The Emoji Movie (2017)

Gene, a multi-expressional emoji, sets out on a journey to become a normal emoji (Source- Imdb.com)

Trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8pJt4dK_s4

Rating- PG
Genre- Animation/Adventure/Comedy
Warnings- None

Here it is. The movie everyone has been dreading has finally been released. As the movie was approaching its debut, there was actually a bit of me that had faith that it was going to be a good movie. That somehow, someway, a movie about digital images wasn't going to bomb. Yet ultimately, I ended up going into this movie with low expectations. I didn't think it was going to be good at all, but was I correct?

Did "The Emoji Movie" express itself in a great way with a terrific plot or did it end up being very..."meh"?

The story of "The Emoji Movie" stars main character, Gene (T.J Miller), who is designed to be a "meh" emoji- otherwise known as an emoji who is indifferent or doesn't care about anything. Gene is able to feel more than one emotion though, he can be happy, crying, scared, and so much more. Because of this, other emojis consider Gene a malfunction and Gene ventures off to fix himself, finding friends, apps, and lessons along the way.

If I can describe the story in two words, it would be: confusing & predictable.

I find it confusing because, how is there an emoji with more than 1 emotion? If there was really a multi-expressional emoji then this story would make more sense. To my knowledge though, there is not so I'm left watching the story like, "How is this even going to end?" I feel like a multi-expressional emoji would put all the other emojis out of business so either he should be fixed or everyone else will never be used again.

At the same time, it was also predictable because it's easily one of those, "Be Yourself" movies where there's an outcast who wants to fit in and he'll eventually learn that it's okay to be different. It's really not a spoiler, there are so many movies like this it should be no surprise.

Also, there's never a true reason as to why Gene is the way he is. There is no backstory about why he's the only one to behave this way, what is the actually origin behind this "defect"?

The story was such a headache for someone like me who likes to include logic, and while that sounds silly for a cartoon, I feel like even for a cartoon it should have some amount of sense for the story to work.

Here's an example: You know the popular Disney movie, Tangled, right? It's about a princess named Rapunzel who has magical hair. Why does she have magical hair? From a magical flower.

Yeah, that's not something that can happen in real life but it's an answer to how the princess is so different.

The main conflict that starts up Gene's journey also felt incredibly contrived, like it didn't even have to happen. Gene only had to do one simply thing and before that event, it's clear that he can be able to do it and yet at that very moment he can't. That didn't rub off on me well.

The characters were one-dimensional, and that's not just talking about the one-dimensional emojis. Gene himself is the typical outcast who wants to fit in, Hi-5 (James Corden) was the selfish character who was on the journey for his own needs, and Jailbreak (Anna Faris) while the most likable of the three was still the stereotypical rebel girl who don't take nothing from no man-which leads me to another complaint I have which is bringing in feminist agendas into a cartoon.

There were times where Jailbreak would complain about how woman are defined as one thing only and how men always look smarter than them and all I can think is, "How can you think that? You're an emoji! Is there really sexism in a digital world where you're only purpose is to act one way? Plus, aren't emojis genderless anyway?" In a movie like this, I don't think it's wise to include serious issues like women empowerment, not because it doesn't matter, but because it doesn't fit into the story!

I actually got the most fun out of watching side character Smiler (Maya Rudolph) because of her voice actress, she made me giggle here and there even if her face was frightening at times. I give props to Rudolph for giving this character life, but unfortunately it's just overpowered by the blandness of every other character.

Despite the overwhelming amount of color in this movie, nothing ever seemed to pop out to me. It was all just boring, and I wish I could describe it better but I can't. I remember getting distracted by other things while watching them travel from one app to the next. Speaking of which, there was a lot of product placement like Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, so this movie will get very dated very soon.

There's actually a lot more I wish to comment on this movie, but that would require me to spoil it so I'm sorry if this isn't as long as you wanted, but if you do want to know more just check out the spoiler section below. Of course, it would be better if you watch the movie to understand what parts I am talking about but I really wouldn't want you to.

