Pixels
Nostalgia can sometimes spell Game Over.
Let me start off by saying that I, for one, was a child that grew up where socializing happened with real people and video game challenges were settled in front of an arcade machine “mano a mano” you, your opponent and a row of quarters. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing your initials atop of the leaderboard in games such as Galaga, Pac Man, Donkey Kong and my personal favorite, Ghost N Goblins. I can still remember the first time I walked into an arcade, the smell of popcorn, card board nachos, and the unstoppable clic clacks of joysticks followed by the “oooh’s and aaah’s” of the small crowds gathered around the machines watching these electronic gladiators battle it out. Oh yes! Those were the days! So it was no surprise that when I first saw the preview of Sony’s “Pixels” starring Adam Sandler my inner child exploded with nostalgia.
The idea behind this film seemed promising (inspired by a 2010 short), however, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I had seen the best parts in two minutes of previews and that Sandler’s Happy Madison production company had once again played with my emotions into giving it a chance wishing that the Sandler of decades past would show up. Yet once again, I came out shaking my head in disappointment.
The film begins in 1982, where a 13-year-old Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) a whiz kid who masters video games by learning the patterns of the machines’ programming. After becoming the top player at it’s local arcade, Brenner decides to enter the video game championship along side his best friend Cooper (later played by Kevin James). When they arrive, Brenner and Cooper quickly find and make friends with Ludlow (Josh Gad) to complete their comedic trio. Brenner is a hometown favorite who makes easy work the competition landing him in the finals. It is before the final match between Brenner and Eddie “The Fireblaster” Plant (Peter Dinkle) that the audience is notified by the Championship MC played by Dan Aykroyd, that a video tape of the competition will be sent into orbit via a NASA capsule that will contain not only the competition but other examples of our then-contemporary pop culture, setting up the stage for the film. 30 years later aliens find the capsule and see the video as a declaration of war sending to earth their best warriors in the form of 8 bit video game characters with messages to earth explaining that video game rules apply to the annihilation of humanity.
With a great cast of characters that seemed to have fun on set and Chris Columbus directing (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Harry Potter 1& 2) the film just could not get off the ground. The weak story seemed like a cheap imitation of a great 80’s classic Ghostbusters. The resemblance to me of this great film is everywhere. A group of 4 guys dressed in matching jumpsuits, driving funny cars around New York City, fighting evil with “light guns”, and instead of a fluffy marsh mellow giant the final character is a giant ape. There are a few laughs scattered about through out the film, but for the most part it tried to bank on nostalgia, flashy special effects, and star power. However, Pixels has the feeling that this could be the last quarter before the inevitable flashing “Game Over.”
3 out of 10 stars
