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The Emoji Movie

Since “ Toy Story ” became an enormous box-office hit and a beloved modern masterpiece by giving audiences an inspired look at what ordinary toys do when their owners aren’t around, Hollywood has been striving to repeat that seemingly simple formula with a number of animated films that have offered viewers a privileged glimpse at the heretofore unseen existence of everything from the shelves of a grocery store (the execrable “Foodfight!”) to the psyche of a young girl (the stunning “ Inside Out ”). Now comes “The Emoji Movie,” a film that dares to ask “What goes on in the magical worlds contained within our cell phones?,” a notion that I do not think that anyone has ever pondered for any amount of time outside of those stuck in a focus group at Sony Animation. That is only the first of many problems with this film, a work so completely devoid of wit, style, intelligence or basic entertainment value that it makes that movie based on the Angry Birds app seem like a pure artistic statement by comparison.

The extremely dubious conceit of “The Emoji Movie” is that hidden within the messaging app in our phones is a teeming metropolis known as Textopolis, where all of the emojis live and wait to be called upon by their owners to say what mere words cannot. All emojis are supposed to have only one facial expression but Gene (T.J. Miller), who is supposed to be a “meh” like his parents ( Steven Wright and Jennifer Coolidge ), is just so darn exuberant that he is unable to stick with just one expression. This becomes a problem when his phone’s owner, a 14-year-old boy named Alex struggling to reach out to the girl that he likes, selects Gene for a text he is sending to her—Gene chokes at the last second and coughs up so many expressions that it is impossible to understand what he is supposed to represent. Discovering his secret and fearing what it could mean for everyone if one emoji seems to be malfunctioning, Smiler ( Maya Rudolph ), the always-grinning leader of Textopolis, decides to have Gene wiped out for good. 

Gene manages to escape Smiler’s clutches and with the help of another outcast emoji, the once-popular Hi-5 ( James Corden ), he hits upon a plan to have himself reprogrammed to show only one expression so that he can finally fit in. The only emoji who can do this for him is master hacker Jailbreak ( Anna Faris ), who agrees to help him if he will come with her on a journey to the fabled Cloud, where his ability to change expressions could help her get past the impenetrable firewall protecting it. Their journey across the phone takes the three to a number of different apps and along the way, they learn valuable lessons about Being Yourself and Friendship and the like while being pursued by Smiler’s troops, who have all been outfitted with illegal upgrades to make them extra-powerful. To make matters worse, Alex, having grown increasingly annoyed by the glitches inadvertently caused by Gene’s journey, has made an appointment to have his phone and everything contained within completely erased.

So what wonders lie just beneath our touch screens, anyway? Based on the evidence put forth by “The Emoji Movie,” it is a combination of product placement and corporate synergy. Textopolis itself is an indifferently conceived and executed cityscape populated by any number of familiar emojis, the most famous of which is presumably Poop, who is voiced by none other than Sir Patrick Stewart in one of his less dignified gigs. Once we get outside the walls of Textopolis, we are essentially placed into a series of mini-ads for well-known apps that range from brief detours to the lands of Facebook and YouTube to extended commercials for the Candy Crush and Just Dance games. Since nothing of import goes on during these scenes (or any others, for that matter), I found myself speculating on which ones spent the most money to appear in the film based on the length of their exposure and the praise that they receive from the characters. Based on the available evidence, Dropbox must have been the big spender here—not only is it the all-important gateway to the Cloud but the characters manage to safely hide out from the bad guys there because, and I quote, “they are illegal malware and this app is secure.” Then again, my guess is that the film could have gone into profit solely from taking money from companies eager to keep their apps as far away from this as possible.

The failure of imagination in “The Emoji Movie” is not limited to its depiction of the app world. This is a film that has literally nothing to offer viewers—there are no moments of humor, excitement or insight regarding a culture that considers emojis to be the pinnacle of contemporary communication. The actors go through their lines with such a lack of enthusiasm that they make Krusty the Klown seem focused and committed by comparison. The message about the importance of Being True To Yourself rings exceptionally hollow considering that there is not a single thing here that has not been blatantly taking from other, better films. In fact, the only factor about the screenplay that is remotely surprising is the presence of Mike White , the acclaimed writer of the likes of “ School of Rock ” and “ Beatriz at Dinner ,” as one of the credited screenwriters. How to explain his participation in a project as lame as this? My guess is that, as the most powerful and popular emoji of all, the Poop emoji demanded he be brought in to punch up his dialogue.

