A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Educational Value
very little
Kids may learn some new emojis and app names and functions, but the film is primarily intended to entertain rather than educate.
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Positive Messages
a lot
Diversity is better than conformity. Nobody should have to be or do just one thing; learning to express yourself in many different ways -- from emotions to dancing -- is healthy. Friends should always help each other, and teamwork pays off. Telling people how you feel can be difficult, but it's important to be honest. It's rewarding to find your purpose.
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Positive Role Models
some
Gene starts out desperate to fit in and do what he's "supposed" to do, but he learns that his ability to be many things is what makes him special -- and he can be useful by being himself. Jailbreak is smart and resourceful. She rejects the role she was given but learns that having supportive friends is better than being alone. Gene's parents love him, but at first they're also a bit embarrassed by him and his differences. They learn to love him -- and themselves -- unconditionally. Many emoji characters are, by their nature, one-dimensional, but the human teenagers are a diverse group. Princess stereotypes are mocked/dismissed; a character calls out the fact that the original emoji set offered women only two choices: princess or bride.
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Violence & Scariness
a little
Characters in danger/peril; at one point it looks like they all might be deleted. The bots that chase Gene and his friends can be scary; they're relentless and have laser weapons. They sometimes delete the things they catch or want to punish (a virus, a whole app, etc.). A giant bot is particularly aggressive and intimidating. Gene's mistake leads to panic and destruction of the emoji grid. Jailbreak imagines Gene exploding. Smiler uses dental tools in a way that feels creepy and threatening. A firewall is made of actual flames. Gene is zapped when he makes password errors.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
Flirting/romantic tension between emoji characters and human ones. Mel and Mary Meh declare their love for each other and kiss. Hi-5's knuckles briefly look like bare buttocks. Somewhat skimpy outfits on the main character in Just Dance.
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Language
a little
One purposely cut-off "oh, s--t" and one unfinished "holy s--t," plus relatively infrequent use of "loser," "shut up," "stupid," "weirdo," "freak," "dumb," "butt," "poop," "turd," "no. 2," "doody." A character calls another a "malfunction."
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Products & Purchases
a lot
Many real-world apps are prominently highlighted, discussed extensively, used, and seen, including Dropbox, Spotify, Just Dance, YouTube, Facebook, Candy Crush, and more.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
very little
Characters drink a fruity party drink. There's a beer emoji. A scene takes place at a dive bar; a broken beer bottle is seen, and "Hack Daniels" is mentioned. Hi-5 gets a sugar high.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Emoji Movie is a colorful and kid-friendly -- if not particularly original -- adventure that imagines a world inside our smartphones in which each emoji is supposed to have a single expression/role. So when "meh" face Gene (voiced by T.J. Miller) breaks those expectations, chaos ensues. Expect to see some destruction, suspense, and peril; the main characters are pursued by intimidating bots bent on deleting them with their laserlike weapons. But it never gets too intense for young elementary schoolers. There's a bit of flirting, and two emoji characters kiss; there are also scenes that take place in a dive bar, where drinking is implied (and there's a beer emoji character). Language is fairly mild but includes a purposely cut-off "oh, s--t," as well as insults like "loser," "shut up," and so on. Jokes about the poop emoji involve (surprise!) potty humor. Many real-life apps are featured prominently, including Dropbox, YouTube, and Just Dance. The story emphasizes the importance of being true to yourself, as well as the value of honesty and teamwork. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
THE EMOJI MOVIE invites viewers into the world of Textopolis, a colorful city inside the phone of a teenager named Alex (voiced by Jake T. Austin). Populated entirely by emojis, Textopolis is a town in which everyone has a single role/expression, and their job is to perform that role flawlessly when Alex needs to send a text. Chaos ensues when eager young "meh" face Gene (T.J. Miller) freaks out on his first day at work and exhibits many different expressions, leading Alex to think something might be wrong with his phone. Head emoji Smiler (Maya Rudolph) is determined to keep Textopolis perfect -- and protected -- so she labels Gene a malfunction. His only hope is to track down a hacker by the name of Jailbreak (Anna Faris) to see whether he can be reprogrammed to correctly fulfill his "meh" destiny. So with the help of new friend Hi-5 (James Corden), Gene leaves Textopolis and ventures into the other apps on Alex's phone. But does Gene really need to be "fixed"?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Emoji Movie's themes and messages. What does it mean when characters say, "What good is it to be number one if there aren't any other numbers"? How do the characters learn the value of teamwork?
How does the movie portray texting and phone use among teens? Does it seem realistic? Kids: Did seeing the movie make you want to get a phone? What are your family's rules about devices?
At one point, a character says of someone that "none of these people know him, but they 'like' him -- and that's what matters in this life, popularity." Do you think it's true that, in the age of social media, people want fans more than friends?
Which parts of the movie were scary to you? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?
Kids: Do you like communicating using emojis? Why or why not? Do you know what they all mean?
