Game Over: ‘Pixels’ is Visually Spectacular, but Fails to Excite

Though it has a few laughs, some very pretty visuals, a moment of excitement or two, and a lot of nostalgia for the late Gen X crowd, Pixels is a silly, two-dimensional film that isn’t even aware or its own uneven campiness. Instead of going full camp, or making an attempt at any kind of elevated filmmaking (because, frankly – the concept and visuals are top notch), instead, it falls somewhere in-between – lost and forgotten, like that stack dusty old video games cartridges in that one box in your mom’s garage. 

In 1982, Sam (Adalm Sandler) nearly won a video game championship as a kid, but lost to his cocky, loud-mouthed friend Eddy (Peter Dinklage). The results of that contest –  which included games like Pac-Man, Centipede, Galaga, and Donkey Kong – were placed in a time capsule (along with other examples of Earth culture), shot into the vast reaches of space, and finally discovered by extraterrestrials that confuse the game footage with a threat of war. Flash-forward to present day and the aliens mount their attack, using the giant-sized video game characters as weapons.

The definitely-not-believable-as-President (Kevin James) enlists his childhood friends to counter the alien attack, using their knowledge and skills as expert gamers. The results are not as funny or entertaining as they should have been; especially when Sandler is involved. And the plot seems to be ripped off from an 80’s cult classic The Last Starfighter (a kid beats a video game that is actually a test to see if he is capable of fighting off a real alien threat).

Director Chris Columbus seemed like he never got behind the movie completely; as if he begrudgingly accepted the directing credit – while letting his seemingly bored actors loose on the screen. Granted, it does sparkle with the kind of magic we’d expect from the director of the first two Harry potter films; but what we get instead is a half-hearted attempt at a sci-fi comedy. Even though it is far better than all of Sandler’s recent rash of lazy comedies; in Pixels, he acted like he was mostly-bored and only went through the motions because the studio was paying him to do so. In fact, he was the least funny of the group.

The film does have a few redeeming qualities, though. When the aliens finally attack, using their awesome technology to resemble the characters from the video games that inspired them to wreck havoc on earth, it is awesome. The CGI is pretty, bright, and very imaginative; offering some distraction from the thin narrative. I’d even argue that some really great talent in the visual effects department was wasted on this film. So, for that, it is worth the watch. But perhaps your money would be better spent elsewhere – like on the wonderfully imaginative and wholly effective Inside Out.

Or even better, check out the far superior short film that inspired this movie!

Pixels

Run Time: 105 minutes

Rated PG-13 for some language and suggestive comments

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Michelle Monaghen

Director: Chris Columbus

Writers: Tim Herlihy, Timothy Dowling, Patrick Jean