“The Emoji Movie” is a demonstration of artistic abdication at its most venal, but will the kids like it? To that question, I offer this observation. This past weekend, I played ersatz uncle by taking two adorable girls of my acquaintance—10-year-old Mamie and 4-year-old Danger (actually, that is her middle name and I swear I am not joking)—to see Hayao Miyazaki ’s 1989 favorite “Kiki’s Delivery Service” on the big screen in a nearly-full theater that contained a lot of families with small children. The kids didn’t know they were seeing a masterpiece but were so caught up in the story and the gorgeous visuals that you could hear a pin drop in the auditorium. By comparison, at the screening of “The Emoji Movie” I attended, there were plenty of kids but judging by the shifting in seats, rustling of candy bags and the lack of laughter, they did not seem to be into it at all. “The Emoji Movie” may be as depressing of a film experience as anything to come out this year but if the reaction of the kids that I saw it with is any indication, there may be hope for the future after all.

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around  bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

• James Corden as Hi-5 (voice)
• Maya Rudolph as Smiler (voice)
• Steven Wright as Mel Meh (voice)
• Christina Aguilera as Akiko Glitter (voice)
• Thom Bishops as Fist Bump
• Rob Riggle as Ice Cream (voice)
• T.J. Miller as Gene (voice)
• Anna Faris as Jailbreak (voice)
• Jake T. Austin as Alex (voice)
• Sofía Vergara as Flamenco Dancer (voice)
• Jennifer Coolidge as Mary Meh (voice)
• Patrick Stewart as Poop (voice)

Writer (story by)

• Eric Siegel
• Tony Leondis
• Patrick Doyle
• William J. Caparella

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The emoji movie.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 95 Reviews
• Kids Say 401 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Positive messages, but colorful adventure is mostly "meh."

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Emoji Movie is a colorful and kid-friendly -- if not particularly original -- adventure that imagines a world inside our smartphones in which each emoji is supposed to have a single expression/role. So when "meh" face Gene (voiced by T.J. Miller) breaks those expectations, chaos…

Why Age 6+?

Many real-world apps are prominently highlighted, discussed extensively, used, a

Characters in danger/peril; at one point it looks like they all might be deleted

One purposely cut-off "oh, s--t" and one unfinished "holy s--t," plus relatively

Flirting/romantic tension between emoji characters and human ones. Mel and Mary

Characters drink a fruity party drink. There's a beer emoji. A scene takes place

Any Positive Content?

Diversity is better than conformity. Nobody should have to be or do just one thi

Gene starts out desperate to fit in and do what he's "supposed" to do, but he le

Kids may learn some new emojis and app names and functions, but the film is prim

Products & Purchases

Many real-world apps are prominently highlighted, discussed extensively, used, and seen, including Dropbox, Spotify, Just Dance, YouTube, Facebook, Candy Crush, and more.

Violence & Scariness

Characters in danger/peril; at one point it looks like they all might be deleted. The bots that chase Gene and his friends can be scary; they're relentless and have laser weapons. They sometimes delete the things they catch or want to punish (a virus, a whole app, etc.). A giant bot is particularly aggressive and intimidating. Gene's mistake leads to panic and destruction of the emoji grid. Jailbreak imagines Gene exploding. Smiler uses dental tools in a way that feels creepy and threatening. A firewall is made of actual flames. Gene is zapped when he makes password errors.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

One purposely cut-off "oh, s--t" and one unfinished "holy s--t," plus relatively infrequent use of "loser," "shut up," "stupid," "weirdo," "freak," "dumb," "butt," "poop," "turd," "no. 2," "doody." A character calls another a "malfunction."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Flirting/romantic tension between emoji characters and human ones. Mel and Mary Meh declare their love for each other and kiss. Hi-5's knuckles briefly look like bare buttocks. Somewhat skimpy outfits on the main character in Just Dance.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink a fruity party drink. There's a beer emoji. A scene takes place at a dive bar; a broken beer bottle is seen, and "Hack Daniels" is mentioned. Hi-5 gets a sugar high.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Diversity is better than conformity. Nobody should have to be or do just one thing; learning to express yourself in many different ways -- from emotions to dancing -- is healthy. Friends should always help each other, and teamwork pays off. Telling people how you feel can be difficult, but it's important to be honest. It's rewarding to find your purpose.

Positive Role Models

Gene starts out desperate to fit in and do what he's "supposed" to do, but he learns that his ability to be many things is what makes him special -- and he can be useful by being himself. Jailbreak is smart and resourceful. She rejects the role she was given but learns that having supportive friends is better than being alone. Gene's parents love him, but at first they're also a bit embarrassed by him and his differences. They learn to love him -- and themselves -- unconditionally. Many emoji characters are, by their nature, one-dimensional, but the human teenagers are a diverse group. Princess stereotypes are mocked/dismissed; a character calls out the fact that the original emoji set offered women only two choices: princess or bride.

