advertisement

Shrill, shallow 'Pixels' propelled by nostalgia

On paper, or at least on a computer printout, Chris Columbus' "Pixels" probably looked like the next "Ghostbusters" or the next "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," two comedy classics that clearly inspired this underwhelming live-action/cartoon hybrid.

For adults, "Pixels" takes a nostalgic trip down Arcade Lane, reintroducing animated characters from vintage 1980s video games, among them Frogger, Pac-Man, Centipede, Tetris, Donkey Kong and Space Invaders. These get added to clips from 1980s TV shows and songs for a true "the-mullet-will-never-die" experience.

For kids, "Pixels" offers an abundance of colorful, explosive visual effects, car chases, flying space ships and even the lovable game character Q*bert, a cute mascot who urinates a pixilated stream when frightened.

Columbus himself wrote some of the great 1980s fantasy films, such as "The Goonies" and "Gremlins," then went on to direct "Home Alone" and the first two "Harry Potter" movies.

So, with all this talent and built-in market appeal, why is "Pixels" such a shrill and shallow movie experience starved of wit, intelligence, emotion and snappy pacing?

The story begins on July 26, 1982, the same year "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" unleashed the exclamation "Awesome!" upon on our culture. (Sadly, this milestone goes unobserved.)

Young kids Sam Brenner, Will Cooper, Ludlow Lamonsoff and Eddie "The Fire Blaster" Plant participate in a video game tournament, with poor Sam coming in second to Plant's cocky champion.

Thirty-three years later, Sam (Adam Sandler) has become a home entertainment technician. While on an assignment, he comforts Violet Van Patten (Michelle Monaghan), an abandoned wife and mother drinking chardonnay while crying in her walk-in closet. It's an awkward, strained meet-cute, inasmuch as Van Patten turns out to be a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army.

Cooper (Kevin James) has become the U.S. commander in chief who calls his best childhood pal Sam (Adam Sandler) over to the White House for help.

An alien force has apparently accepted the challenge to play a real-life version of 1980s video games with the winner claiming our planet.

Wait! A challenge? Hmmm. Maybe this has something to do with NASA sending a recording of that 1982 video game championship into space as part of a time capsule. (Weirdly enough, scientist Stephen Hawking warned us this week not to send messages into space - we never know who or what might receive them.)

The aliens, apparently believing video games to be a proclamation of war, dispatch lighted cells that transform buildings and people into tiny blocks and sweep them away. Next, aliens unleash video game monsters, such as the Centipede, upon the Earth.

In short order Sam re-teams with his old pal Ludlow (Josh Gad) and old nemesis Eddie "Fire Blaster" Plant ("Game of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage), sprung from a prison cell to save his country.

Sandler, Gad and James are established comic actors.

Yet, their line-readings sound flat and their personas seem dull, unlike Dinklage, whose sheer charisma and flair for putting a comic spin on the soggiest dialogue pull the cinematic rug out from under his co-stars.

Dinklage is easily the best part of "Pixels," along with two hilarious sight gags (one involving a building destroyed Tetris-style, the other involving Eddie's dream of a threesome with Serena Williams and Martha Stewart).

Clearly, "Pixels" intends to invoke the spirit of "Ghostbusters," with the good guys wearing uniforms (bearing the name "Arcaders") and blasting baddies with ray guns. Sam even quotes Peter Venkman's line, "See you on the other side!"

Key difference: "Ghostbusters" had the great Harold Ramis as a writer. "Pixels" has Tim "Happy Gilmore" Herlihy plus Timothy "This Means War" Dowling to expand Patrick Jean's original 2010 short "Pixels" into a full-length feature.

Violet (Michelle Monaghan), Sam (Adam Sandler) and Ludlow (Josh Gad) join Q*bert to fight alien forces in the “Ghostbusters” wannabe comedy “Pixels.”

“Pixels”

★ ½

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

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Other: A Columbia Pictures release. Rated PG-13 for language, suggestive comments. 106 minutes

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.