to the ground —
steadily accumulate. And “Soul” turns out to
be not an exploration of the afterlife but a
wondrous whirligig of daily life.
“Soul,” a Walt Disney Co. release, is rated PG by
the Motion Picture Association of America for
thematic elements and some language. Running
time: 100 minutes. Three and a half stars
out of four.