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.
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