Educational Value

Kids may learn some new emojis and app names and functions, but the film is primarily intended to entertain rather than educate.

Parents need to know that The Emoji Movie is a colorful and kid-friendly -- if not particularly original -- adventure that imagines a world inside our smartphones in which each emoji is supposed to have a single expression/role. So when "meh" face Gene (voiced by T.J. Miller ) breaks those expectations, chaos ensues. Expect to see some destruction, suspense, and peril; the main characters are pursued by intimidating bots bent on deleting them with their laserlike weapons. But it never gets too intense for young elementary schoolers. There's a bit of flirting, and two emoji characters kiss; there are also scenes that take place in a dive bar, where drinking is implied (and there's a beer emoji character). Language is fairly mild but includes a purposely cut-off "oh, s--t," as well as insults like "loser," "shut up," and so on. Jokes about the poop emoji involve (surprise!) potty humor. Many real-life apps are featured prominently, including Dropbox, YouTube, and Just Dance. The story emphasizes the importance of being true to yourself, as well as the value of honesty and teamwork. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (95)
• Kids say (401)

Based on 95 parent reviews

the emoji movie sucks its terrible

What's the story.

THE EMOJI MOVIE invites viewers into the world of Textopolis, a colorful city inside the phone of a teenager named Alex (voiced by Jake T. Austin ). Populated entirely by emojis, Textopolis is a town in which everyone has a single role/expression, and their job is to perform that role flawlessly when Alex needs to send a text. Chaos ensues when eager young "meh" face Gene ( T.J. Miller ) freaks out on his first day at work and exhibits many different expressions, leading Alex to think something might be wrong with his phone. Head emoji Smiler ( Maya Rudolph ) is determined to keep Textopolis perfect -- and protected -- so she labels Gene a malfunction. His only hope is to track down a hacker by the name of Jailbreak ( Anna Faris ) to see whether he can be reprogrammed to correctly fulfill his "meh" destiny. So with the help of new friend Hi-5 ( James Corden ), Gene leaves Textopolis and ventures into the other apps on Alex's phone. But does Gene really need to be "fixed"?

Is It Any Good?

It's pretty risky to center a movie around the concept of "meh," which basically means "unimpressive," if you're not going to knock it out of the park -- and this one unfortunately doesn't. The Emoji Movie isn't bad , but it isn't great, either. It's "meh." Kids will definitely enjoy the colorful characters, easy-to-follow story, and potty humor ("we're number two!" the poop emoji and his son exclaim). Young viewers are also sure to catch the movie's positive messages about teamwork, friendship, and being yourself. Plus, the voice cast is pretty good. Rudolph is gleefully manic as Smiler, and there are some standouts in the supporting cast. No one is better at doing a "meh" voice than Steven Wright (as Gene's dad, Mel Meh), and Jennifer Coolidge matches him as Mel's monotone wife, Mary. And did we mention that the aforementioned poop emoji is voiced by none other than Sir Patrick Stewart ?

But most audience members old enough to actually own phones will probably realize that much of The Emoji Movie 's plot is predictable (it feels like a mashup of Inside Out and Wreck-It Ralph , with a dash of The Wizard of Oz ) and its humor only so-so. Don't be alarmed if your mind wanders and you start asking yourself questions like: "How many kids have even heard of Dropbox?" and "Why do Gene and his parents get 'people' names, while Smiler and Hi-5 just have emoji names?" and "Would a real teenager really call someone to make a tech appointment at the phone store?" If you need something else to think about, try to figure out how you'd describe the movie's plot using just emojis. Just don't pull out your phone in the theater!

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about The Emoji Movie 's themes and messages. What does it mean when characters say, "What good is it to be number one if there aren't any other numbers"? How do the characters learn the value of teamwork ?

How does the movie portray texting and phone use among teens? Does it seem realistic? Kids: Did seeing the movie make you want to get a phone ? What are your family's rules about devices ?

At one point, a character says of someone that "none of these people know him, but they 'like' him -- and that's what matters in this life, popularity." Do you think it's true that, in the age of social media , people want fans more than friends?

Which parts of the movie were scary to you? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?

Kids: Do you like communicating using emojis ? Why or why not? Do you know what they all mean?

Movie Details

• In theaters : July 28, 2017
• On DVD or streaming : October 24, 2017
• Cast : T.J. Miller , James Corden , Patrick Stewart
• Director : Anthony Leondis
• Studio : Sony Pictures Entertainment
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Friendship
• Character Strengths : Teamwork
• Run time : 86 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : rude humor
• Last updated : August 13, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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Den of Geek

The Emoji Movie Review

Can an animated movie about the inside of your smartphone make you LOL? Read our review.

