The Emoji Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Emoji Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 29, 2017

This could probably be said of something from just about any generation, but it would have been borderline inconceivable to imagine walking into a store just a few short years ago and finding a stuffed "emoji" in the shape of a pile of poop for sale. It would have been like walking into some crazy alternate dimension...poop? Really? But there they are in 2017, plush poopies that people supposedly want to cuddle up with or put on display somewhere. They are, of course, much larger replicas of the little digital "emoticons" or "emojis" that are meant to express emotions or responses or gestures or physical states or environmental conditions like "love" and "meh" and "thumbs up" and "tired" and "rainy." And today's smartphones will even suggest the proper emoji when writing a particular word in a text message or some other form of communication where an emoji might be appropriate. Of course, The Emoji Movie is a little late to the party; the iPhone text message app, for example, is now filled with little gifs featuring celebrities face palming or cats dancing or other little expressive second-long repeating clips that are on their way to usurping the smile and the poop. But that's the state of today's technology: always evolving with something hot and new right around the corner, and usually something that means less effort on the part of the user. And, surprise, emojis have now spawned a movie that's required less effort on the part of the filmmakers. The Emoji Movie is a spirited yet, for the viewer, demoralizing movie that would, if it weren't for true masterpieces like Dunkirk propping up the industry, speak volumes about the state of the movie union.

Alex (voiced by Jake T. Austin) is a normal high school boy who lives and dies with his phone in his hand and by the emojis he sends to his friends. He's part of a generation for whom it's easier to show a picture than write a word (and heaven forbid a sentence). It's critical he respond with the right one to a girl he really likes. Unbeknownst to him, inside his phone is not just a bunch of code and graphics and circuits but an entire digital world where emojis live and communicate with one another as they await being chosen by the user. One such emoji is Gene (voiced by T.J. Miller), a "meh" emoji whose sole purpose in his digital life is to hold a singular expression of indifference. But Gene is not like the other emojis who thrive on existing as crying faces or lovestruck eyes. No, he wants to express himself in any way that suits his true mood. And when it's finally time that Alex selects him, he blows it. He cannot hold pose and transmits the wrong facial expression, which leads Alex to believe his phone has malfunctioned and in need of being wiped clean, which will, of course, kill off all the emojis inside. Gene is deemed a malfunctioned emoji and targeted for termination by the smiling emoji in charge (voiced by Maya Rudolph). He barely escapes and teams up with two other rogue emojis -- Hi-5 (voiced by James Corden) and Jailbreak (voiced by Anna Ferris) -- and traverses through the digital world inside Alex's phone in hopes of saving himself and proving his worth to his fellow emoji and his user.

Since they've made a movie about most everything else, pixels in a phone at least seems somehow logical in the "if it exists, make a movie out of it" mentality. The Emoji Movie, however, isn't a good film. Not in the least. Oh, it's well made on a superficial level. The animation is impressive, the voice acting is fine. But it's otherwise an empty film that tells a crude, generic story of self discovery where the end result is a sense of self-worth and expression as one sees fit. Mild adventure and peril through an imaginary world that amounts to little more than a face(palm)full of travels into and out of various applications on the phone propel the narrative forward. These applications are not generic ones made for the movie, of course, but the real deals that every sponsor hopes will get downloaded en masse as the thrilled and satisfied zomb, er, shee, er, audiences roll out of the theater and eagerly stare down and fiddle with their phones for the first time in 90 minutes. The movie is a sad commentary not even on the lack of imagination in Hollywood, because the movie's world is at least something of its own creation, but rather the absolute destitute status of characterization and storytelling. The film couldn't be more vapid if it tried. It's constructed of extremely tired nuts-and-bolts mechanics and themes in a world and around characters nobody ever asked to know.

And Patrick Stewart voices poop.

The Emoji Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

The Emoji Movie was reportedly finished at 2K, making this, presumably, an upscale from that source. The picture's most identifiable characteristic, at least watching immediately after the Blu-ray, is that it's a fair bit darker with colors that's don't scream. But the bonus with the HDR-enhanced color palette is a much fuller, firmer, more inherently bold color palette. There's significantly more nuance to the yellow emoji "skin" for lack of a better descriptor, with finer shading and variations clearly visible. That holds true for just about every color in the film. The whole thing is unquestionably more rich and detailed, too. Textural qualities are improved across the board. Character nuance is much easier to spot, environments are a step more clean and clear, and even some of the more tangibly textured elements in the "real world" scenes like grass, leaves, and bricks outside the school offer an honest step forward in terms of overall clarity and sharpness. The image is free of any distracting source or encode artifacts. This is definitely a solid boost over the Blu-ray and the version fans are going to want to watch.

