It is common with blockbuster movies to be released in the USA first and then released a few weeks later here in the UK (and vice versa). In the USA people have been very critical of Pixels, saying that this is the start of the end of Adam Sandler’s career, saying that the script was terrible and this was bad humour. I tend not to read reviews before seeing a movie, but for some reason I did, resulting in low expectations. I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

How could my opinion be different to so many other reviewers and critics? I am a geek.

This movie really appealed to my sense of humour, not necessarily Adam Sandler humour as I find many of his movies cringe worthy and unfunny. I found Pixels just genuinely funny, making lots of jokes relating to old school games and jokes that are very slapstick, my kind of comedy.

The movie opens to a young Sam Brenner in 1982 riding down the road with his friend Will Cooper towards the new arcade in town. They spend the day there learning all the games, all the patterns behind the games and they become very skilful. In the present day Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) works for a company that installs technology and Will Cooper (Kevin James) is President of the United States. Will calls on Sam’s help when an alien invasion takes place in the form of video games.

Throughout Sam and his assembled team’s efforts to save the world, you see an entertaining and comical group of friends fighting a very colourful and well animated form of video game aliens. There were a few annoying and frustrating moments in Pixels, such as when they had to travel to London for one of the fights with the aliens, Will Cooper met with the UK Prime Minister who was saying some ridiculous lines in an overly British accent which did seem a bit unnecessary. However I guess this would be like us Brits making fun of Americans, which we do occasionally.

I reckon that if I watched the movie again I would be able to spot a number of moments that I would have missed the first time, the animations are very busy and I could have easily missed a video game character’s appearance. I found the concept of the movie to be very new and original as well as fun and unexpected; it’s a movie where you don’t take the plot very seriously. If you have an interest in 80’s video games, give Pixels a go.