Pixels (2015)
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan
Synopsis:
A former arcade champion becomes the world's best hope when alien invaders challenge humanity to a contest for a survival based on classic arcade games.
Impressions:
I was looking forward to this until I found out that Adam Sandler was the main character and negative word of mouth on his contributions to the film was enough for me and my circle to pass on this while it was in theaters. I honestly wasn't that interested in seeing it once it started its TV run, but when it was presented to me, I gave it a fair shake and it turned out to be better than I was expecting. Possibly lowered expectations contributed to my more positive take. Now, Adam Sandler is a fairly divisive actor. I've seen him in better, but I've also seen him in worse too. I'd say this is actually on the better end of his films. Peter Dinklage is without a doubt the most entertaining of the cast and I want to credit Andrew Bambridge for his portrayal of a younger version of Dinklage's character. Denis Akiyama delivers a one-scene wonder as Pac-Man creator Tohru Iwatani (while the actual Iwatani has a cameo to look for). This movie is a celebration of classic games much like Wreck-It Ralph and while I don't consider this to be anywhere near as good an overall film, it's still a fun nostalgia trip. Your mileage may vary a bit on this one, but I'll at least recommend giving it a watch.
Watch It