Pixar must own some stock in Kleenex because you always seem to need a bundle in order to get through their films. The studio’s newest release “Soul” on Disney Plus is no exception. Like a Christmas present to audiences, the studio decided to forgo delaying a traditional theatrical release due to the pandemic and instead opted to put it directly on the streaming service at no extra cost to subscribers. Which for a lot of other films this year, typically yield mediocre results at best. Not with “Soul.”

Pixar also doesn’t shy away from heftier subjects like in 2017’s brilliant “Coco” which tackles the concepts of death and remembrance beautifully. “Soul” takes on a way more existential storyline and does it a fairly accessible way for audiences of all ages to appreciate.

Driven by absolutely stunning animation is a story about finding your purpose/passion and what it means to follow it. Intermixed is a subplot of the world of jazz and the drive that musicians — and creatives in general — have to pursue their dreams of playing. Throw in a few jazzy numbers courtesy of jazz virtuoso Jon Batiste, and you’ve got a beautiful stew that brings a heartwarming and welcome movie to close out this year.

It all follows the 12-hour (or thereabouts) journey of part-time middle school band teacher and jazz pianist Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx). When he asked to become a full-time teacher and his mother (Phylicia Rashad) presses him to accept, he then lands a gig with a professional jazz quartet led by saxophonist Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett). He exuberantly makes his way through the streets of New York, calling a friend to boast about his success, never watching his step. Well, he falls into an open manhole and winds up as a ghostly blue figure, his soul on an escalator bound for the Great Beyond.

Desperate to get back to his body, Joe jumps off the ramp and finds himself in the Great Before, the place where new souls get their personality traits before hopping down to their corporeal forms on Earth. He’s mistaken for a mentor to one of these new souls named 22 (Tina Fey) who has tormented mentors for centuries as she has yet to find her spark to complete her process of becoming human.

So they band together. She’ll find the spark, give her pass down to Earth to Joe so he can make it back in time for his gig. But there is more to it when they both fall through a portal putting 22 in Joe’s body and Joe in the body of a therapy cat in his hospital room.

With 22 experiencing life and the world for the very first time in all its wonders, she and Joe begin to realize that living is more than either of them thought.

What works with “Soul” is its ability to tackle this gargantuan question of what is a soul’s purpose and what is the spark that makes you, you. There are moments when it gets a little too big and out there, but it quickly focuses back to the core story between Joe and 22.

The animation itself is something that feels very original and organic for a computer-generated style. New York teems with life in every corner and feels so authentic you can almost smell that lovely combination of pizza, pollution and … other things. And there is a beautifully rendered style that makes the world on Earth warm and rich in tones with stunning use of darker environments as opposed to the brighter, cleaner look of the Great Before.

It does, however, suffer the same problem that a lot of animated films with Black main characters has in that their Black bodies aren’t theirs for long. Joe becomes a spirit energy within the first 10 minutes then spends a large amount of time stuck as a cat with the voice of Tina Fey emitting from his body. In 2020, it feels like a huge misstep.

Luckily, the film course-corrects with its overall messaging, and the ending which leaves the tears freely flowing and with deep post-viewing conversations ready to start.

“Soul”

100 minutes

Rating: PG for thematic elements and some language

4 stars