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Pixels

kdk July 23, 2015
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Read Time:2 Minute, 35 Second

In the ‘80s, the local arcade was the place to be on Saturday afternoons. All of the kids were there, hanging out in the noisy darkness, lining up their quarters for a chance to play Pac-Man, Space Invaders, or Donkey Kong. If you were one of those kids, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll enjoy the geeky retro action of Pixels.



Pixels poses a terrifying scenario: aliens are invading, and the fate of the world lies in Adam Sandler’s hands.



As a kid, Sandler’s Sam Brenner was an arcade game champion with unlimited potential—but he now spends his days installing TVs and setting up video game consoles. When an alien race interprets a video of old arcade games as a declaration of war and responds with a series of massive video game-style attacks, Sam finally gets his chance to use his gaming expertise for the greater good. And he teams up with his old gaming friends—and his old rival, Fireblaster (Peter Dinklage)—to save the planet.



Adam Sandler is probably the last person you’d expect to star in a big, flashy action movie—but that’s just a part of the film’s quirky action-comedy appeal. This isn’t the typical summer blockbuster, with impossibly handsome, bulked-up young stars battling some ruthless villain. Instead, it’s an action movie for the other guys. Here, it’s up to the geeks and gamers and creepy conspiracy theorists to put their skills to good use, fighting the video game villains of their youth.



Veteran director Chris Columbus works with his comic cast to give the film a good balance of action and laughs. The action sequences are clever and fun—and anyone who fondly remembers the classic games of the ‘80s will love seeing their favorite arcade icons in all of their glowing, pixilated glory (even if they happen to be destroying New York City in the process). Though the story loses a bit of its steam toward the end, there are so many beloved games to choose from that the gimmick never really gets old.



Meanwhile, Columbus also manages to keep Sandler and his crew in check. While the characters still have their outrageous moments, it’s clear that they weren’t given free reign. And the result is the kind of amusingly sophomoric insanity of earlier Sandler films. It’s wacky and often wildly over-the-top—and some of the jokes still fall flat—but it rarely goes so far that it feels obnoxious. It’s just an enjoyably ridiculous romp through retro pop culture.



Of course, the old-school premise may not have quite the same appeal for younger viewers, and if you can’t stand Sandler’s comic style, his latest film probably won’t win you over. But Pixels is a fun-filled adventure for the arcade kids of the ‘80s. If you still remember spending your Saturdays with Pac-Man, you’ll want to gather up your old gaming buddies and check it out.





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About Post Author

kdk

Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it. Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course. As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com). Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
kdk@nightsandweekends.com
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kdk

Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.

Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.

As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).

Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.

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