Pixels (2015 film)
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 Adam Sandler in the lead role, 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 their invading Earth using technology inspired by 1980s games such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Arkanoid, Galaga, Centipede, Donkey Kong and Q*bert. 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' 1492 Pictures and Sandler's Happy Madison Productions in association with LStar Capital and 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, with critics considering it similar to other video game films, especially Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Hitman: Agent 47 (2015) and Need for Speed (2014) and grossed 88 million and $129 million. 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.
