PIXELS (B/B/A+/A+/A+)

Saying this is one of the more enjoyable films from Adam Sandler is like saying that was one of my favorite times someone punched me in the mouth…  Despite the predictably vitriolic, scathingly venom-laced scathing from a majority of self-impressed, note-taking, arm-folding critics, this Ghostbusters meets Wreck-It Ralph wannabe turns out to be a crowd-pleasing summer surprise.  Playing the same scene shuffling schlub we’re used to, Sandler forgoes his usual band of oddball buddies in lieu of a refreshing batch of solid actors (Monaghan, Gad, Dinklage, Bean and Cox) who seem game for almost anything – and that’s precisely where this film pays off.  With its clever premise, effective comedy (more often than not) and outlandishly (and purposely) outdated special effects, this becomes an easily accessible throwback to mousse-haired, acid-washed, neon-clad 80’s nostalgia.  It’s not a perfect movie and the thought of a POTUS’d Kevin James or Q*Bert’s pixilated pee may give you rightful room for pause, but push past the few existing negatives and you’ll find a movie that your whole family can enjoy!  My wife and I liked it a lot, my three boys (10, 8 and 5) loved it and the screening audience of (roughly) 300+ ate these shenanigans up with a giant spoon.  Classic video games from 1982 come to life and attack our planet and this is still, somehow, not Sandler’s most ridiculous film to date.  Chalk it up as yet another example of most critics being way too critical.  Pixels was totally tubular.
Starring:  Adam Sandler, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin James, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Sean Bean and Brian Cox
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 1hr. 46min.
Story: A group of kids in the 1980s saved the world thousands of times - at 25 cents a game in the video arcades. Now, they're going to have to do it for real. In Pixels, when intergalactic aliens discover video feeds of classic arcade games and misinterpret them as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth, using the video games as the models for their assaults. (C) Sony

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