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The idea of a movie based around those hundreds — if not thousands — of little images that people endlessly send back and forth to each other via text messaging may have seemed ludicrous when first announced, but we’re now living in a world where a movie based on Lego toys is not only massively successful but critically acclaimed as well. The makers of The Emoji Movie — co-writer/director Tony Leondis and the team of craftspeople at Sony Animation — are clearly hoping for some of that same magic to happen for their film, which attempts to tap into the same pop culture savviness with overly familiar and not especially engaging results.

The Emoji Movie takes place inside a phone belonging to a typical phone-obsessed teen named Alex (voiced by Jake T. Austin), but Alex and his classmates are only peripheral to the story; we instead follows Gene (T.J. Miller), a “meh” emoji who cannot stick to his programming and instead exhibits a broad range of expressions that fall outside his job description. Gene and his fellow emojis all live in Textopolis, a colorful little city inside the phone where scores of emojis — including famous ones like the poop emoji (voiced by Patrick Stewart, who we could have used more of) — all report to work each day and wait to be called upon by Alex as he texts.

Gene’s inability to stay within his expressive parameters, however, wreaks havoc within Textopolis and, cast out from his job and community — and threatened with deletion — he bands together with a sassy “hacker” emoji named Jailbreak (Anna Faris) and the requisite goofy sidekick, Hi-5 (James Corden), to find a way through the phone to the cloud, where Jailbreak reckons they can get Gene’s programming adjusted so he can return to his “normal” life.

The best part of The Emoji Movie is the universe that Leondis, co-writers Eric Siegel and Mike White, and the design team create inside the phone: each app is a monolithic little planet onto itself, and the idea of worlds within worlds and hidden realities inside the smallest of objects holds a certain existential appeal to fans of speculative fiction. Some of the apps and characters that Gene and his friends encounter along the way are inspired — such as a persistent Just Dance app and a sinister Smiler emoji (Maya Rudolph) whose fixed grin become more unsettling as she becomes more unhinged — but most, like pointless trips through Candy Crush or Spotify, seem like blatant product placement.

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Our three main characters and their quest are the weakest part of the whole scenario. The outsider looking to fit in and realizing that one has to be oneself is as overused a theme as an animated movie can muster these days, and Gene, Jailbreak and Hi-5 all go through their paces without their characters or vague motivations ever becoming really interesting. The plot borrows heavily from Toy Story , The Lego Movie , Trolls and others of their ilk, retreading the same thematic and narrative ground without ever making it seem particularly fresh or funny.

The children at the screening we attended seemed to enjoy the picture, and there are traces of richer storytelling and world-building throughout that indicate the potential it could have had. The Emoji Movie is not as offensive as something like last year’s horribly obnoxious and numbing Angry Birds movie, and it may pass the time amiably enough for the little ones. But parents may find themselves surreptiously reaching for their phones to find something more interesting to look at.

The Emoji Movie is out in theaters Friday (July 28).

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Don Kaye | @donkaye

Don Kaye is an entertainment journalist by trade and geek by natural design. Born in New York City, currently ensconced in Los Angeles, his earliest childhood memory is…

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The Emoji Movie

Gene, a multi-expressional emoji, sets out on a journey to become a normal emoji. Gene, a multi-expressional emoji, sets out on a journey to become a normal emoji. Gene, a multi-expressional emoji, sets out on a journey to become a normal emoji.

• Tony Leondis
• Eric Siegel
• T.J. Miller
• James Corden
• 994 User reviews
• 165 Critic reviews
• 12 Metascore
• 6 wins & 4 nominations

Top cast 62

• (as Sir Patrick Stewart)

• Akiko Glitter

• 'Devil' Steven

• Poop Jr. 'PJ'

• Internet Troll
• (as Jeff Ross)

• Hysterical Laughter

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia On January 13, 2018, Saudi Arabia lifted a 35-year ban on movie theaters. This was the first movie publicly shown in the country. It played at a film festival in Jeddah, as a double feature with Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) .
• Goofs The Emojis go through other apps in order to get to Dropbox, but it would be much quicker and easier to just walk around the apps. They are being chased by the bots, so it's safer to go through the apps.

Jailbreak : You know, women are always coming up with stuff that men are taking credit for.

