Express yourself: ‘The Emoji Movie’ arrives in theaters this weekend
Inside of our phones is a hidden world called Textopolis, according to the film “The Emoji Movie” that arrives in theaters this weekend.
This town is comprised of all the emojis that are used during texting and messaging conversations that people have on a regular basis.
The balance of the city lays in the fact that each emoji is given just one expression. What would happen if one of these emojis was born without a filter and was able to use multiple expressions?
For Gene (voiced by T.J. Miller, “Deadpool” and “Big Hero 6”), who is programed to be a “Meh” emoji but can change his expressions at will, his unique ability lands him in hot water.
Tired of dealing with all of his “glitches” Gene decides to embark on a quest to find out who he really is by heading to the phone’s source code.
Joining him on his journey is his friend Jailbreak (voiced by Anna Faris, “Scary Movie 4” and “The House Bunny) and Hi-5 (voiced by James Corden, “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and “Into the Woods”).
According to an interview that Sean O’Connell of CinemaBlend did with “The Emoji Movie” director/writer Tony Leondis, the film was inspired by an animated classic.
“I was thinking of my next project, and the real truth is, I was like, ‘Boy, that ‘Toy Story’ is so good. What are the next toys?’ Is that OK to say that? (laughs) … People do think of ‘Inside Out,’ because of the expressions, but really, it was ‘Toy Story. And it was like, ‘Gosh, I love that they made a movie about toys. What are the new toys?’ And I looked on my phone and saw the emojis and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, emoji are the new toys. They are how we express ourselves nowadays,'” said Leondis according to O’Connell’s article. “What I love about emojis is that in this human world of technology, the heart has found a way to connect, and so it means something when you get an emoji. It really does. When my mom sends me kisses, it actually makes me (get warm). ‘Awww, mom sent me kisses!'”
“The Emoji Movie” is rated PG.
Other movies that are arriving in theaters this weekend include:
n “Atomic Blonde” starring Sofia Boutella, Charlize Theron and James McAvoy and directed by David Leitch in this mystery action film about an undercover MI6 agent during the Cold War who goes to Berlin to find out what happened to a fellow agent and to recover a list of double agents.
The film is rated R for sequences of strong violence, language throughout and some sexuality/nudity.
n “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” (select theaters) starring Al Gore, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump and directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk in this documentary about climate change and the energy revolution. This is a follow up film to “An Inconvenient Truth.”
The film is not rated.
n “A Family Man” starring Alison Brie, Gerard Butler and Willem Dafoe and directed by Mark Williams in this drama about a man whose life is encompassed by his job when he discovers that it is starting to have a negative effect on the needs of his family.
The film is rated R for language and some sexual content.