'Pixels' A Review

Pixels is a scifi comedy about an alien invasion that manifests as 80's video game characters. The former arcade champions now aged and shlubby nerds are tapped to defend the world with their 8 bit skills. Sam Brenner(Adam Sandler) the 80's Pac-Man champion whose life never took off after his Donkey Kong Defeat by Eddie Plant(Peter Dinklage). He now installs and sets up televisions and computers. On a normal visit he meets Violet van Patten(Michelle Monaghan) and develops flirty contentious relationship. Through Sam's childhood friend President Will Cooper(Kevin James) taps him to fight the aliens-in-the-form-of-80's-video-game-characters and his life is finally given purpose.

There is not much to like about this recent addition to the slovenly and increasingly idiotic Sandler cannon. The sole positive of the movie is the live-action video game battles which constitutes about 12 minutes of running time. Although billed as a comedy the jokes are the same recycled fair Sandler has been relying on since 1995- vaguely misogynistic, sexist, and gross. The "romance" between Sandler and Monaghan is more far-fetched than the personified Pac-Man. It's rote banality is offensive, the ideas and dialogue a regurgitation of an echo of a cliche. This is nothing compared to Josh Gad's character's obsession with Lady Lisa and then her eventual materialization as a literal trophy.

Predictable, dumb, lazy.

Don't See It.