Movie Review: SOUL (2020)

 

SOUL
Disney / Pixar
Writer: Peter Docter, Mike Jones
Director: Peter Docter, Kemp Powers
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton 
100 Minutes
Animation
Adventure / Comedy

Streaming: Disney Plus / Disney+

In your pursuit of happiness, don't forget to be happy!

I have to start my review by saying, I am not sure this movie will be a big hit with kids. The premise is complex, intricate, and deep. With that said, this was a wonderful movie for adults. Up top with some of my other Disney favorites.

Writer / Director, Peter Docter (UP, INSIDE OUT, MONSTERS INC. WALL-E, TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2), is clearly talented. He knows how to craft stories that impact the heart and demand emotional responses from the viewer. SOUL is no different.

Jamie Foxx portrays Joe. Joe's father was a jazz musician. They shared a love for music. Joe knows his purpose in life is to be a crowd sell-out jazz pianist. Unfortunately, the timing is never right. To pay bills, Joe teaches. Just as he lands a break to perform at a club with a saxophone legend, Joe is badly injured in a freak accident.

Joe resists going to Heaven. He isn't ready to die. Not when his earthly dreams are so close to realization. He finds a way to escape his path. He winds up in a place where souls are being prepped for birth, and their life on earth.

Slated as a Mentor, Joe is assigned 22 (Tina Fey). She has not found her spark. A soul needs a spark before it can be sent to earth as an infant human. Joe knows all about purpose. His purpose is to be a famous jazz pianist. However, purpose and spark are two different things.

As Joe and 22 take off on an unsanctioned adventure, both of them learn something about life. The question is will they discover the truth about sparks and purpose in time to make a difference, or will they be lost souls for all eternity?

22 tells Joe at one time, "Don't worry, they're fine. You can't crush a soul here. That's what life on earth is for."

The movie would have broke records at the box office if the pandemic wasn't interfering so much with fun. The colors, the animation, and the music kill! At times I forgot I was even watching a cartoon. Joe was as real as Jamie Foxx.

SOUL is about life, about Today. It is about stopping and smelling the roses. It is about perspective. It is about selflessness (and not getting so caught up in your own goals that you forget about the more important things in life).

The dialogue is peppered with a liberal amount of Live For Today. You Never Know What Tomorrow May Bring. It is far from subtle, but neither is it preachy. Docter knows how to deliver a purposeful message in a way that will resonate with viewers. It forces one to reflect. I know I did.

An absolutely fantastic film. Fantastic.

Phillip Tomasso
Author of the young adult fantasy novel, Wizards Rise 

Movie Review: JUNGLE

 JUNGLE
Staring Daniel Radcliffe, Alex Russell
Director: Greg McLean
Writers: Justin Monjo (Screenplay), 
Based on a True Story
Action / Adventure
115 Minutes 
2017

It is the early 1980s. Yossi Ghninsberg (portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe) meets Karl Rupretcher (Thomas Kretschmann). Karl convinces Yossi that there is greater adventure than the normal tourist traps.He claims he can lead Yossi through the Amazon rain forest where they will encounter rare Indigenous tribes no other tourists ever see, but that he is friends with. Karl also promises that the stream beds are filled with gold.

Yossi convinces his "friends," guys he recently met, to join him. Kevin Gale (Alex Russell) is a professional hiker and photographer, and Marcus Stamm (Joel Jackson) is a school teacher. They are mildly reluctant, but agree.

Despite Karl being a total stranger, they Yossi knows this will be the adventure of a lifetime. Yossi has dreamed of this kind of journey all of his life. A chance to do something different. His father never understood his free-spirited lifestyle. Something like this would change things. And he so wants to believe Karl is on the up and up.

The school teacher is struggling. The days of hiking takes a toll. His feet are covered in blisters. The jungle is an unforgiving place for those not prepared for several rounds with nature, poisonous insects, and deadly beasts.

Quickly the three friends discover hidden truths about their guide, and their chance for survival in the jungle is cut in half. Tension. Suspense.

The acting is very good (although I am not a fan of Radcliffe's Israeli accent). The dialogue is crisp. You grow to like the three friends, and you just are never sure about Karl. For a nearly two-hour movie, the time goes be fast. There is a lot happening, even when it doesn't seem like a lot is going on.

Radcliffe carries the movie. When his character, Yossi, is separated from the others, he wanders through the jungle looking for a way out. Plagued by delusional visions, faced with harsh weather, and tasked with surviving in the wild. Pretty intense!

I did some research on the actual adventure. Yossi has been through a lot. I am glad they made this journey into a film. I liked it very much, unsettling as it was. 

TRAILER for JUNGLE

Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Amazon Best-Selling adventure novel, BLOOD RIVER

Book Review: MERITROPOLIS, by Joel Ohman

Joel Ohman
MERITROPOLIS
CreateSpace, 214
226 pages
Dystopian / Thriller

A friend bought me a copy of this book. Thought I would enjoy it. I appreciate him introducing me to a new author worth following. I would be remiss if I then, in return, didn't try and do the same for all of you! Please, let me take a few minutes and tell you about Joel Ohman's MERITROPOLIS.

In the self-contained city of Meritropolis population is limited to exactly fifty-thousand. A body more and the balance could be upset. The balance, otherwise, is maintained by the System. People earn a number. The higher the number the better. Through inking, the number is displayed on one's forearm, unhideable. The lower the number the more in-danger one's continued existence within the city becomes.

Lower numbers are not killed. They are banished, forced to live outside the fortress walls. Those banished tend to be the sick, the young, and the elderly --those less likely contributing the better of the society, the better of the System. Raised to believe only vicious creatures live beyond the surrounding walls it is obvious anyone surviving more than a night or two is unlikely.

