Ø Directed by Chris Columbus
Ø Produced by Adam Sandler
Chris Columbus
Mark Radcliffe
Allen Covert
Ø Screenplay by Tim Herlihy
Timothy
Dowling
Ø Story by Tim
Herlihy
Ø Based on Pixels by
Patrick Jean
Ø Starring Adam Sandler
Kevin
James
Michelle
Monaghan
Peter
Dinklage
Josh
Gad
Brian
Cox
Ashley
Benson
Jane
Krakowski
Ø Music by Henry Jackman
Ø Cinematography Amir Mokri
Ø Edited by Hughes
Winborne
Ø Production Company Happy
Madison Productions
1492
Pictures China
Film Group
Ø Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Ø Release dates July 24, 2015
Ø Running time 106 minutes
Ø Country United
States
Ø Language English
Ø Budget $88
million
Ø Box office $243.9
million
Pixels is a 2015 American science fiction
action-comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures, 1492 Pictures and Happy
Madison Productions. The film was directed by Chris Columbus. Its screenplay
was written by Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling, with a screen story penned by
Tim Herlihy and based on French director Patrick Jean's 2010 short film of the
same name. The film features computer animated video games characters, special
effects, and stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage,
Michelle Monaghan, Brian Cox, Ashley Benson, and Jane Krakowski. The film's
plot has extraterrestrials misinterpreting video-feeds of classic arcade games
as a declaration of war, and invading Earth using technology inspired by games
such as Pac-Man and Space Invaders. To counter the alien assault, the United
States hire former arcade champions to lead the planet's defense.
Principal photography on the film began in 2014
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was released in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D in 2015.
Pixels was panned by critics and underperformed at the box office as it had a
production budget of $88 million, with print and marketing bringing to around
$145 million, and grossing over $243 million worldwide.
In 1982, when Sam Brenner and Will Cooper are
13-year-old avid arcade-game players, a time capsule is launched into space
containing a videocassette with video-game scenes from an arcade championship.
Brenner and Cooper attend the event where they meet a fellow arcade gamer
Ludlow "The Wonder Kid" Lamonsoff. The end results show that Brenner
and arcade champion Eddie Plant have a tie. To settle it they have a go at Donkey
Kong. But, in the end Eddie comes out victorious, where Brenner runs off stage
close to tears.
In the present, Brenner works installing
home-theater systems and Cooper is the President of the United States. In Guam,
a U.S. military base is attacked by unknown objects that pixelated pieces of
the base. Its soldiers are easily defeated and Sergeant Dylan Cohen is
abducted.
Brenner, working at the home of divorcée Violet
Van Patten and her son Matty, heads to the White House at Cooper's request. To
his surprise, he finds Violet is a Lieutenant Colonel. Shown video of the
attack, Brenner says it was carried out like in the old video game Galaga.
Later, Ludlow takes Brenner to his home and tell him he's interpreted messages
saying the aliens are attacking with creatures based on classic video-game
designs, since they found the videocassette images a threat and believe it's a
declaration of war. If they win three rounds, they will claim the Earth. Though
they and Cooper determine that the next attack will happen in India, they are
too late. The Taj Mahal is attacked with Arkanoid paddles and another person is
abducted as a trophy.
Brenner and Ludlow train soldiers to play these
old games. Violet shows Brenner and Ludlow that the pixels are taken down by
strong light beams. The next attack is in London, where the soldiers lack the
skill to defeat the antagonist of Centipede. Brenner and Ludlow defeat it,
however, and the aliens send a congratulatory message and the Duck Hunt dog as
a trophy.
New York City is next, but the team needs help.
Ludlow and Cooper retrieve an imprisoned Eddie, who is serving a sentence for
fraud. Cooper agrees to let Eddie out of prison and relinquish his taxes in
exchange for his help. The team discovers it must face the title character from
Pac-Man and in order to succeed, they must defeat him three times, like how a
player loses the game in reality. Violet presents them with four Mini Cooper
cars based on the Pac-Man ghosts, with the other car driven by the game's
creator, Toru Iwatani. Iwatani tries to appeal to Pac-Man as a son, but gets
his hand bitten off and runs away. Eddie defeats Pac-Man twice but accidentally
drives into the East River. Brenner eventually achieves the third defeat. The
team celebrates but the aliens send message saying someone cheated and the
contest for the planet has been forfeited. Matty discovers Eddie used a speed
cheat. Eddie flees and Matty is abducted as a trophy.
The aliens cascade more video games on
Washington, D.C. as they prepare to take over. Cooper joins the team, while
Ludlow stays to fight. One alien takes the form of Lady Lisa, a character on
whom Ludlow has had a crush since childhood. She fights Ludlow until he says he
loves her and they share a kiss while she sides with them; and Eddie, wishing to
make amends, returns to fight as well. Brenner, Violet, Cooper and Q*Bert,
previously given as a trophy, are brought up to the space ship by Max Headroom.
There they face the title character from Donkey Kong, who rolls barrels at the
group to prevent them reaching the captives. Brenner throws a hammer at Donkey
Kong, destroying him.
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