Pixels (PG) 2.5 stars
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There's a kernel of a decent idea here – a sort of alien Ghostbusters with a nostalgic video-game vibe – but it doesn't work as well as it might have. Aliens misinterpret an old news video with footage of a video arcade championship as a declaration of war and attack Earth. They use old-school games like PAC-MAN, Centipede and Galaga as models for their attacks. The US President (Kevin James) has to call on his childhood best friend, former arcade champ Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) – now an installer of home technology – to lead a team to take on the alien attacks. He brings together their old conspiracy nut friend Ludlow (Josh Gad) and the sleazy Eddie (Peter Dinklage) to do battle.
![Pixels Photo: supplied Pixels Photo: supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/e3656db8-71c5-48ce-99e7-cdfe0273fda0/r0_0_1016_1433_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
This special effects comedy has some OK moments if you're nostalgic about 1980s video games, and it's tolerable for an Adam Sandler movie. But it feels like with a bit more effort it could have been a lot more enjoyable – Sandler and company seem content to coast, and the film lacks wit, snap and sparkle and even seems like it could have used a bit more spectacle. Sandler is getting a bit old for these arrested-development characters.
As extras there are a couple of brief featurettes and a music video.
Ron Cerabona