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If you were on Twitter in 2015, you probably know all about the infamous New York City rat who was caught on video by comedian Matt Little, dragging an entire piece of pizza down the subway steps, aka, Pizza Rat. (And if you weren’t on Twitter in 2015, as you can see, it was simpler times.) Pizza Rat had been on its way to being yet a distant memory of viral videos past—save for a brief resurgence last month following a referential performance art stunt—until Pixar stepped in. Thanks to the studio’s new movie Soul, which began streaming on Disney+ today, Pizza Rat has been forever immortalized in the wonderful world of Disney.
All it took was one brief scene, about 40 minutes in, which I’ll attempt to describe now without spoiling anything. (Believe it or not, Soul has several unexpected twists and turns!) All you need to know is this: A cat who is not really a cat needs to steal a New York slice, for plot reasons. As this cat walks down the sidewalk with its contraband clutched in its mouth, the feline passes another animal in the middle of a pie-heist—Pizza Rat, of course. The two animals freeze and share a look, before continuing on with their cheesy shenanigans.
Pixar has a long history of planting jokes and Easter eggs for its adult audience to enjoy, even if it may fly over the heads of younger viewers, like the license plate in Toy Story or the Jonny Quest reference in The Incredibles 2. This Pizza Rat shout-out isn’t a particularly subtle or deep addition, but it is a fun one for those of us nostalgic for the internet of five years ago. I mean, remember when a rat dragging a slice of pizza could keep us entertained for weeks, rather than the mere hours of distraction it would provide nowadays? Good times. Also, I just love the idea that Pizza Rat will always be in a Disney movie, forever archived for film scholars of future days.
Anyway. Starring the voices of Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, Soul tells the story of a middle school jazz teacher named Joe (Foxx) who dies right before his big music break. Determined to get back to his body before his gig, Joe has to help a few lost souls along the way. It’s a feel-good film that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike—kind of like a really good slice of pizza.
