Pixels - directed by Chris Columbus
Starring: Adam Sandler, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage, Kevin James, Michelle Moynahan, Sean Bean, Brian Cox, Ashley Benson, Jane Krakowski
Running Time: 106 minutes
Rated: PG - very mild language and pixelated violence that barely counts as such
Pixels is the latest movie to come out this year that has received a critical drubbing.
"Hitman: Agent 47" and "Fantastic Four" seem to have copped the brunt of the vitriol and what has amounted to hatred.
I don't fully understand it.
Neither is particularly badly made and both have fun moments.
They just aren't as good as they could (or in the case of FF should) have been.
But I read comments like 'worst movie ever made'.
I understand the low scores (even though in Hitman's case I don't agree) but why is there such a torrent of hate directed towards them?
These days is seems it is not enough to simply criticise a film or game or whatever.
No- the creators must have scorn cast upon them. Their efforts must be branded Worse than AIDS or Hitler until the next 'Worst movie ever' comes along to ruin peoples lives.
I like movies and even when they disappoint me I try to figure out what didn't work for me and what I would have done differently if some reckless fool had given me millions of dollars and some cameras.
What I don't care to do is pour bile upon their efforts.
In the case of "Pixels" I suspect the critical flaying comes down to three things.
Adam Sandler.
Videogames.
A lack of choice.
When working as a paid film critic there is little choice in what one sees I would assume.
Being made to go and see a movie you wouldn't normally see can't be conducive to a fair review in a lot of cases I believe.
Plus critics don't like videogames or movies inspired by them as a rule nor is Adam Sandler too kindly thought of in those circles.
In fairness I can't say that either has produced too much to rave about. The number of good videogame or Adam Sandler movies that are any good at all can be counted on one hand.
But with "Pixels" I think Sandler is far better than his form of late and the movie itself is one of the better videogame flicks.
Yes- I said that about "Hitman: Agent 47" too and I stand by it.
In the case of Adam Sandler movies I haven't liked many of his films since The Wedding Singer.
I found him less obnoxious than usual in "Pixels" even though he plays pretty much the same character that he always does.
I enjoyed this movie.
Like Hitman it isn't amazing but I had fun with it.
But there is a caveat....
I realised pretty early on when it was revealed that Kevin James character is the President of the United States that plausibility wasn't on the table.
Why should it be though?
This is a movie that asks us to believe that not only do aliens confuse our friendly messages sent into deep space as an aggressive challenge but that they constructed videogame characters to use in the invasion that they mount in response.
Given that the lead characters - Sandler, Dinklage, James and Gad grew up playing 1980's videogames like Pac-Man, Galaga, Centipede and Robotron these are some of the forms that the alien invaders take.
For people like me of a similar age who also played those games there is some nostalgic value.
As there is with the numerous eighties references that come in the form of personalities from the time delivering messages on behalf of the aliens.
We have President Ronald Reagan, Hall and Oates, Mr Roarke & Tattoo from Fantasy Island and Madonna for example.
I liked these nostalgic nods (I had forgotten how appealing the young Madonna could be!) but I got the sense that not many of the kids in attendance knew what the hell was going on.
It makes the movie fall right in a gap - it is a tad too childish to fully appeal to people old enough to get the references and appreciate the games but also leaves the target younger audience a bit in the dark when it comes to the references.
They play very different games and watch tv shows 30 years out of whack with those shown.
The younger audience members did seem to enjoy the mayhem that followed as Pac-Man tore up the maze like streets of New York however.
And there is a nod to the difference in games now with Michelle Moynahan's characters young son playing The Last Of Us (surely the finest game ever made) and highlighting how dull it must be having to remember patterns to beat a game rather than becoming invested in the character and wanting them to live as you would yourself in their place.
Note also that as this is a Sony movie so all phones, TV's, computers and game consoles are clearly displayed as Sony products!
Other glaring things of note are that there isn't a lot of chemistry between Sandler and Moynahan and the idea that she is a DARPA scientist and that Sandler as Kevin James oldest friend can freely walk into the Whitehouse and smart mouth the Secret Service Men and assembled generals and advisors are absurdly implausible even for this movie.
But still.... I enjoyed it in a switch off the brain and go along for the ride kind of way.
It's dumb and it knows it.
"Pixels" does contain enough effective elements to work then.
The special effects are decent and there is some inventive use of the licences.
The way that the attacking Tetris blocks take down buildings is brilliantly done.
I also liked the numerous cameos to be spotted.
I noticed Mario, Paperboy, Robotron, Berzerk and many more in the mix.
QBert gets a starring role and some of the best laughs.
It isn't generally a hugely funny movie but it has moments and thankfully no groan-worthy bombs milked well beyond their worth like most recent Sandler films.
I will watch Michelle Moynahan in anything and she does a typically great job with the thin material she has.
I also liked a smokingly hot, ridiculously sexy Ashley Benson as Lady Lisa from the fictional Game Dojo Quest.
She gets no dialogue but her costume speaks volumes and Josh Gad's characters obsession with her is completely believable.
This movie is complete fluff.
Of course it is.
I was never bored though and I was often impressed with the casting.
Sean Bean and Brian Cox are always welcome additions to any cast even if they along with Jane Krakowski are hideously underused.
The cameos include Serena Williams and a famous tv cook and they amazingly do provide some laughs..
The eighties references were nicely done and I enjoyed Peter Dinklages obvious riff on that notorious doofus Billy Mitchell from the excellent documentary "The King of Kong".
I freely admit that this movie worked for me to the extent that it did because I loved the games as a kid (and still do now).
It's a fun 100 odd minutes, Moynahan is great and Sandler actually okay.
"Pixels" is fine and worthy of neither scorn nor particular reverence.