The Emoji Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Emoji Movie's Dolby Atmos soundtrack makes a big impact on UHD. The track's great expansiveness, detail, and power over the standard Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is noticeable almost immediately. Music plays with a fuller stage presence, unquestionably aided by the added surround and top-end speakers at its disposal, but increased clarity and depth are also evident throughout. The top end engages with some regularity, both in obvious support of core musical and environmental elements but also more distinctly in a number of key scenes, including the "Just Dance" sequence in chapter eight where the sense of large, open space is tangible, transforming the listening area into the sprawling digital dance floor. The scene could stand a little more subwoofer thump, but it's otherwise an impressive example of the track's spacial capabilities. A couple of more discrete moments that exemplify the track's overhead domination and large-scale sense of place are evident during the "whale song" scene midway through (which is also accompanied by the most prodigious bass in the track) and the "Dropbox" scene within the 58-minute mark. Core clarity is exemplary throughout, whether big musical cues or finessed atmospherics both in the digital and, briefly, real worlds. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized with constant front-center placement. This is a fantastic track: big, seamless, with clarity that's hard to match and several reference-worthy Atmos moments. For as painfully vacuous as the movie may be, it's worth the watch if only to enjoy this listen.

The Emoji Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Emoji Movie's UHD release carries over a couple of extras from the Blu-ray: the audio commentary track and the Hotel Transylvania short film (2160p/HDR/DD 5.1). Also included are the Sony UHD staples: cast and crew photo tab and a collection of categorized "Moments" (2160p/HDR/Atmos): Gene, Hi-5, Jailbreak, and Smiler. All of the extras can be found on the bundled Blu-ray disc as listed below. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Co-Writer/Director Tony Leondis leads a commentary that also includes Head of Story Mark Sperber, Production Designer Carlos Zaragoza, and Head of Layout James Williams. The track is both insightful and humorous, a complete 180 from the movie.
• Puppy! An Original Hotel Transylvania Short (1080p, DD 5.1, 5:00): Dennis wants a puppy but when he gets one he gets more than he and the family bargained for.
• Jailbreak Decoded: The Untold Story (1080p, 1:56): A very short scene, simply animated, that tells a little more of Jailbreak's background story.
• "Good Vibrations" Dance Along (1080p, 2:38): A couple of kids dance to a song from the film.
• Gimmie a Hand! Guess the Emoji Game (1080p, 5:37): A couple of kids (along with the audience) try to guess an emoji's identity based on verbal and visual clues.
• Express Yourself: Meet the Cast (1080p, 6:45): Quick interviews with the voice cast in addition to brief film and recording studio clips.
• Sweet App-etite: Make your Own Candy Crush Saga Cake (1080p, 6:24): A brief tutorial on baking a yummy looking cake.
• Girls Can Code! (1080p, 5:40): Anna Ferris introduces a piece that focuses on some young female computer programmers.
• Choreographing Emoji with Matt Steffanina (1080p, 3:33): A closer look at the movie's Just Dance sequence.
• Creating the World Inside Your Phone (1080p, 4:38): A short piece that explores the complexities of the digital world the filmmakers have created for the film.
• Bringing Emojis to Life (1080p, 3:22): A discussion of how the filmmakers designed the characters.
• How to Draw Poop (1080p, 3:35): Character Designer Andy Bialk shares the secrets of drawing one of the film's, and emoji's, most recognizable figures.
• How to Draw Gene (1080p, 3:17): Andy Bialk returns to draw the film's main character.
• "Good Vibrations" Lyric Video (1080p, 3:49): Sing along to the song as the lyric appear on-screen.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

The Emoji Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Emoji Movie is the latest movie that exists because it could exist, not because anyone had any real reason to make it. Sure, the filmmakers will talk up themes of expression, acceptance, and being true to oneself, but the problem is that the movie lacks even a hint of dramatic creativity. It's a mindless animated adventure film built on the very sort of soulless, expressionless, rote content that the film's story fights against. It'd be funny and ironic if the movie weren't so demoralizing. Sony's UHD is the way to go for anyone wanting to own the movie. The picture quality is improved and the Atmos soundtrack is fantastic and reference-worthy.