• Crazy credits SPOILER: There is a scene before the closing rolling credits: Smiler is stuck in the loser lounge, wearing braces and losing a game of cards.
• Alternate versions For its UK release, Sony had to remove some mild language in order to receive an U rating instead of a PG - this included a visual use of "WTF" (considered 'disguised strong language' and worthy of a 12A) and a verbal use of "turd". In Australia, both the version containing the singular use of the word "turd" and the version that replaces the former with the word "poop" were released, the latter only found on the DVD release, with the normal version being used on every other platform. Both of which retain their G rating for certain scenes that can scare very young children. Some versions of the movie, primarily those on streaming services, have alternative credits sequences, replacing the cast names with additional developers of the movie in their place.
• Connections Edited into Schaffrillas Productions: Every Pixar Movie Ranked (2021)
• Soundtracks Deck the Halls (Traditional)

User reviews 994

• Jul 10, 2019
• How long is The Emoji Movie? Powered by Alexa
• July 28, 2017 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Official Site
• Emoji: La película
• Columbia Pictures
• LStar Capital
• Sony Pictures Animation
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $50,000,000 (estimated)
• $86,089,513
• $24,531,923
• Jul 30, 2017
• $217,776,646

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 26 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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Who Hated ‘The Emoji Movie’ The Most?

By Amid Amidi | 07/29/2017 2:19 pm | 84 Comments

“A piece of shit…”

“A force of insidious evil…”

“A soul-crushing disaster…”

“Nakedly idiotic…”

“As bad and brutally depressing as everything else in 2017…”

It’s no surprise that critics disliked Sony Animation’s The Emoji Movie. On Rotten Tomatoes , the site that compiles reviews from established critics, reviewers near-unanimously despised the film, giving it just a 6% positive rating, among the lowest ever for an animated feature with 30-plus reviews. Currently, that puts the film below Norm of the North, which ended up at 9%, and slightly above Yu-Gi-Oh: The Movie at 5%.

It’s not just that critics disliked Emoji Movie, the level of vitriol and contempt directed at the movie is unprecedented for an animated feature. Critics seem to be engaged in an unspoken contest to see who can serve up the harshest review of the review.

The movie was originally titled Emoji Movie: Express Yourself, and while the film failed to express much of anything besides the incompetence of Sony animation president Kristine Belson, it has certainly inspired critics to express themselves in the most vocal and blunt way possible.

Here are some of the acrid and grim takes on Sony’s latest:

Indiewire’ s David Ehrlich, who said the film “is almost as bad and brutally depressing as everything else in 2017,” added:

This is a film about the power of self-expression, and yet it exists to advertise a limited visual language that people don’t have the power to expand upon or customize. It tells kids that they can be whatever they want to be, as long as they want to be something that Apple thought to include in their latest update. What do you want to be when you grow up? The choices are airplane pilot, Santa Claus, and Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie. Jailbreak laments the fact that, for a long time, the only female emoji was a princess. Great news: There are now like four other options.

“Please restore my eyes to their factory settings,” pleaded Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post . “They have seen The Emoji Movie, a new exercise in soulless branding, aimed primarily at little kids.”

Vox’ s Alissa Wilkinson, whose review is simply titled, “Do not see The Emoji Movie ” included this gem:

It’s amazing — or maybe it isn’t — that in addition to its poorly conceived Handmaid’s Tale stunt, the filmmakers saw fit to have a character sing, “Nobody knows the touch screens I’ve seen / Nobody knows the screenshots,” while sitting atop a pile of trash, to the tune of “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” a spiritual written by slaves to bolster their spirits while toiling in the pre-Emancipation American South.

The Wrap’ s Alonso Duralde said “there are no words” to describe this “(POS) piece of shit” before coming up with these words:

It is a soul-crushing disaster because it lacks humor, wit, ideas, visual style, compelling performances, a point of view or any other distinguishing characteristic that would make it anything but a complete waste of your time, not to mention that of the diligent animators who brought this catastrophe into being.

In an A.V. Club review entitled “ The Emoji Movie is Inside Out crossed with a Sony commercial and dunked in toxic ooze,” Vadim Rizov wrote,

[Director Tony] Leondis has cited Toy Story as an inspiration, but The Emoji Movie is more like a severely debased Inside Out that takes place inside of a smartphone. The “plot” is really an excuse to hop from one app to another; there are stops in the lands of Candy Crush, WeChat, Just Dance, Instagram, Spotify, and (for the kids!) Dropbox. That last one proves crucial, saving the fugitive trio from a pursuing robot. “Don’t worry, it can’t get in,” Jailbreak helpfully notes. “It’s illegal malware and this app is secure.” At the climax, a Twitter bird comes to the rescue.

