Pixels (2015)

July 24, 2015

July 24, 2015

Pixels is a 2015 science fiction comedy film directed by Chris Columbus, written by Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling, and produced by Columbus, Adam Sandler, Allen Covert, and Mark Radcliffe. Based on the 2010 short film of the same name by Patrick Jean, the film stars Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, and Brian Cox. Combining computer-animated video game characters and visual effects, the film follows an alien race misinterpreting video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, resulting in them invading Earth using technology inspired by 1980s games such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Arkanoid, Galaga, Centipede and Donkey Kong. To counter the invasion, the United States hires former arcade champions to lead the planet's defense. Principal photography on the film began on May 28, 2014, in Toronto; filming was completed in three months.

Produced by Columbus's 1492 Pictures and Sandler's Happy Madison Productions in association with LStar Capitaland China Film Co. Ltd., Pixels was released theatrically in the United States on July 24, 2015, in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D formats, by Sony Pictures Releasing through its Columbia Pictures label. It received generally negative reviews and grossed $244 million worldwide against a production budget of between $88 million and $129 million, similar to other video game films, especially Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Hitman: Agent 47 (2015) and Need for Speed (2014).

Storyline

At a video game arcade in 1982 with his friend Will Cooper, 13-year-old Sam Brenner seemingly loses a championship game of Donkey Kong to obnoxious Eddie "The Fireblaster" Plant. Videocassette footage of the event is included in a time capsule launched into space. In the present day, Brenner is an electronics installer while Cooper is the unpopular President of the United States. In Guam, the Andersen Air Force Base is besieged by an extraterrestrial force attacking in the form of Galaga and a soldier is abducted.

Brenner works at the home of divorced U.S. Navy Commander Violet van Patten, and the two are separately summoned to the White House. Upon seeing the video footage and meeting with Ludlow "The Wonder Kid" Lamonsoff, Brenner deduces that the aliens have somehow mistaken the videocassette images for a declaration of war, and are attacking Earth with a strange technology that allows them to morph into the video games featured at the championship. The aliens interrupt a television broadcast using footage from the cassette, challenging the people of Earth to a battle where if the aliens win three times, they will conquer the planet. Brenner and Cooper are unable to stop one of the attacks as the Taj Mahal is damaged by the aliens in the form of Arkanoid and a bystander is abducted.

Brenner and Ludlow train Navy SEALs to play the games. Violet develops rayguns that are effective against the aliens. The team later heads to London, where the aliens attack Hyde Park in the form of Centipede. The soldiers begin to lose, so Brenner and Ludlow step in and shoot them down. The aliens send congratulations and a "trophy" in the form of the Duck Hunt dog to an old lady.

Ludlow and Cooper retrieve Eddie from a prison sentence for fraud before going to New York City. There, the team must fight an alien taking the form of a giant Pac-Man, playing as the ghosts. Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man, tries to reason with Pac-Man peacefully, but gets his hand bitten off. Brenner, Ludlow, and Eddie overcome the challenge using modified Mini Cooper cars, but Violet notices Eddie moved at supersonic speeds around the board. Brenner is able to trick Pac-Man into going after him once the effects of the cherry run out. They win Q*Bert as a trophy. During a celebratory party, however, the aliens announce that the challenge for the planet has been forfeited because someone cheated. Violet's son Matty discovers that not only did Eddie use a speed cheat during the battle against Pac-Man, but while playing Donkey Kong against Brenner as well. Eddie flees while Matty is abducted by the aliens.

The aliens launch a massive attack on Washington, D.C. using an army of video game characters and enemies. Cooper joins the team, while Ludlow stays to fight. An alien takes the form of "Lady Lisa", a video game character on whom Ludlow has had a crush since childhood. Ludlow persuades Lisa to choose love and side with the humans as Eddie, wishing to make amends, returns to fight. Brenner, Violet and Cooper are summoned to the aliens' mothership for one last chance to save Earth, where they face their leader, who takes the form of Donkey Kong, on the starting level with the aliens' captives at the top level. As the group dodges barrels and fireballs, Brenner is losing hope until Matty reveals Eddie cheated at Donkey Kong, meaning that Brenner was the world's best Donkey Kong player. This restored his spirit and allowed him to keep fighting. Once Brenner defeats Donkey Kong, the aliens' forces, including Lisa, disappear from Earth.

The team is hailed as heroes and Cooper manages to reach a peace agreement with the aliens. Eddie apologizes to Brenner for cheating, and although Ludlow is saddened that Lisa is gone, Q*Bert transforms its likeness to Lady Lisa. Brenner and Violet become a couple while Eddie gets to meet Serena Williams and Martha Stewart. The aliens restore everything on Earth, including Iwatani's hand, before their departure. A year later, Lady Lisa and Ludlow marry and have Q*Bert-like children.

Also See

Movie Trailer

  • Pixels (2015) (Trailers)

Sound Effects Used

Image Gallery

Audio Samples

External Links