WHO’S IN IT?
Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore), Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop), Josh Gad (Frozen), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible III), Brian Cox (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Ashley Benson (Spring Breakers), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Denis Akiyama (The Pacifier), Sean Bean (Jupiter Ascending), Nick Swardson (Jack and Jill)
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?
Chris Columbus (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone), director, producer; Tim Herlihy (Bedtime Stories) and Timothy Dowling (Just Go With It), writers; Michael Barnathan (Night at the Museum), Allen Covert (That’s My Boy), Mark Radcliffe (Christmas with the Kranks) and Adam Sandler (Grown Ups), producers; Henry Jackman (Wreck-It Ralph), composer; Amir Mokri (Man of Steel), cinematographer; Peck Prior (The Master of Disguise) and Hughes Winborne (Guardians of the Galaxy), editors
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
In 1982, NASA sends into space a probe with the hopes of contacting extraterrestrial life. Inside is a time capsule that includes several examples of Earth life and culture, including classic arcade games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and others. The probe does eventually reach an alien life force, but unfortunately it misinterprets the images as a declaration of war and begin an assault on Earth using the video game characters’ likeness to destroy it piece by piece. Pressed for victory, US President Will Cooper (James) calls upon his childhood friend Sam Brenner (Sandler), once a vivid gamer that is now a home theatre installer, and two other retro gamers including conspiracy theorist Ludlow Lamonsoff (Gad) and Sam’s former nemesis Eddie Plant (Dinklage), to help take down the alien threat using technology similar to the games themselves…
IN ONE SENTENCE, WHY SHOULD YOU BE EXCITED?
Pixels has an awesome set-up – using retro 80s video games in an action-disaster movie context – and we are certainly hoping that it lives up to its hype, especially with the derided presence of Adam Sandler which is understandably a cause for concern.
