Pixar’s latest film, Soul, is the first without a recognizable voice behind the microphone.
Something is different about Pixar’s latest feature film, Soul. It is not the subject. The Disney + Christmas Day launch, like many Pixar titles, addresses deep and existential themes. It is not animation. Soul it is as extravagant and technically impressive as any of the studio’s films. It is certainly not the quality. The film meets the high standards of the studio. No, the missing link is something you may not have noticed: the voice of actor John Ratzenberger, who has appeared in all Pixar films so far, is not heard in Soul.
Ratzenberger, best known for playing Cliff on the sitcom Cheers, was part of Pixar’s first feature, in 1995 Toys Story, where he threw the piggy bank, Hamm. He then gave voice to PT Flea Insect’s life, followed by Yeti in Monsters Inc. Those were relatively small roles, but the films themselves were big hits. As a result, the studio began to consider Ratzenberger a kind of good luck charm and found a place for him in each of his subsequent projects.
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Over the years, he played characters from sets like Hamm and Mack, the Cars, but his appearances were generally more like a cameo. He played a construction worker three times: in Above, Inside out and Forward. He threw a school of fish at Looking for Nemo and a hermit crab in Looking for Dory. Ratzenberger generally does not try to disguise his warm but gray voice much, which transformed the identification of the role he is expressing into something like an Easter egg hunt for Pixar fans. But he is nowhere on the cast list of Soul, and neither the actor nor the filmmakers explained the reason.
It’s ironic – and for superstitious, maybe even a little scary – that Pixar’s first film without Ratzenberger behind the microphone crashed into the monumental obstacles of 2020. Soul it was expected to be a summer blockbuster, but instead, after several delays, it became the first major Pixar film to go straight to streaming.
However, it is likely to be a long and difficult winter and, ultimately, Soul you will undoubtedly find a grateful audience at Disney +, especially since many movie theaters remain closed and families are still stuck at home hungry for quality content. In addition, there could be a simple explanation for Ratzenberger’s absence, such as scheduling complications or the actor’s old age, so there’s no reason to think he won’t be back in the next Pixar film.
Directed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers, Soul stars Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs and Angela Bassett. The film is available on Disney +.
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