Pixels

 PIXELS

Director : Chris Columbus

Year : 2015

Genre : Comedy

Rating : **

 

As I write this review today, I am also simultaneously constructing my list for the 50 worst movies of the decade so far - and it should come as no surprise to anyone that knows me that at least 5 Adam Sandler films feature very prominently in this countdown. In my opinion, Sandler is the most repugnant screen prescence working in cinema today and while there are a few of his projects that I do like (the oft cited 'Punch Drunk Love' for example), 99% of his dreadful output constitutes some of the worst films I have ever seen.

As is expected, his latest disaster 'Pixels' has opened up to utterly dreadful reviews from critics and audiences alike. In fact, it currently rates (at time of typing) at 19% on Rotten Tomatoes - a rating that is worse than 'That's My Boy', 'Just Go With It' and even 'Little Nicky! But while this clunky sci-fi comedy based on the 2010 short film of the same name about real life video games attacking our planet is indeed replete with the same 'Sandler'-isms seen in any typical Happy Madison production, 'Pixels' is certainly not as bad as most of his recent movies. 

Adam Sandler, as always, is as bland as two-week old dishwater, 'Frozen''s Josh Gad screams like a psychopath off his medication while regular Sandler collaborator Kevin James is the President of the United States - the bounds of reality are dangerously stretched to breaking point. But in it's defense, the film does have it's moments of fun and these come in the form of the actual battles between man and video game. The sights of a PACMAN chomping mercilessly through the streets of downtown Manhattan and Centipede falling from the night sky have a genuinely nostalgic charm to them while the CGI used to bring other classic 8-bit icons such as Donkey Kong, Tetris and Q-Bert to life is quite impressive to look at. It's just a shame that such an inventive premise and nice looking graphics are completely wasted on such a glitchy script and two-dimensional characterisations. It's certainly not good but is it, as many critics have said without hyperbole, the absolute worst picture of Adam Sandler's dismal career? Not by a million miles.