The Emoji Movie: Review

The Emoji Movie is directed by Tony Leondis and stars T.J. Miller as Gene the 'meh' emoji. After discovering he has more than just one emotion, Gene sets out on a quest across the phone alongside Jailbreak and Hi-Five, in order to fix his so called 'malfunction'. 

Where can I find the vomit emoji? With absolutely no attempt to create an original kids caper, the emoji movie is one of, if not the worst movies to come out of modern cinema. As the movie starts you have a moment of absolute clarity - you think to yourself this could be okay, what if it isn't the western fall of civilisation everyone is calling it? Those who saw this movie can't deny there was that moment and for the first three minutes it's actually okay. And then they start talking. 

The Emoji Movie wastes the entirety of its talented cast displaying fantastic voice performances trapped inside the bodies of blobby, yellow circles. It's praiseworthy how each actor pushes through one of the poorest scripts in a long while. If you thought toilet humour would be the target source of jokes - you'd be wrong. Turning almost every cup, cookie and crying face into the next gag, The Emoji Movie's script is built upon ear scraping puns and senseless writing. If I may indulge you for a second, 'Throw some sauce on that dance burrito', 'He'll wipe the phone - gesturing to poop - 'Ha she said wipe' - that's the sort of stuff you're in for. 

Sony are so intent on conveying the important adolescent message of expressing yourself that the logic is near to non-existent. Characters make important points about certain things that establish their views and how they differ to other emojis. Next thing you know that exact same character is doing the thing it was so horrendously against - it doesn't make sense. There are various moments in the movie where it painfully contradicts itself right up until the end where the message it pushed so hard for is abysmally backtracked.

Whilst it doesn't help having the blandest character, the 'meh' emoji, as the frontrunner of your adventure. The underdeveloped characters and story are the core reason as to why The Emoji Movie bombed. It would be a lot easier to get invested into the characters and story if they were given the slightest ounce of interest. The movie drones on about wide ranges of emotions yet its characters don't have either the appeal or empathy to ever understand.

Most frustrating of all, this could have been a worthwhile adventure. I am certainly with the minority in saying The Emoji Movie seemed like a great concept - there are hundreds of different expressions to explore. It's clear decent movies can created from rather intangible source material - Toys with The Lego Movie, Emotions with Inside Out. So how could something so popular, be completely demolished by its creators.  

There are drops of creativity - the idea of online trolls had some comedic affect and the keyboard design sees some inventive influence. With the absurd introduction of Candy Crush, Youtube, Instagram, Spotify all in order to reach Dropbox - yes that is the plot. The Emoji Movie increasingly detracts from being a coherent adventure and turns into a pain induing product placement. 

This is sony's desperate attempt to recycle any current animation for a quick cash grab. Hitting the exact same notes as Inside Out, Wreck it Ralph and The Lego Movie, The Emoji Movie is the laziest kids movie with a rather ingenious concept and cutesy animation. Its endlessly agonising script, and characters along with an entire story fuelled by product placement and a formulaic plot that seems to lead one way only. The Emoji Movie is a toxic phenomenon that has one thing and one thing only on its mind. 

I am going to give The Emoji Movie: 

1/10