Summary
- The Emoji Movie
is as bad as everyone says — cynical, lazy, and full of product placement. - The recent success on streaming platforms like Netflix highlights the resiliency of the animation industry.
- While children’s entertainment remains a strong market,
The Emoji Movie
is still not worth revisiting.
As a seasoned film critic with decades of experience under my belt, I have to say that the resurgence of animation as a dominant force in the industry is nothing short of astounding. The box office successes of films like “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru” are a testament to the power of this medium, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that before “Spider-Verse” took the world by storm, Sony Pictures Animation wasn’t exactly synonymous with cinematic excellence. In fact, outside of gems like “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” the underappreciated “Surf’s Up,” and the original “Hotel Transylvania,” their early work leaves a lot to be desired. However, nothing they’ve produced has sunk as low as “The Emoji Movie” did upon its release in 2017. To this day, it stands alone as the only animated film to win a Razzie Award for Worst Picture, and it’s generally considered one of the worst films ever made in the genre. On Rotten Tomatoes, it scored a dismal 6% from critics and a slightly less dismal 36% from audiences, which is quite rare as both groups usually have differing opinions. Yet, despite the overwhelmingly negative reviews, families still flocked to the theater.
Unexpected sources can sometimes deliver powerful comebacks. For instance, the Netflix ratings this week have placed “The Emoji Movie” at the top in the U.S., outperforming a crowd primarily filled with popular animated films such as “The Lorax” and “Trolls Band Together”. One might wonder how a film so notoriously bad could achieve such unexpected success. Is it deserving of its toxic reputation, or has the criticism been exaggerated (even slightly)?
Is The Emoji Movie Actually That Bad?
To put it simply, The Emoji Movie was indeed a poor quality animated film. While it might not be the absolute worst animation ever made (considering there’s stiff competition from movies like Doogal, Pinocchio: A True Story, and Foodfight), it certainly stands out as a rather cynical production. It seems to assume that children will watch anything without regard for quality. This lack of effort is apparent right from the start, where emojis are described as “the most important form of communication ever invented.” One might argue that telephones, written words, or face-to-face conversations have played more significant roles in human interaction.
The narrative, with clear influences from “The LEGO Movie” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” concentrates on Gene, an exceptional emoji portrayed by T.J. Miller, who can express various emotions unlike his peers. This uniqueness, ironically, isolates him (leading him to suspect his phone is faulty when it chooses him for a text message). Thus, Gene embarks on a transformative journey to fit in with the other emojis and prevent his digital city from being erased.
During his adventure, Gene travels with an emoji resembling a hand, Hi-5 (portrayed by James Corden), and Jailbreak (played by Anna Farris), a hacker whose origins suggest the movie is heavily influenced by the plot of “Wreck-It Ralph.” Despite the climax emphasizing the significance of being authentic, it appears somewhat insincere and tacked on at the end, as if the filmmakers are attempting to persuade viewers that their work wasn’t entirely unproductive (it was).
Perhaps the biggest issue with The Emoji Movie lies in its overt commercial feel, making it appear more like an advertisement than a true film. A large portion of the storyline is dedicated to product promotion for companies such as Dropbox and Spotify, and even a key scene unfolds within Candy Crush. Contrastingly, The LEGO Movie successfully navigated this challenge by diving deeply into its source material, creating captivating characters and thought-provoking themes that made it one of the most covertly revolutionary comedies of the 2010s. Unlike The Emoji Movie, which exploits its IP solely for promotional purposes (targeting children who may not even recognize Spotify), The LEGO Movie serves as a cautionary example of what many had feared The LEGO Movie could become.
The Emoji Movie Proves You Should Never Underestimate Animation’s Popularity
As a movie enthusiast, it’s not entirely unexpected that The Emoji Movie might experience some late success on streaming platforms, considering that lesser films have managed the same feat. This week’s Netflix chart is a clear reflection of this trend, with animations like The Lorax, Trolls Band Together, and the latest Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie taking the lead. With summer drawing to a close, it makes perfect sense that kids across the country would want to catch up on their favorite shows before heading back to school. Admittedly, there’s some debate about how accurate Netflix’s Top 10 list really is given its algorithm, but we must accept it as it is for now.
However, the more significant takeaway is one that the last few years have proved time and again — animation continues to be a hugely underestimated medium in the industry. Consider how dominant animated films have been at the box office recently; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Minions: The Rise of Gru were both among the highest-grossing films of 2022 and last year, only Barbie grossed more worldwide than The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This summer, Inside Out 2’s opening weekend saw it earn almost twice as much as predicted, and it still stands as the top-earning film of the summer.
Given the enduring popularity of animation among children, especially in the post-pandemic era and with streaming services keeping these films accessible long after their theater runs, it’s obvious that kids play a significant role in today’s movie audience. However, we should not just celebrate success for movies that seem to underestimate children’s intelligence. Instead, we should strive to provide them with the best content possible, as demonstrated by critically acclaimed films like Toy Story and Into the Spider-Verse. In a review from Roger Ebert, Peter Sobczynski notes:
In “The Emoji Movie,” the lack of creativity isn’t just evident in its portrayal of the app world; instead, this film offers absolutely nothing engaging to its audience. There are no instances of humor, thrill, or enlightening perspectives on a society that values emojis as the epitome of modern interaction.
Despite any criticisms, the recent popularity of “The Emoji Movie” underscores that children’s entertainment remains a profitable niche, particularly on Netflix. Given that “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has been available for several months, it’s reasonable to assume families are eager for fresh content. At minimum, this offers a plausible explanation for a less-than-stellar film’s popularity on streaming platforms, in contrast to films like “Red Notice,” which achieved record views despite seemingly lacking appeal for most viewers.
The Emoji Movie Still Isn’t Worth Revisiting
After considering everything, it’s clear that The Emoji Movie remains poorly executed from start to finish, earning its Razzie Awards quite fairly. Although it might manage to amuse a child for about an hour and a half, there are countless other films that can achieve the same goal. Next week, Inside Out 2 will be available on digital platforms, offering a far more enriching experience for children and appealing to adults as well. Incidentally, The Emoji Movie is currently streaming on Netflix.
Read More
- BODEN PREDICTION. BODEN cryptocurrency
- GHST PREDICTION. GHST cryptocurrency
- BETA PREDICTION. BETA cryptocurrency
- STRD PREDICTION. STRD cryptocurrency
- Mango Markets Exploiter Found Guilty Of Fraud And Manipulation
- GBP EUR PREDICTION
- MATIC PREDICTION. MATIC cryptocurrency
- LOOKS PREDICTION. LOOKS cryptocurrency
- BRN/USD
- TNSR PREDICTION. TNSR cryptocurrency
2024-08-16 02:31