In one of the most surprising film announcements of 2019 so far, the Funko Pop! figures are getting their own movie from Warner Bros. Details are scarce on the movie now, as production hasn't started. That said, there are some minor details revealed as well as what we know from Funko to give us an idea of what to expect.

PREVIOUSLY: Possible Funko Movie May Feature First Theatrical Marvel/DC Crossover

This could either be a surprising hit on the same level as The LEGO Movie or a serious flop like The Emoji Movie. Here are 5 signs that indicate the Funko Pop! movie could be amazing and 5 that it could be a major flop.

AMAZING: VAST LICENSES

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The draw of Funko Pop! figures is that they have taken licenses from just about everything you can imagine. Everything from shows like Rick and Morty all the way to games like Q-Bert have all been represented by a Funko Pop! figure. This could be well-utilized in the film, bringing all sorts of familiar characters with the cutesy design of the figures all in one place.

It could also extend into the locations used in the movie, putting some unlikely characters in some unlikely situations. It's unclear how far the licensing will stretch regarding the movie, but it's an exciting prospect on paper.

FLOP: TOY AD

The big concern with the Funko Pop! movie is that it's supposedly a feature-length film about collectible toys that people display on shelves. There isn't much to them other than that. Needless to say, it could be an easy attempt to make an hour-long advertisement for people to simply buy more of these.

Plenty of animated movies have been little more than shameless cash grabs, and centering it around Funko Pop! figures would be all too easy to turn into the worst of the bunch. Sure, the movie would still sell more toys if successful, but it should be a good film first and foremost.

AMAZING: PARODICAL

There's no way that the people behind the Funko Pop! movie are producing it without considering the potential of having that property. With their figures being made in the image of hundreds of characters across TV shows, comic books, movies, and video games, there's room to make the film parodical in nature (there is a Jeff Goldblum meme figure after all).

Those properties could be used to poke fun of certain mistakes or create characters that highlight awkward traits of their real-world counterparts. There's no way people are going to take such a ridiculous concept seriously, so it's important that the film doesn't take it seriously either. Its success depends on it.

FLOP: JUST FOR CHILDREN

The best animated movies are those that are made with children in mind but are meaningful enough that everyone can enjoy them. The apparent issue with a movie starring Funko Pops is that it could be solely a kids' film. It could feature low-brow humor, poorly-written characters, and shameless product placement just to sell more figures after a good watch.

Pixar has proven for years that good animated movies can be enjoyed by all types of people. Even Sony recently accomplished this with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The goal of the movie needs to be for older people to understand and appreciate it and not just for kids to laugh at it.

AMAZING: UNIQUE ANIMATION

Animation is starting to reach a point where unique styles are being chosen to carry entire films. The LEGO Movie franchise uses CGI to simulate stop-motion, which gives it an authentic look all its own. Into the Spider-Verse was created to look just like a comic book come to life.

There are so many routes Warner Bros could take with the Funko Pop! movie. The important thing is that they need to look at their material and figure out what unique visual elements they could do with it. It's an entire world full of toys, so the possibilities with the animation are nearly endless.

FLOP: POP CULTURE REFERENCES

Pop culture references are a great way to date a movie. There's a reason that movies released in the 2000s and 2010s don't hold up when compared to movies released in the '80s. Movies like Sing and Trolls are aging poorly because they featured music that is no longer at the top of the charts.

Furthermore, pop culture references alone aren't enough to make an entertaining film. Unfortunately, a movie starring Funko Pops is ripe for too many pop culture references (they could just include Fortnite and call it a day). The figures themselves were created as references. A movie about them could fall into the same fate and instantly become a flop.

AMAZING: ENTERTAINING

At the very least, having a movie about figures from all these different universes could make more something extremely entertaining and self-aware. In the same way that Aquaman was well-received for its willingness to just have a good time, the Funko Pop! movie could do the same thing.

Furthermore, seeing cutesy versions of beloved characters interacting and behaving on the big screen is surely going to give people something nice to watch. If it doesn't rely on current radio music and has an element of self-awareness to it, there's no doubt it could make enough money to be a success.

FLOP: LEGO MOVIE COPY

Warner Bros had a surprising success with The LEGO Movie. They are continuing that series with The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. With them now trying to give Funko Pops their own movie, there is a serious danger with making it a copy of The LEGO Movie.

Even movies in the LEGO universe are already starting to blend together, so it would be easy for the Funko Pop! movie to suffer the same fate. That's not to say that The LEGO Movie is bad. It's just that we'll want to see something new done with the property rather than retreading familiar territory.

AMAZING: CROSSOVERS

Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Funko Pop! movie would be the insane crossovers we could see. Details about the film say that characters included are Darth Vader, Hello Kitty, Deadpool, Harley Quinn, Hellboy, and even the Care Bears. It gives us the opportunity to see the first Marvel and DC crossover on the big screen.

It also gives us the chance to see Hello Kitty and Darth Vader meet for the first time and interact with each other. The mash-ups are endless, and it might be worth the price of admission just to see how these characters from vast worlds behave around each other.

FLOP: LITTLE STORY POTENTIAL

Creating a story is difficult. You have to consider character arcs, a main theme, how plot threads integrate, and so many more factors. It's difficult enough to do with a good premise. However, there isn't much story potential with a movie about collectible figures that are just put on shelves. Whoever writes it needs to be a master storyteller with a lot of creativity.

Furthermore, it would be all too easy to go the simple route and just copy stories from other animated films. Sure, it could feature all sorts of familiar characters, but that alone can't hold a story. The short films aren't very popular, and it doesn't bode well for the movie.

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