Building on the loss of his own little brother, Charley (a high number), is revolts before witnessing the banishment of a young crippled girl. He intervenes, regardless of the consequences he may face. Only thing is, his bravery is rewarded instead of punished.

The Commander of Meritropolis promotes Charley to a Hunter. During Charley's training more truths are revealed. There is more to the city than meets the eye, and more beyond their city than everyone has been lead to believe. Additionally, there are more people against the System than initially suspected. This means, Charley is not alone. It also means that the time is NOW to start a revolution.

Ohman has dragged me into his MERITROPOLIS world, and I am enjoying myself. There is a second book in this series, and a whispered-about third on the way. I will be ordering the second book today. I need to see what happens next. The world building Ohman did was taut, and compelling, believable, and probable. I enjoyed the artwork beginning each chapter giving us a visual starting point for the mass of new, introduced creatures found outside the MERITROPOLIS walls. Looking for the next YA dystopian adventure --the next Hunger Games, or Divergent-- worth reading? This book just might scratch your itch!

Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Severed Empire Series,
and The Vaccination Trilogy

Book Review: OFF THE GRID, by C.J. Box

C.J. Box
OFF THE GRID: A Joe Pickett Novel
G.P. Putnam Sons, 2016
384 pages
Thriller / Suspense

So, it turns out C.J. Box has an entire Joe Pickett series. Some fourteen or fifteen Joe Pickett novels. And I, fortunately, just discovered him--or them--or him, the author--Pickett the character. I will admit, I am super excited. Thing is, OFF THE GRID is the latest. Now I must go back and read the other books in the series. (This I shall do gladly!)

Anywho. OFF THE GRID is a brisk thriller. This can be called a Nate Romanowski Novel as much, or as equally, as it can be called a Joe Pickett novel. Seems I missed a lot not having read the earlier books in the series, but I did not feel lost as a reader jumping in at the end. (Good thing!).

By court order, and law, and signed agreements and such, Joe and Nate are not allowed contact with each other. In fact, Nate is wanted by the law. Crimes committed, laws broken. Living off the grid, Nate and his girlfriend, Olivia Brannan are in hiding in Wyoming. They're making a living at not getting found. That is, until they are found.

When the Wolverines come calling, this super secret team of government employees across all branches of the government, Nate has no choice but to hear them out. They need his help. Because of his unique talents as a falconer he may be the only one who can infiltrate a terrorist cell somewhere in the Red Desert. In return, Nate is promised his record will be wiped clean. Erased.

However, if he fails, if he is caught, if anything goes wrong--the Wolverines will deny any involvement, and Nate will go to prison for previous criminal activity, and pay for whatever new charges tacked on.

Joe Pickett, a game warden, is called upon by the governor (once again, apparently) to help on a special assignment. He knows he can use the tracking of a rogue bear as a cover. The task will lead the game warden down a road similar to Nate's. The threat of terrorism is all around.

As if never separated, Joe and Nate work together, without knowing the other is even involved, gathering up evidence, and information with the hopes of shutting down, preventing, an act of terror before the terrorist act can be committed!

Box writes terse, taut scenes. His characters are well drafted, and authentic. He pulled me right into the story (which I didn't think would be easy because I knew I was on the latest book in the series, and not the first -- which is the kind of thing that bothers me as a reader). It didn't matter. OFF THE GRID worked as an independent tale, a stand alone novel. It isn't. But it worked as one. Loved the dialogue, and the action. And as I stated up top -- I will be reading the other books in the series!

Phillip Tomasso
Author of The Severed Empire Saga,
and the Vaccination Trilogy

Book Review: ALCATRAZ vs the Evil Librarians

Brandon Sanderson

ALCATRAZ vs the Evil Librarians (Book 1)

Tor Books

Adventure / Fantasy / YA

Everything in this book is lies! All of it. Some of it. Oh, heck, parts of it. Some of the important parts, and the not-so-important parts. You know what? At this point, I am not sure I can differentiate what actually happened, or didn't happen. But then, I am from the Hushlands, and clearly ruled by the Librarians.

As far as that goes . . . so are all of you! And in that case, you will love this book, and enjoy the confusion it is bound to bring. So much so, that when you are dizzy in the head, the idea of rutabagas, coconuts and cantaloupes will all make sense. (Maybe. Okay, probably not).

Imagine this. You are an orphan. On your 13th birthday you get a delivery. It's a box. Inside the box is a bag of sand. For what it's worth, it's from your Dad. You've been in over a dozen foster homes. Your Dad is supposedly dead. How did the package find you?

After nearly burning down your foster parents' kitchen, it's time for you to move again. Only, when you think the case worker sent someone to transfer you from this residence to the new place you'll call home, it is instead your grandfather, Leavenworth. He wants the bag of sand. It is known as the Sands of Rashid.

And he wants you, because you are bound to save the Free Kingdoms from the Librarians.

This is the reality Alcatraz Semdry is thrust into. As a boy with an amazing talent (because all Semdrys have talents), breaking things is considered powerful. (Leavenworth has the talent of arriving late).

The bag of sand is in the hands of the evil, sinister Dark Oculator. And if the Semdrys don't recover the sand in time it will be used to create lenses with amazing power. Those in control of the lenses will win the war! With a close-knit team, the Semdrys must infiltrate the Library, without getting caught, without getting killed, and find a way to say the Free Kingdoms from being overrun!

Brandon Sanderson has created a young reader adventure that is bound to capture the heart of millions and millions of readers! Captured mine, anyway. Alcatraz is an awesome character. However, his grandfather, and cousins, and the knight, Bastille are equally awesome. The action is fun, and fast. The plot is compelling, and just dark enough. I see there are at least four more books in this series. I will be reading them. With relish!

Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Severed Empire Series, and
The Vacination Trilogy