Pixels (2015) Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Ashley Benson, Sean Bean Movie Review

Pixels (2015)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Pixels (2015)

Arcadians Unite

As a child Brenner (Adam Sandler - Blended) was a major gamer, a talented arcade player who worked out the patterns of the games so that he could win, except in a major tournament he is beaten by Eddie (Peter Dinklage). Following that day life didn't turn out as Brenner expected and he ended up a TV and audio system installation guy whilst his best friend, Will Cooper (Kevin James - Here Comes the Boom), has become the President of America. But the whole world comes under attack from an alien force who through an old set of videos sent in to space have decided to attack the planet through a series of 80s arcade games with the first to three winning. Who better for the President to call than Brenner who with the help of Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad), Eddie and also Violet (Michelle Monaghan - Penthouse North), an advisor who Brenner hits on, take on the old arcade games in the real world.

Two things come to mind straight away and the first is that the older I get the more my opinion of movies seems to differ from the mainstream audience. The other thing is that it feels like it has been a long time coming but "Pixels" is an entertaining Adam Sandler movie, that seems to be where my opinion differs to many who seem to be disappointed by this movie. In truth I can understand why some might be disappointed by "Pixels" as the characters are typically stupid, the jokes are often week and Sandler often seems to delve in to his box of mannerisms rather than doing anything fresh.

But in many ways it is because it is another typical Sandler element which makes "Pixels" work for me as his dipping back in to the 80s with arcade games made me smile. From a battle with centipedes to playing Pacman on the streets of New York this is 80s creative and to be honest I would love to play real Pacman in a city with pimped up minis. But then add some retro tunes and whilst clearly not my childhood brought to life it did remind me of what was so good about the arcades back then and the games we played in them.

What this all boils down to is that "Pixels" is the sort of movie whose retro creativity should appeal enough to some to distract from the weaknesses and out right stupidity which fills the rest of the movie, well it is an Adam Sandler movie.


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