Pixels
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Written by: Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Jane Krakowski, Dan Aykroyd, Affion Crockett, Denis Akiyama
Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi - 105 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 22 July 2015
Written by: Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Jane Krakowski, Dan Aykroyd, Affion Crockett, Denis Akiyama
Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi - 105 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 22 July 2015
My son is going to wonder how I could play arcade games like PAC-MAN, Space Invaders, and Asteroids as intently as he will eventually play the latest eardrum shattering ‘gotta have it’ video game explosion. Sure, some of us in the early ‘80s had the Atari console, but we also had the option of pumping quarters into machines at the arcade. There was music, there was social camaraderie, and there may have even been a girl or two, but what were girls compared to Galaga and Centipede? Perhaps what makes Pixels so unexpectedly enjoyable are most of the filmmakers involved with it identify with the early ‘80s and respect its influence on today’s pop culture.
Director Chris Columbus wrote Gremlins and The Goonies. He directed Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and the first Harry Potter; this man cast Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. Columbus’s impact on blockbuster action comedies will be forever chiseled in stone; therefore, it really should be no surprise that Pixels is at times hysterical, sparks nostalgia for the parents in the audience, and succeeds in spite of the presence of Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Even though Sandler starred in and produced some of the ‘90s best comedies, in 2015, his name on a movie poster inspires warning signs and disappointment rather than excitement over the new Sandler film.
Director Chris Columbus wrote Gremlins and The Goonies. He directed Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and the first Harry Potter; this man cast Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. Columbus’s impact on blockbuster action comedies will be forever chiseled in stone; therefore, it really should be no surprise that Pixels is at times hysterical, sparks nostalgia for the parents in the audience, and succeeds in spite of the presence of Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Even though Sandler starred in and produced some of the ‘90s best comedies, in 2015, his name on a movie poster inspires warning signs and disappointment rather than excitement over the new Sandler film.
Sandler (2014's Men, Women & Children) did not write Pixels, which is based on a 2010 short film created by French director Patrick Jean. Tim Herlihy, a frequent Sandler collaborator all the way back to Billy Madison, and Timothy Dowling, expanded the short film's idea of very recognizable arcade games attacking Earth’s major cities. They set Centipede on top of London’s Hyde Park, PAC-MAN glides up and down Manhattan’s crowded streets gobbling up all in his path, and Galaga takes out Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base. Why? Because NASA sent footage of the 1982 world video game championships out into space where an alien race interpreted the footage as a war declaration. One must always consider the second and third order effects when launching objects into space.
Sandler’s Sam Brenner participated in the 1982 championship. He is one of the world’s greatest arcade game players. How do those skills transfer to the present day? Brenner is an audio/visual equipment installer, known as a NERD, which is a direct rip-off from the TV show Chuck’s Nerd Herd. Sam’s childhood friend, Will Cooper (Kevin James), another top tier video game player, grew up to become President of the United States, though not a very popular one. He comes across as what Chris Christie would look like in the White House.
When the aliens attack with their video game foot soldiers, President Cooper calls upon those who know the old arcade games the best, Sam, conspiracy theorist Ludlow ‘The Wonder Kid’ Lamsonoff (Josh Gad, 2014's Wish I Was Here), and Eddie ‘The Fire Blaster’ Plant (Peter Dinklage, 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past). Lamsonoff alternates his time studying the underground’s juiciest conspiracy theories (he determines JFK shot first) and dreaming up ways to be with his one true love, a gorgeous female video game character, Lady Lisa. Eddie Plant is a mullet sporting, arms ripped off his shirt, narcissist. It doesn’t matter if he nicknamed himself ‘The Fire Blaster’ if it’s true.
Put them all together and the team gels comedically as they battle Centipede with light blasters and drive Mini Coopers around New York City as the ghosts attempting to reign in PAC-MAN. Michelle Monaghan plays DARPA Lieutenant Colonel Violet Van Patten as the technology guru inventing the weapons to fight the aliens and doubles as Sandler’s love/hate female interest. Josh Gad is the funniest of the lot due to some unexpected outbursts and because Kevin James mostly has to play it more sober as the President. Sandler is the level-headed goof and Dinklage over does it a bit as the scheming and demeaning Fire Blaster.
Effects wise, Pixels does not go for realistic CGI. It shows the arcade villains as they looked from the early ‘80s days; there is no sprucing up with finer detail nor refined curves. Q*bert is all cubed blocks, PAC-MAN moves methodically with his standard open-mouthed persona, and Donkey Kong resembles his barrel throwing cartoon gorilla rather than King Kong. Centipede gets the biggest makeover as a flying snake-like chomper. Pixels is certainly ridiculous and if you did not play arcade games in the ‘80s or are a bit too young to remember them, Pixels may not be for you. But for those of us in the particular aligned demographic, you may just enjoy the hell out of this throwback. On paper, I find nothing intriguing about Adam Sandler and Kevin James battling video games. In the theater, I laughed out loud and smiled just about the whole time enjoying this summertime popcorn way back machine.
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