THE EMOJI MOVIE (U)

Posted by ruthmedia on August 17, 2017 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

THE EMOJI MOVIE (U)

Run time: 90 MINS

Director: Tony Leondis

Cast: T.J. Miller, James Corden, Anna Faris, Patrick Stewart, Christina Aguilera

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

Showing in: 3D 2D

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_nPW7xCmqk

Director Tony Leondis [Igor (2008), Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch ( 2005)] brings us The Emoji Movie, which unlocks the never-before-seen secret world inside your smartphone. Hidden within the messaging app is Textopolis, a bustling city where all the favourite emojis live, hoping to be selected by the phone’s user. In this world, each emoji has only one facial expression – except for Gene (T.J. Miller), an exuberant emoji who was born without a filter and is bursting with multiple expressions. Determined to become “normal” like the other emojis, Gene enlists the help of his handy best friend Hi-5 (James Corden) and the notorious code breaker emoji Jailbreak (Anna Faris). Also surreally there is Patrick Stewart as Poop. Together, they embark on an epic “app-venture” through the apps on the phone, each its own wild and fun world, to find the Code that will fix Gene. But when a greater danger threatens the phone, the fate of all emojis depends on these three unlikely friends who must save their world before it’s deleted forever.

Aimed at a young audience, this seems a very ‘corporate’ and somewhat cynical film, over-brimming with product placement and promotion of popular smartphone apps and games.

It’s not as funny as it thinks it is and is no Lego Movie.  Older audiences will probably emerge with their faces frozen into an indifferent ‘meh’.

Images courtesy of SONY