Showing posts with label peter dinklage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peter dinklage. Show all posts

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Pixels

DIRECTOR: Chris Columbus  LEAD CAST: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, Brian Cox, Ashley Benson, Jane Krakowski  CINEMATOGRAPHY: Amir Mokri  STORY: Tim Herlihy  BASED ON: Pixels a short film by Patrick Jean   SCREENPLAY: Tim Herlihy, Timothy Dowling  MUSIC: Henry Jackman  GENRE: Science fiction action comedy  EDITOR: Hughes Winborne  PRODUCER: Adam Sandler, Chris Columbus, Allen Covert, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan  COMPANIES: Happy Madison Productions, 1492 Pictures  DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia Pictures  LOCATION: United States  LANGUAGE: English RUNNING TIME:  105 minutes
Technical assessment:  3
Moral assessment:  2.5
CINEMA rating: PG 13 
MTRCB rating:  PG                              
In 1982, NASA launches a time capsule into outer space containing images and footage of Earth life in the hopes of establishing peaceful communication with extraterrestrial life. The video contained a footage of the worldwide video arcade championship. The aliens apparently misinterpreted the enclosed video feed  as a declaration of war and a challenge from Earth. So they attack the Earth using the games as models for their various assaults including Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Space Invaders, Arkanoid and Tetris. Their technology creates voxels (small cubes) that change form and are capable of turning any form of matter into more of itself.  President Will Cooper (Kevin James) calls upon his best friend since childhood, former video game professional and 2nd placer in 1982 video game championship Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) to combat the video game characters from destroying the Earth. Brenner decides to lead a team of retrogamers Eddie Plant (Peter Dinklage) and Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad) to defeat the aliens with technology similar to those used in games. Will they succeed in this literal war against technology?
The film is supposedly a witty take on Earth’s war against technology but it never quite succeeds in developing this interesting premise. Perhaps the genre gets in the way. The film is clearly a comedy so it’s not supposed to take things seriously. Adam Sandler’s persona perhaps also gets in the way since he is just himself in the film. Pixels is a film about nerds and Sandler is supposed to be one but he fails to deliver being in the lead. The supporting cast’s energy is not able to save Sandler’s apparently lazy performance. The initial part of the movie is able to depict successfully the 1980’s video arcade scenario which serves as a back story to the present day conflict with the aliens posing as video game characters. However, as the film loses its focus as it goes back to the usual Adam Sandler formula of romantic comedy. The romance in the film is never justified or explored—it is just there to serve a purpose inessential to the whole story. The motivations of the characters as well are not compelling enough to merit interesting plot. There are funny moments here and there but not enough meat for the audience to chew on. Pixels could have been an intelligent film but the producers are perhaps too afraid to even try. The CGI is apparently wasted given the laziness of the filmmakers to explore on the story further.
Pixels’ premise on the literal war of humans against technology could have been a good argument on the debates as regards morality of modern technology. As humans continue to create technology both for the purpose of convenience and leisure, will there ever come a time when this same technology will be the cause of human destruction?  While the film fails to heat up the debate as it confuses technology with aliens and extra terrestrials, it is still a question worth pondering on. The film portrays various stereotypes, i.e. drinking alcohol as a harmless form of escape, the objectification of women as men’s trophies and sexual fantasies, highly intelligent persons as nerds, etc. CINEMA resists and questions such stereotyping that further creates erroneous representations of reality. Although Pixels has attempted to uplift the image of the “nerds”, its lack of sincerity is not able to deliver the supposed message well.  Given some scenes of violence, use of foul language, and some sexual insinuations, the parents should guide the young impressionable minds of audiences 13 years and below.