Rights holder / Distributor: Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Releasing
Pixels (Pixels) is a 2015 science fiction action comedy film directed by Chris Columbus written by Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling, inspired by the short film of the same name by Patrick Jean. The world premiere is on July 24, 2015 in the United States. The production combines fantasy adventure, humor and references to classic arcade video games from the 1980s.
When an alien civilization intercepts video recordings of old arcade games, they mistake them for a declaration of war and launch an attack on Earth. The attacks recreate popular games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Galaga и Space Invaders, but this time the pixelated characters become a real threat to humanity. President Will Cooper turns to his childhood friend Sam Brenner, a former arcade champion, who must assemble an unusual team of experienced players. Together with Ludlow Lamonsoff, Eddie Plant and military specialist Violet van Patten, they face an enemy whose rules they have known since childhood, but whose attacks can now destroy entire cities.
Chris Columbus builds an adventure story that relies on the clash between the nostalgia for video games of the past and the large-scale spectacle of modern cinema. The visual effects recreate familiar game characters in a real environment, and the battles use the mechanics of classic titles in a fun and accessible way. The direction maintains a light tone and alternates action scenes with comedic situations, although in places the humor and plot twists are predictable. The greatest merit of the film is the idea of turning the familiar childhood entertainment into an unusual threat that requires not strength, but knowledge of the rules of the game.
Adam Sandler is Sam Brenner – a former video game champion who must once again prove his abilities in battle with aliens. Kevin James plays President Will Cooper and brings a comedic touch to the image of the head of state, forced to rely on his childhood friends. Peter Dinklage builds a colorful image of Eddie Plant, a confident racer with a big ego, and Josh Gad is Ludlow Lamonsoff – an eccentric gamer whose knowledge proves to be particularly valuable. Michelle Monaghan complements the team as Violet van Patten, a military specialist who provides the necessary technology to combat the unusual adversary.
Pixels is a light and fun adventure that turns classic video games into the basis for a fantastical clash to save the world. The film relies on spectacular visual effects, recognizable game characters and humor that will appeal especially to viewers who grew up with arcade machines. Although the story does not offer a particularly original plot, the combination of nostalgia, comedy and action gives it its own charm. This is a suitable choice for an unpretentious evening in front of the screen and for fans of video games from the 80s.
