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This calamitous comedy from Sony is nowhere near as addictive as the real thing
Dir: Tony Leondis. US. 2017. 86mins
A film as mindless and disposable as most smartphone apps - and nowhere near as addictive - Sony’s animated The Emoji Movie is a calamitous comedy that inadvertently shows how difficult it is to pull off the witty, imaginative world-building that Pixar makes seem so breezy. Despite wanly espousing the importance of individuality, this anonymous product couldn’t feel more strained or cautious, playing down to its childhood audience while offering plenty of screen time to the myriad brands featured in this movie-length advertisement.
Because people spend so much time on their smartphones, there’s certainly rich comedic potential in satirising the world inside our most intimate technological tool - but this slack comedy never finds it
The Emoji Movie hits US theatres July 28 and the UK the following weekend, hoping that enough families have already seen Despicable Me 3 that they’ll be ready to sample other animated fare. A voice cast that includes James Corden, Anna Faris and Patrick Stewart will have some international appeal, and certainly the target audience will be familiar with the film’s popular, playful mobile phone communication tool. But pitiful reviews may dampen commercial...