Emily Yoshida of New York Magazine’ s Vulture , described the film as “one of the darkest, most dismaying films I have ever seen, much less one ostensibly made for children,” and critiqued:

There is a mumbled, shorthand moral about staying true to yourself in all this, but it is drowned out by the wall-to-wall cynicism that is The Emoji Movie’ s entire reason for existing in the first place. The film runs through its list of corporate and Zeitgeist awareness obligations in dead-eyed lockstep, making sure to get in uses of the words “slay” and “shade” and lifting an entire section of the lyrics to Rihanna’s “Diamonds” to telegraph a would-be important emotional beat (it’s not a joke, I don’t think). In the end, Meh’s embrace of his animated, multifaceted self just comes off as an ad for an Emoji Movie animated-sticker set that’s probably already out there.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Charles Bramesco in The Guardian called the film “a force of insidious evil,” adding that “the best commercials have a way of making you forget you’re being pitched at, but director Tony Leondis leaves all the notes received from his brand partners in full view.” He also felt that “any social commentary is stymied by the execution,” and that “the film’s insistent feel-goodery and occasional nods to feminism ring false,” pointing to one particular scene:

The ruthless mercenary details take the Emoji Movie beyond simply embarrassing and incompetent into something more manipulative and contemptible. One perplexing scene finds the emoji pals all doing a synchronised dance called “the emoji bop”. In a film so desperate to sell itself, this is clearly a craven bid to go viral, the cinematic equivalent of clickbait. The script practically begs for the approval of the tweens that elevated the lowly emoji to phenomenon status, but has only the slightest notion how they talk or act.

Glenn Kenny of the New York Times was one of the few to also comment on Genndy Tartakovsky’s short Puppy that screens before Emoji. Kenny had the same opinion of both—idiotic:

For a long time, Hollywood has been propagating the idea that the panderingly, trendily idiotic can be made to seem less so, by polishing it up with bright shiny gloss and enlisting engaging talented performers and writers. I can’t be entirely certain of this, but I would say The Emoji Movie takes this notion to the outer limits of credibility. The voice cast is full of name actors, some of whom have genuine appeal. One of the screenwriters is the very astute Mike White. This movie’s “believe in yourself” message is borne out, in a perverse way, by the very fact that it even exists. And yet the whole thing remains nakedly idiotic. To add to the pain and despair of the experience, The Emoji Movie is preceded by a short, Puppy, featuring the characters from the Hotel Transylvania animated movies. It is also idiotic.

If you’re thinking that professional reviewers might be just a little bit jaded and not in touch with mainstream tastes, you’re probably right, but it’s worth noting that reactions to Emoji Movie from online film fans and vloggers is even worse. Here’s some choice cuts from the Youtube review circuit:

“I don’t think my expression changed from mildly disgusted the entire time.

“It has no soul within it. It has no real auteur voice other than Sony and having money. It’s almost like if God didn’t exist, and money was the only thing that mattered, then an Emoji Movie would be the embodiment of that kind of a society.”

“Sony has gone and made the most unnecessary movie I’ve seen in years.”

“I was supposed to bring my daughter and I was so glad I didn’t…every joke is lazy. It’s just a movie that doesn’t even really try.”

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Box Office: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Sets A 5-Year Record, James McAvoy's Thriller Dominates New Releases [Full Chart Update]

New dreamworks movie debuts on rt with studio's highest score of all time (above how to train your dragon), dune 3's 12-year time jump & cast challenge addressed by denis villeneuve, the emoji movie squanders the talents of its capable voice cast on an animated film that is as cynical in its outlook as it was in its conception..

Gene (T.J. Miller) is a Meh Emoji who lives in Textopolis, a digital city that exists with the smartphone owned by an ordinary human teenager named Alex (Jake T. Austin). While Gene is excited about getting to finally work with the other emojis that populate Alex's phone, he has one big problem: for whatever reason, Gene is capable of expressing more emotions than the single one that he is meant to express. Despite their concerns, Gene's parents Mel (Steven Wright) and Mary Meh (Jennifer Coolidge) do agree to allow their son to join the emoji workforce - only for disaster to strike on Gene's very first day, when he is selected by Alex and panics, messing up Alex's message to the girl that he has a crush on and wrecking the text center where the emojis operate, in the process.

Facing the threat of deletion by bots dispatched by Smiler (Maya Rudolph), a Smiley Emoji and the leader of the text center, Gene flees and ends up crossing paths with Hi-5 (James Corden), a Hand Emoji who has fallen out of popularity. Hi-5, in turn, agrees to take Gene to meet Jailbreak (Anna Faris), a "Hacker Emoji" who can reprogram Gene so that he only expresses the "Meh" emotion. Upon meeting with her, the pair strike a deal with Jailbreak: if Gene and Hi-5 help her to reach the Dropbox (so that she can leave Alex's phone forever), then Jailbreak will "fix" Gene for good. But can they do so before all three of them are sent to the Trash - permanently?