RATING: 68/ 100
CONCLUSION: Nowhere near as bad as a lot of reviews and the metacritic scores would have you believe. No masterpiece but as a fun bit of light entertainment it is perfectly fine. There are laughs, decent effects and lots of eighties references.
Running Time: 106 minutes
Rated: PG - very mild language and pixelated violence that barely counts as such
Pixels is the latest movie to come out this year that has received a critical drubbing.
"Hitman: Agent 47" and "Fantastic Four" seem to have copped the brunt of the vitriol and what has amounted to hatred.
I don't fully understand it.
Neither is particularly badly made and both have fun moments.
They just aren't as good as they could (or in the case of FF should) have been.
But I read comments like 'worst movie ever made'.
I understand the low scores (even though in Hitman's case I don't agree) but why is there such a torrent of hate directed towards them?
These days is seems it is not enough to simply criticise a film or game or whatever.
No- the creators must have scorn cast upon them. Their efforts must be branded Worse than AIDS or Hitler until the next 'Worst movie ever' comes along to ruin peoples lives.
I like movies and even when they disappoint me I try to figure out what didn't work for me and what I would have done differently if some reckless fool had given me millions of dollars and some cameras.
What I don't care to do is pour bile upon their efforts.
In the case of "Pixels" I suspect the critical flaying comes down to three things.
Adam Sandler.
Videogames.
A lack of choice.
When working as a paid film critic there is little choice in what one sees I would assume.
Being made to go and see a movie you wouldn't normally see can't be conducive to a fair review in a lot of cases I believe.
Plus critics don't like videogames or movies inspired by them as a rule nor is Adam Sandler too kindly thought of in those circles.
In fairness I can't say that either has produced too much to rave about. The number of good videogame or Adam Sandler movies that are any good at all can be counted on one hand.
But with "Pixels" I think Sandler is far better than his form of late and the movie itself is one of the better videogame flicks.
Yes- I said that about "Hitman: Agent 47" too and I stand by it.
In the case of Adam Sandler movies I haven't liked many of his films since The Wedding Singer.
I found him less obnoxious than usual in "Pixels" even though he plays pretty much the same character that he always does.
I enjoyed this movie.
Like Hitman it isn't amazing but I had fun with it.
But there is a caveat....
 |
| Michelle Moynahan, Adam Sandler, Josh Gad and Peter Dinklage |
Why should it be though?
This is a movie that asks us to believe that not only do aliens confuse our friendly messages sent into deep space as an aggressive challenge but that they constructed videogame characters to use in the invasion that they mount in response.
Given that the lead characters - Sandler, Dinklage, James and Gad grew up playing 1980's videogames like Pac-Man, Galaga, Centipede and Robotron these are some of the forms that the alien invaders take.
For people like me of a similar age who also played those games there is some nostalgic value.
As there is with the numerous eighties references that come in the form of personalities from the time delivering messages on behalf of the aliens.
We have President Ronald Reagan, Hall and Oates, Mr Roarke & Tattoo from Fantasy Island and Madonna for example.
I liked these nostalgic nods (I had forgotten how appealing the young Madonna could be!) but I got the sense that not many of the kids in attendance knew what the hell was going on.
It makes the movie fall right in a gap - it is a tad too childish to fully appeal to people old enough to get the references and appreciate the games but also leaves the target younger audience a bit in the dark when it comes to the references.
They play very different games and watch tv shows 30 years out of whack with those shown.
 |
| Videogame licences are pretty well used |
And there is a nod to the difference in games now with Michelle Moynahan's characters young son playing The Last Of Us (surely the finest game ever made) and highlighting how dull it must be having to remember patterns to beat a game rather than becoming invested in the character and wanting them to live as you would yourself in their place.
Note also that as this is a Sony movie so all phones, TV's, computers and game consoles are clearly displayed as Sony products!
Other glaring things of note are that there isn't a lot of chemistry between Sandler and Moynahan and the idea that she is a DARPA scientist and that Sandler as Kevin James oldest friend can freely walk into the Whitehouse and smart mouth the Secret Service Men and assembled generals and advisors are absurdly implausible even for this movie.
But still.... I enjoyed it in a switch off the brain and go along for the ride kind of way.
It's dumb and it knows it.
 |
| Ashley Jenson as Lady Lisa and Serena Williams and QBert as themselves |
The special effects are decent and there is some inventive use of the licences.
The way that the attacking Tetris blocks take down buildings is brilliantly done.
I also liked the numerous cameos to be spotted.
I noticed Mario, Paperboy, Robotron, Berzerk and many more in the mix.
QBert gets a starring role and some of the best laughs.
It isn't generally a hugely funny movie but it has moments and thankfully no groan-worthy bombs milked well beyond their worth like most recent Sandler films.
I will watch Michelle Moynahan in anything and she does a typically great job with the thin material she has.
I also liked a smokingly hot, ridiculously sexy Ashley Benson as Lady Lisa from the fictional Game Dojo Quest.
She gets no dialogue but her costume speaks volumes and Josh Gad's characters obsession with her is completely believable.
This movie is complete fluff.
Of course it is.
I was never bored though and I was often impressed with the casting.
Sean Bean and Brian Cox are always welcome additions to any cast even if they along with Jane Krakowski are hideously underused.
The cameos include Serena Williams and a famous tv cook and they amazingly do provide some laughs..
The eighties references were nicely done and I enjoyed Peter Dinklages obvious riff on that notorious doofus Billy Mitchell from the excellent documentary "The King of Kong".
I freely admit that this movie worked for me to the extent that it did because I loved the games as a kid (and still do now).
It's a fun 100 odd minutes, Moynahan is great and Sandler actually okay.
"Pixels" is fine and worthy of neither scorn nor particular reverence.
No comments:
Post a Comment