"The Emoji Movie" while not the worse film in the world, is certainly not a great one. Its characters are annoying, the story was unoriginal especially with how the plot progressed, there are jokes that will become dated in 5 years time, and weirdly enough it might make your little ones paranoid to break or change their phone in fear of harming emojis.

I'm giving "The Emoji Movie" a 1 out of 5 stars.

Side note: A "Hotel Transylvania" short played before the movie began and the short was called, "Puppy." It was about Mavis and Johnathon's son wanting a puppy and he gets one, but it's no regular puppy. After all, nothing is regular in Transylvania, yet the story itself felt rushed and too simple. It also felt like the short didn't even end, like it stops playing after a big moment in the story and nothing happens after that. Not one of my favorite animated shorts.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
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Why are the baby donuts scared of Gene? Aren't they too young to even comprehend that an emoji can only have one emotion? How do emojis have kids? What do the older emojis do when the younger emojis take their place?

Gene, you just have to stand there and be "meh". Clearly it's not like you can't control yourself for a second, we saw you multiple times practicing the emotion.

If I was Addie, I would be confused about the emoji too but I would also feel inclined to ask the boy (I don't even remember his name, that's how boring he is...) how to get that kind of emoji. That would be a conversation starter, I mean the two text each other anyways. It's not like she's ignoring him.

Even if my phone was messed up, I would be too lazy to immediately call someone to fix it. I remember waiting a few weeks before I got to that point. He gets a new emoji- which is really cool!- and he's like, "This phone is messed up, I got to change it."

I thought the poop would be the villain, glad he isn't and I'm extra glad he's not a major part of the story. This makes the poop jokes more bearable. Also, how sad must that be when people touch you they have to wipe their hands off every time?

Eggplant is in the loser's section? I find that hard to believe.

Why did you snap if you knew it was going to hurt you?

A princess? It'd be cool if they met up with her, maybe she has the same thing as Gene.

Jailbreak is clearly an emoji as well. Is this a way to promote her as being a new emoji in the future? Also, I love the hair but it reminds me so much of Wildstyle from "The Lego Movie."

Men take credit for women's ideas? How do you know that, Jailbreak? There's sexism in Emoji world?

There's a "Just Dance" app on the phone, how do you play that?

I'm starting to think that Jailbreak is the princess-oh wow, she is the princess! Seeing her real hair compared to her wig, she looks very boring.

Where did Jailbreak get the wig from?

Poor Just Dance girl, but if that's how every avatar in games feel when they are deleted then that's sad.

How is Hi-5 your friend? He came with you to be popular again, not really to help you.

So Gene's father also has more than one emotion? Well...where did he get that from? Oh...I just got the joke...Gene, he has a defective gene! Hahahaha!

Oh my God! That's terrifying seeing Just Dance girl all alone and scared! I'm going to feel bad deleting my apps now...

I'm curious to see how Jailbreak got burned by the firewall.

Those are lyrics from Rihanna's song "Diamonds." They are in high school right? Not elementary?

If princesses were more prominent in the story, at least in the beginning, I could have gotten a better sense of how Jailbreak feels about having to behave a certain way as a princess.

Jailbreak, really? You've been gone for how long and your mom misses you so much! How are you going to yell at her after all this time?

That Addie girl is everywhere! Small world. Also, he's going to send an emoji while the phone is erasing stuff? Are you that desperate?! Just walk up to the girl and say hi, you talk to her all the time on the phone so you are clearly friends! She's right there!

I always hated when all the characters you follow die for a momentary period of time only to be resurrected. Something about it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I guess I figure that if someone dies, they die. No coming back, I feel like it's a cop-out.

We don't see Smiler after she is crushed, so is she dead now?

Gene is going to put everyone out of business with his ability. Also, I thought everyone would change like Gene and have more than one expression.

Bringing back the Gene dance in memory of the Just Dance girl who is either still in the trash or dead forever....