Pixar has created some legendary animated films over the years. From “Toy Story” to “The Incredibles” and “Monsters, Inc.,” each one has been seen millions of times by fans around the world. One of the more recent films from this innovative studio is “Soul”, a story about life before and after death. This inspiring film follows the soul of jazz musician and teacher Joe Gardner as it tries to find its way back to his body.
Like many Pixar films before it, “Soul” has partnered with legendary toymaker Funko Pop to create a line of vinyl figures from the movie. The best “Soul” Funko Pop features the lead character Joe Gardner as he conducts his classroom of student musicians.
The movie centers around Joe Gardener, a pianist and music teacher living in New York City. He’s 46 years old and spends his days teaching middle school students to play band instruments. Even though some say he’s past his prime, Joe is determined to play jazz professionally. Unfortunately, Joe has a deadly accident where he separates from his soul. It’s here that he goes to The Great Before and must relearn the meaning of life.
“Soul” was incredibly well received by both fans and critics. In fact, the judges at The Academy Awards gave the film three nominations. Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and John Batiste were nominated for the music score, the sound designers received a nod for Best Sound and the film itself was nominated as the best animated movie. In the end they were awarded two Oscars including Best Animated Feature Film and Best Achievement in Music.
“Soul” mostly follows the story of Joe Gardner, a 46-year-old African American jazz musician. For most of the film, he wears a fedora-style hat, black shirt, gray slacks and thick, black framed glasses. This character is voiced by actor Jamie Foxx. Once Gardner gets transported to The Great Before, he’s assigned a soul guide by the name of 22, voiced by Tina Fey. This character, along with the other souls such as Moonwind and Mr. Mittens, occupy The Great Before and introduce the new souls to the afterlife.
Funko doesn’t only make vinyl figures for your shelves at home. They also make keychains so you can carry your favorite character with you. Known as Pop Pocket Keychains, these cool little figures are only 3 inches tall and about 1 inch wide making them the perfect size to fit in your pocket. Each keychain comes with a figure that’s securely attached to a silver chain and keyring. You can find both 22 and Mr. Mittens in the Pop Pocket Keychain collection from “Soul.”
Not all Funko Pop figures come with a base stand. Most toys are designed to stand up by themselves because they’re well balanced and include flat feet. In the case of some “Soul” characters, they don’t actually have feet to stand on. That’s because, well, they’re souls. Neither 22 nor Mr. Mittens have legs, so their characters either hang from a keychain or have a flat area carved out on their bottom. In the case of Moonwind, he doesn’t have feet at all. So Funko has designed a special transparent base that makes it appear he’s floating.
Funko does a great job of including accessories with their figures to complete their looks. Joe Gardner has a fairly simple look, as long as he has his glasses and classic jazz musician outfit, he’s very recognizable. However, Funko is always able to elevate a character’s look with an added accessory. For Joe Gardner, they’ve decided to give him a small white baton which he uses to conduct his middle school band.
“Soul” Funko Pop figures cost between $7-$11.
A. Yes! Joe Gardner also appears as a soul in the Soul World version of the Funko Pop character. Here you can see Gardner with his iconic glasses and hat and colored with a gradient of green, yellow and blue.
A. The best Funko Pop accessory that you can buy is the UV Premium Pop Protector Case. This case lets you safely store your Funko toy in its original packaging all the while protecting it from UV rays that may cause discoloration.
What you need to know: This depiction of Joe Gardner from the “Soul” film shows him wearing his human outfit before he becomes a soul.
What you’ll love: The figure is well crafted using colors and designs straight from the award-winning film. He stands just under 4 inches tall and about 2.5 inches wide. Joe’s wearing a black long sleeve shirt, gray pants, brown leather shoes and a gray fedora with black reading glasses. He’s also holding a white baton for conducting his music students.
What you should consider: This figure is a part of the “Soul” collection which includes six other figures.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: Moonwind is shown in Funko Pop form with this unique vinyl figure flowing above the ground.
What you’ll love: This figure comes with a transparent stand that shows the wise Moonwind Stardancer sitting cross-legged with his hands in a praying position. He has a big smile on his face and has his hair in a top ponytail. He’s colored in a bright green gradient with blue highlights.
What you should consider: The base cannot be removed from the figure.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Funko Pop Mr. Mittens Keychain
What you need to know: This adorable keychain featuring Mr. Mittens is the perfect accessory for your backpack or keyset.
What you’ll love: The front side shows Mr. Mittens looking surprised with his mouth agape and eyes wide open. The eyes are filled in with black and its whiskers are painted white. It includes the same gradient color as other souls, although the backside features an even more colorful burst of red, green and blue.
What you should consider: The figure isn’t soft or squeezable; it’s made of fairly hard vinyl material.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Jordan Beliles writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
