Review: The Emoji Movie

 

Review: 🎬The Emoji Movie (2017)

The Emoji Movie (2017) - An attempt at deepness and ends up being hopeless

 2 out of 5



There are films that challenge the intellect, stir the soul, or dazzle the senses; none of those are The Emoji Movie, a film that dares to ask: "What if the icons on your phone had feelings?" - a question with so much potential, that the very concept said the movie was going to be made.

Much like Toy Story gave life to playthings and Inside Out explored the emotional coming of age of a child's mind, The Emoji Movie attempts to anthropomorphize digital symbols. But where those films clearly invested in experts to create an authentic rendering of the experience, Emoji finds only product placement familiarity and a plot-by-algorithm.

The story centers on Gene, voiced by T.J. Miller, a "meh" emoji who is anything but meh. In a world where each emoji must express only one emotion, Gene's multi-faceted personality is treated as a glitch. This premise, which could have been a metaphor for individuality and self-acceptance, is instead buried beneath a barrage of app cameos that have very little to do with the story-Spotify, Candy Crush, Dropbox - each more transparently commercial than the last.  Deeper meaning was lurking in plain site where the phone's owner, Alex was crying out for a meaningful storyline.

The animation is competent, the voice cast is excellent, but the film lacks wit, charm, or any sense of genuine meaning. It's a movie that seems less interested in storytelling than in synergizing with the digital ecosystem. Even the moral "be yourself" feels like a checkbox ticked off in a marketing brief. It's not that the film is bad- it is that it's aggressively unimaginative, a cinematic 'meh'. If emoji's could cry, the 'facepalm' would weep!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What to do to heal your thyroid

Why exercise is the wrong approach for weight management

Natural DIY Laundry Detergent

Gluten, Grains, Brazil Nuts, Cast Iron & the Thyroid

Energy Elixir

Why fasting is the right approach for weight management

Bone Broth and Fermented Foods

Healthy DIY Toothpaste

Sleep, Caffeine & The Adrenal

Disposal: Landfill what happens to our trash