The #EmojiMovie comes out today. If I was typing this on my phone I would have inserted a line of emojis after that sentence to show my enthusiasm! I use them, you use them, we all use and we all love emojis so I’m willing to bet this movie is going to make a fortune! If you think about the emoji, it is really a powerful thing. The emoji lets you express yourself with one simple symbol.
Expressing yourself is what this movie is about. Gene is a very special emoji that spends the movie on a journey to discover who he really is and what he really wants. Now don’t worry this is after all a children’s movie so don’t expect it to delve too deep. What you can expect are great quips, poop jokes and bright colors. Sony Pictures did an amazing job of bringing our keyboards to life.
I, personally, would love to visit Textopolis. Imagine crossing the street next to a unicorn, elephant or maybe some sushi! This would make an amazing theme park! And let’s face it many of us go to work at a cubicle everyday so standing in a cube waiting to get chosen to be scanned for a text wouldn’t be that difficult. Making the same face every time? That might be a little bit more difficult (as Gene learns). This is a really fun movie when you add in the Candy Crush and Just Dance scenes.
It’s not all fun and games though (ha! Didn’t even mean that pun). This movie is going to attract a good number of elementary aged children and I think that parents can use it for many talking points. First, it speaks to the issue of people getting lost in their phones but it also speaks to the world of opportunity available via phones (and screentime). This is something I will be discussing further in a future post. Second, it talks to friendship and the value it has in life. Yea, I know I said the movie doesn’t go deep but as a parent it’s up to you to decide how deep you want to go with these conversations. Another strong talking point for me has to do with the roles girls are expected to play. I love when it was pointed out that when girl emojis first launched there were only princesses and brides. We’ve come a long way baby! And I can’t wait for their to be a Jailbreak emoji.
