(COVINGTON, La.) — Walt Disney Pictures gave movie fans a gift when it released Pixar’s animated Soul on Christmas Day.

Jamie Foxx stars as the voice of Joe Gardner, a middle school band teacher who gets the opportunity of his life to play at one of the top jazz clubs in his hometown of New York City. Just as Gardner starts to feel on top of the world, he takes a misstep and ends up in the Great Before, a place where new souls get their personalities and interests. Gardner, determined to return to Earth, teams up with soul 22. However, 22 does not want to visit Earth, so Gardner strives to show all things great about life to 22.

With a touch of humor, Soul spreads a crucial message in a time of upheaval in our country, focusing on a person’s purpose in life. The film is also visually appealing with an array of colors and fantastic animation that we are accustomed to seeing from Pixar. Though the animation and some of the humor is aimed toward children, adults would also learn from watching this movie.

Soul, only available on Disney Plus, earned a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie had a meaningful message and a captivating storyline that kept me intrigued until the end. I rate it an 8/10.