As developed by Sony Pictures Animation (the studio behind the Hotel Transylvania and Smurfs movie franchises),  The Emoji Movie  represents an attempt to take the most popular apps and emojis on your smartphone and create a Pixar-style "secret world", populated by most every non-trademarked IP emoji that has ever been created. Assisting  Emoji Movie co-writer and director Tony Leondis ( Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch , Igor ) in his efforts here is a voice cast composed of several noteworthy comedic actors and celebrities with proven comedy chops; Sir Patrick Stewart himself (lending his voice to the Poop Emoji here) among them.  The Emoji Movie squanders the talents of its capable voice cast on an animated film that is as cynical in its outlook as it was in its conception.

While The Emoji Movie is quick to establish its primary setting of Textopolis as a bustling digital realm in the vein of the arcade from Disney Animation's Wreck-It Ralph , the movie fails to visualize the worlds that exist within your phone with any sort of real imagination or creativity. The animation here has a cheap look in general, relying upon flat colors and uninspired cartoony designs to envision what emojis and the apps that they exist within (and/or travel through) would look like, as objects in a three-dimensional space. Even  The Emoji Movie 's versions of popular apps such as Candy Crush and Just Dance, which feature simple yet bright and playful imagery in the real-world, offer little in the way of dazzling or memorable visuals. Save for the rare exception (see how the movie portrays music and sound effects in Spotify), The Emoji Movie  offers little in the way of eye candy that is more interesting to look at than, well, your actual phone.

Similar to how The Emoji Movie  mimics  Inside Out 's approach to world-building (only in a cheaper fashion), the film weaves together the story thread about Gene's journey within his phone-world with a plot-line about the phone's owner in the real-world, also like what that hit Pixar film did. Unfortunately, the approach backfires here and results in an undercooked hero's journey for Gene and his friends; in the process, painting the phone's young user Alex and his peers at school as emotionally-impaired and incapable of communicating their feelings in any meaningful way without their emojis. Whereas the best Disney and/or Pixar-animated movies bring as much depth to human characters as they do inanimate objects, The Emoji Movie comes off as backwards and shallow in its examination of how people (whatever their age) socialize with one another and express their individuality, in the digital age. For a movie that is all about expressing yourself (a movie that was even originally titled Emoji Movie: Express Yourself ), the film can't even handle that simple, kid-friendly message.

The Emoji Movie , which Leondis co-wrote with Eric Siegel ( Men at Work ) and Mike White ( School of Rock ), also explores the idea of not accepting the role that society has deemed appropriate for you, bringing to mind The LEGO Movie 's take on a similar concept. However, because the various emoji characters in The Emoji Movie  don't actually evolve beyond either flat archetypes or glorified walking puns over the film's (short) runtime, that larger theme is never fully-developed either. Likewise, whereas The LEGO Movie finds a way to add layers of complexity to its own antagonist who is obsessed with social order and everyone being in their place, The Emoji Movie 's similar villain - the relentlessly "cheery" Smiler - isn't afforded any real depth either, nor even an entertaining personality. Despite Maya Rudolph's best efforts to infuse Smiler with some enjoyably manic energy through her vocal delivery of her lines, the character is a one-joke baddie who even most youngsters probably won't find that funny.

T.J. Miller, Anna Faris and James Corden voice, respectively, The Emoji Movie 's protagonist Gene, female lead Jailbreak and comic relief Hi-5, but the actual characters are so cookie-cutter in their design (Gene is the outsider who just wants to fit in, Jailbreak is the "cool girl" who doesn't like to be feminine, and so forth) that having actors with a proven talent for voice acting and broad comedy doesn't make any real difference, when it comes to their quality. Steven Wright and Jennifer Coolidge as Gene's parents Mel and Mary get a subplot of their own here, but the running joke involving the characters only ever speaking in an unemotional "meh" fashion, as you might imagine, runs out of gas pretty quickly. That said, there is fun to be had in Patrick Stewart delivering (what else?) poop-related puns as the Poop Emoji in a regal and formal manner, but he's in far too little of the film to leave a lasting impression.

As should be clear now, The Emoji Movie  is highly derivative of previous animated movies that anthropomorphized inanimate toys, digital objects and even emotions, but lacks the heart, wit and sense of craftsmanship that made those films successful. It may not arrive as shocking news, but The Emoji Movie ultimately comes across as little more than the crass attempt to cash-in on the popularity of smartphone technology that many thought it would be, when it was first announced. The juicebox crowd is no doubt the demographic most likely to get some joy out of the film's many emoji-related puns and gags, but The Emoji Movie  lacks crossover appeal otherwise. Here's to hoping the inevitable (?) Play-Doh Movie  turns out better.

The Emoji Movie is now playing in U.S. theaters nationwide. It is 78 minutes long and is Rated PG for rude humor.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comments section!

