Disney – Pixar “Soul” Home Video Release Review

Disney – Pixar Soul arrives on home video in both disc and digital formats ranging from DVD to Digital 4K March 23.    For a complete listing of the technical specifications, options and what is included on the home video offering here is the original press release.   The film was original released on Disney+ Christmas 2020 bypassing theaters and Premier Access.

If you have not seen the film it chronicles the adventures/journey of Joe Gardner  (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who due to an unfortunate accident, ends up in “The Great Before” just after landing a dream gig.  There he teams up with soul 22 (voiced by Tina Fey) as he tries to return to his life.   Together they take on some of life’s biggest questions during their quest.     The film is directed by Pete Doctor who’s previous films include Monsters Inc, Up, and Inside Out.

I was able to review a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital package of this release.   Overall I found the bonus features on this release to be about average for a first home video release of a film.  They covered the topics you would expect including the music, character development, story, and production.  There are a couple noteworthy additions that the Disney+ release did not have to differentiate this offering (noted below).

My first impressions and some information on the material:

• Audio Commentary –  A full length commentary of the film provided by director Pete Docter, co-director/writer Kemp Powers and producer Dana Murray.  I enjoy hearing stories of what goes into making these films and they share several as well as insight into some of their decisions.  I always find it interesting what they will key on as discussion points. This feature is not on the Disney+ release.
• Deleted Scenes – There are a handful of scenes with filmmaker introductions.  This full featurette clocks in at over 22 minutes.   I am not a huge deleted scenes person but I do appreciate the introductions with some backstory and information on the scenes.. These are not on the Disney+ release.
• “Soul,” Improvised (7 min) – This was the most interesting featurette for me.  It takes a look at how the film was finished. Due to COVID-19 the final production was done at home which meant a huge transition in the middle of production and a lot of adjustments for the team.
• Astral Taffy (9 min)– This is a traditional featurette looking at what went into making some of the worlds in the film.  I always find these interesting and this one was no exception.
• Not Your Average Joe (10 min) – A look at what went into making Joe and his world authentic.  He is the first Black leading character in a Pixar film.
• Pretty Deep for a Cartoon (7 min) – A discussion with the filmmakers about some of the big questions brought up in this film.
• Into the Zone: The Music and Sound of Soul (9 min) – A look at the sonic worlds of the film.  Several of the film’s team comment on the various worlds and the unique sounds of each and the thought that went into creating them.
• Jazz Greats (3 min)– Jazz plays a large part in this film.  In this piece some of the consultants that contributed to the film are highlighted.  I thought this piece felt a little short given the prominence in the film.

This home video release includes five deleted scenes, full audio commentary and a couple international trailers (Russian and Polish) that were not included in the Disney+ release.  Also included is a trailer for Luca which is schedule for release this summer and a general Disney+ sizzle reel.   All other bonus material is the same.

If you have not seen Soul yet or still prefer physical discs for your collection you may want to consider adding Soul to your library.  If you already have Disney+ you will need to weigh the extra bonus features and having a physical copy.

Soul Blu-ray Multi-Screen Edition @ shopDisney

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