‘Pixels’ Review: Can We Please Have The Old Adam Sandler Back?
Pixels reviews are not just something 8-bit video-gamers (read: people who grew up in the 80s) will be looking forward to, but Adam Sandler should be eying with a fair amount of nervous tension, as well.
When you consider how the last few years have gone for Sandler, with his previous three features, Blended (2014), That’s My Boy (2012), and Just Go With It (2011), all bombing big-time at the box-office, one wonders whether it is at all worth paying to watch a Sandler movie these days. Well, as it turns out, his latest film, Pixels is just the kind of film Sandler’s fans were waiting for.
Pixels is a nostalgic trip down the memory lane. Anyone who grew up playing on the Atari gaming console will remember the numerous characters that inhabited our video gaming universe — Pac Man, Donkey Kong, the enormous Pong paddles — and the Pixels reviews to date confirm that this film serves up a hefty platter, with loads of humor and some clever zingers thrown into the mix.
Directed by Chris Columbus (whose career went downhill after he directed the first two Harry Potter films), Pixels tells the story of Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) and his boyhood friends, who join forces to battle against the earth-invading 8-bit aliens, who, far from our understanding of them as friendly creatures, are actually a malicious bunch who interpret a peace message the wrong way.
So where does the idea of turning Pac Man and Donkey Kong into vicious aliens come from? From the games themselves, says Pixels‘ writer Tim Herlihy. He spoke to New York Daily News about the film’s video-game characters.
“They’re all homicidal. They’re all trying to kill you. You die three times and you put another quarter in.”
The New York Daily News has the following to say.
“This movie is certainly not going to win any awards for originality. Thinking back on it, it’s basically Ghostbusters with aliens filling in for the ghosts, right down to Donkey Kong taking over for the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. But for what Pixels lacks in originality, it more than makes up for it in heart and humor. There are moments between characters that are truly touching, and they are not being shoved down your throat… Like a marathon runner, Pixels starts out strong, keeps a steady pace for the most part, but falters a bit towards the end. It still comes out a winner.”
.@PixelsMovie behind-the-scenes video shot entirely on a @GoProhttps://t.co/Mo9nFxjHb6
— Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) July 15, 2015
[Photo: Columbia Pictures Philippines / Facebook]