The Emoji Movie

When their world is threatened to be deleted, Gene (TJ Miller) ventures off with Hi-5 (James Corden) and Jailbreak (Anna Faris) to save Textopolis and become an emoji with a single expression. Despite being critically panned, The Emoji Movie had a stacked supporting cast, including Maya Rudolph, Jennifer Coolidge, Patrick Stewart, Christina Aguilera, and Sofía Vergara, among others.

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The Emoji Movie

Cast & crew.

Anthony Leondis

Arjen Lubach

Jandino Asporaat

Bracha van Doesburgh

Jelka van Houten

‘The Emoji Movie’ Review: There Are No Words

OMG, this animated feature is a POS with no LOLs

You can’t judge a movie by its source material: the much-maligned jukebox musical genre gave us “Rock of Ages,” yes, but it also made “Singin’ in the Rain” possible. And we were all worried about “The Lego Movie” before we saw it. So let us be clear that “The Emoji Movie” is not a soul-crushing disaster simply because its dramatis personae are the range of emotive faces and symbols that live inside your cell phone.

It is a soul-crushing disaster because it lacks humor, wit, ideas, visual style, compelling performances, a point of view or any other distinguishing characteristic that would make it anything but a complete waste of your time, not to mention that of the diligent animators who brought this catastrophe into being.

On a story level, it cobbles together pieces of everything from “The Wizard of Oz” to “Smurfs: The Lost Village” (coincidentally, Sony Pictures Animation’s prior release), and thematically it hits a tediously familiar litany of kid-movie messages: Be yourself. People can be more than one thing. Parents should support their children. Candy Crush is super awesome.

OK, that last one is a new feature, since the premise of a movie set entirely inside a smartphone has clearly opened up new potentials of product placement, whether its characters are riding boats down the musical streams of Spotify or walking through other people’s photographic memories in Instagram. As with Sony’s “The Angry Birds Movie,” this is a film that’s shameless about its origins as a pocket doodad; it also resembles that previous film by being completely shrill and stupid.

Within the phone of a hapless high-school freshman named Alex (voiced by Jake T. Austin, “The Fosters”), an emoji named Gene (T.J. Miller) excitedly prepares for his first day on the job in Textopolis. The “excitedly” part is a problem, since Gene is supposed to be a jaded “Meh” emoji, but he can’t stop himself from expressing a variety of emotions on his round yellow tennis-ball face.

[powergridprofile powerrank=”1383″ node=”1068850″ type=”project” path=”http://powergrid.thewrap.com/project/emoji-movie” title=”The Emoji Movie” image=”emoji_movie_0.jpg”]

His professionally underwhelmed parents, played by Steven Wright and Jennifer Coolidge, worry that his propensity for feelings will get him into trouble, and they’re right: when Alex clicks on him, the scanner registers Gene making a weird nonsense face, which infuriates the perpetually-cheery Smiler (Maya Rudolph), whose face bears a constant grinning rictus even when she’s calling for “malfunction” Gene to be deleted.

Gene’s only hope is to team up with Hi-5 (James Corden) to find Jailbreak (Anna Faris), a hacker who can get them off the phone and into the cloud. Anti-virus bots are eluded and lessons are learned, but to piece together the film’s dreary plotting is to give it more thought than screenwriters Tony Leondis (who also directed), Eric Siegel and a presumably paycheck-collecting Mike White ever did. (And at least one of them will have to live with the fact that he wrote the dreadful pun, “Holy Delete-o!”)

The unanswered questions are legion: Why do the emojis fear the phone reboot, when they’ll presumably return in its new iteration? Are they different from their counterparts in millions of other phones? Why does Gene have parents when most Americans are constantly switching to new and upgraded devices? And are we really to believe that teen boy Alex never uses his eggplant emoji ?

Emotionally, we’re supposed to care about Gene and Jailbreak getting together, even though they’re so muddily conceived that we know he’s pursuing something dumb and her desires are merely vague. On top of that, we’re also supposed to be rooting for Alex to win the affections of classmate Addie (Tati Gabrielle, “The 100”), but of course his courtship all boils down to picking the right emoji to text her. Sorry Cyrano de Bergerac and Abelard and Heloise and Cole Porter and anyone else who’s ever used dumb old words to declare love; you’re nothing without a poop symbol.

The one non-dispiriting aspect of the “Emoji Movie” experience was getting to see “Puppy!”, a new animated short set in the world of “Hotel Transylvania.” When Adam Sandler outclasses your high-concept, high-tech functions, it’s time to switch to a flip phone.

Deviation Actions

I prefer The Emoji Movie over Rons Gone Wrong

I don't agree.