It's not surprising that the
daggers have been out for Pixels long before it ever opened in
theaters. Adam Sandler's movies generally are pretty terrible, and director
Chris Columbus was the only guy who couldn't make a decent Harry Potter movie.
And let's face it; there's an aversion to anything that dares to play on
our childhood memories, whether it be remakes or movies about our favorite
action figures. Chances are, the same people who played with those classic toys
also plucked down a few quarters at the local arcade, and they will get a kick
out of the way Pixels brings those games to glorious
life.
First, you'll have to wade through the typically sophomoric Happy Madison junk to get to the fun stuff. Penned by Sandler's buds Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling, Pixels is loosely based on Patrick Jean's amazing short film in which aliens attack the Earth by using classic video game characters. Sandler plays Sam Brenner, a childhood video game maestro who very nearly became the Donkey Kong champion, but he lost to the Billy Mitchell-esque Eddie Plant (Peter Dinklage, nothing short of hilarious) in the competitive finals. The defeat sent Sam on a tailspin he never recovered from, and as an adult he's basically a member of the Geek Squad, installing video game systems in the homes of more successful people. At least his best pal (Kevin James) is the President of the United States (!!!), which is a lot better than his other childhood buddy, Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad), who grew up to be a total crackpot.
After an awkward and overlong meet-cute between Sam and tough military mom Violet (Michelle Monaghan), its game on when an army base is suddenly obliterated into 8-bit rubble by mysterious forces. Turns out that a time capsule (remember those?) sent into space decades ago was interpreted by an alien race as a declaration of war, and so they're on the attack using Pac-Man, Galaga, Centipede, and more as their weapons of choice. If the Earth loses three battles, its game over and the planet will be destroyed.
The most fun to be had with Pixels is scoping out the literally hundreds of characters populating the screen at once. Everything from Burger Time to Q-Bert to Paperboy (my favorite) can be seen in the background trying to destroy the Earth, and those who have a fondness for those games will get a kick out of it. How often do you get to a 3D version of Pac-Man take over New York City, complete with power pellets and little cars posing as the "ghosts"? Columbus has never been the most visually inventive filmmaker but he's stepped up his game with impressive digital renderings that are like something straight out of your Atari 2600. There's a fair bit of action, too, far more than your typical Sandler film, and other than the bland Centipede set piece they're surprisingly well-choreographed, resembling stages from your favorite coin-ops.
Pixels is all about the nostalgia factor, though, and it's important to remember that Columbus is partially responsible for some of the '80s most unforgettable films: The Goonies, Gremlins, Adventures in Babysitting, and others. His love for the era and respect for these games is what makes Pixels so enjoyable. It also doesn't hurt that Sandler is largely in the straight-man role, leaving the humor to Gad and Dinklage who are far funnier than him at this point. Sadly, this is still a Happy Madison production and that means a ton of useless cameos from Sandler's useless buddies, and occasionally a crass joke disrupts what is generally wholesome family entertainment. The best cameos are by Q-Bert and Frogger, anyway. Pixels isn't the kind of movie you sit around and think too much about, but it works as a fun and fast-paced celebration of the arcade era. When it's over you won't want to hit the reset button and get your money back, at least.
Rating: 3 out of 5
