PIXELS – Rated PG~13

“We got this, if we don’t, the world ends.”

From HOME ALONE, to MRS. DOUBTFIRE, to HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’s STONE/CHAMBER OF SECRETS – Director/Writer/Producer Chris Columbus has brought many a memorable character to life. This time, he is teaming up with Writers Timothy Dowling & Tim Herlihy to bring to life a story of ~ WORLD ANIALATION at the hands of 1982 VIDEO GAMES ~ with their collaboration prophetically named ~ PIXELS!

After our country sends into space samples of our earthly existence in 1982 ~ including the highly addictive ~ I speak from experience 😉 ~ video game cartridges of PAC-MAN, DONKEY KONG, GALAGA AND CENTEPEDE, little did we know that the Aliens out there would misinterpret these games as a DECLARATION OF WAR against them and their kind!

Flash to 2015, and it seems our military is under attack by none other than monster size creations of our video friends ~ now turned ENEMIES! When it seems that even our Navy Seals aren’t up the to task of saving us…Commander in chief, President Will Cooper (Kevin James) is forced to reach out to this life-long friend and electronics installer Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) to aid our military in finding a solution to this invasion, as Brenner ‘s claim to fame is being a video game master “back in the day”. But, no man can stand alone in this quest against the evil VIDEO GAME INTRUDERS, so Brenner reaches out to his fellow video game geeks from days gone by ~ Ludlow (Josh Gad) and World Champion and Brenner’s arch nemesis in the video world ~ Eddie Plant (Peter Dinklage).

But what are these boys to do unless they can acquire the weapons they need to annihilate these intruders ~ enter Sexy Scientist, Military arms expert (and possible love interest to Brenner) Violet Van Patten (Michelle Monaghan), who will assist the boys in SAVING OUR WORLD FROM EXTINCTION…

I give PIXELS 4 out of 5 stars: I have to admit, from the trailer, I was totally expecting this film to be another BUST for Adam and his gang at Happy Madison Productions. But, I was very pleasantly surprised by the premise of the storyline beyond the trailer, when it all began to play out on screen ~ PIXELS is actually more of a WAR GAMES type film than you are lead to believe, which is a fantastic! I loved the way they weaved every Video game from my childhood – even my most beloved GALAGA (their was many a quarter pumped in to this video game in the lobby of the RITZ Theater from me in the 80’s!) Plus, the soundtrack of this film is a CLASSIC 80’s MONTAGE of EPIC PROPORTIONS …which is another reason why everyone over 40 is going to thoroughly enjoy this film, making it a MUST SEE. Sandler, James, Gad, and Dinklage are on their A-Game – playing the types of characters we love to see, but with more of an edge than we have seen from them in quite some time! And even though this film is rated PG-13~ I’m guessing for the adult humor contained throughout, which all the parents out there are going to find very amusing~ I would say that anyone over the age 8 could view it, and enjoy it just as much as me – Plus, like I have mentioned before, the filmmakers are targeting the 40+ crowd this year yet again, taping into our memories of sheer happiness growing up, which is smart on their part, as these viewers can afford the price of admission to experience these films on THE BIG SCREEN! Take my word for it; you don’t want to miss seeing this film, with the whole family, at a theater near you, because it really was SURPRISINGLY ENJOYABLE to VIEW from beginning to end!

Kathy Kaiser