The Emoji Movie (2017)
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The story
Gene is a multi-expressional emoji living in Textopolis, a digital city inside a smartphone owned by a student named Alex. Unlike other emojis, Gene can display multiple emotions, making him an outcast. When his actions cause a malfunction in the text center, he is labeled a 'malfunction' and chased by bots. To become a 'normal' emoji and help his friend Hi-5 regain popularity, Gene teams up with a hacker named Jailbreak. Together, the trio travels through various apps, including Candy Crush and Just Dance, in a race to find a way to fix Gene before his world is reset for functionality.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Gene is an emoji in Textopolis who is an outcast because he can make multiple expressions. After a mishap in the text center, he is hunted by bots and joins forces with Hi-5 and Jailbreak. They travel through various apps like Candy Crush and Just Dance. Along the way, they face threats from Smiler's bots and navigate the complexities of their digital lives. They eventually reach the 'Trash' and then the 'Cloud'. In the climax, as the owner's phone faces a factory reset that would destroy their world, Gene and his friends must act. Gene ultimately accepts his unique nature, and the owner, Alex, decides not to reset the phone after receiving a heartfelt message from Gene. The film ends with the emojis celebrating Gene's individuality.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 86
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tony Leondis
- Writers
- Tony Leondis · screenplay; Eric Siegel · screenplay; Mike White · screenplay; Tony Leondis · story; Eric Siegel · story
- Cast and characters
- T.J. Miller · Gene; James Corden · Hi-5; Anna Faris · Jailbreak; Maya Rudolph · not specified; Steven Wright · not specified; Jennifer Coolidge · not specified; Jake T. Austin · Alex; Christina Aguilera · not specified; Sofía Vergara · not specified; Sean Hayes · not specified; Sir Patrick Stewart · not specified
- Genres
- animated; comedy
- Themes
- identity; non-conformity; friendship
- Tone and mood
- animated; lighthearted
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- Emojis
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 12 · scale: 100 · review count: 26; CinemaScore · score: B · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Worst Picture · Golden Raspberry Awards · Won; Worst Director · Golden Raspberry Awards · Won; Worst Screen Combo · Golden Raspberry Awards · Won; Worst Screenplay · Golden Raspberry Awards · Won
- Production trivia
- The film had a production time of two years, which is shorter than most other animated films.; The film was inspired by director Tony Leondis' love of Toy Story (1995).; The film's marketing, including a teaser trailer, received significant backlash from the public.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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