The Emoji Movie Review: 3 Ups & 7 Downs

2. It's More Self-Aware Than You're Expecting

It's baffling that the film does have several moments that hint at a greater self-awareness than the movie's marketing suggested. From its observations about how phone are such an important part of our daily lives to its depiction of Internet trolls and the outdated nature of emoticons (remember them?), there are some moments that clearly could've developed into something much smarter and funnier, but they're just too damn fleeting.

The point here is that the film really could've been even dumber, and that's a small mercy. There are moments of sure promise throughout, which only make the end result that much more infuriating, mind.