While it has been years since I have played many of the video games featured in this film, I did enjoy games like
Pac Man and
Galaga when I was much younger. Naturally, this would be a film that I would be interested in seeing...except for one tiny little detail:
Adam Sandler. How do you kill a good idea for a film? You give it to Adam Sandler. While I know a lot of people who have enjoyed Adam Sandler's early work, I have never seen a decent Adam Sandler, nor have I ever enjoyed a single performance of his.
Jack & Jill was an inexcusably bad experience and I still contend it was easily the worst film of 2011, which is saying something considering
Green Lantern and
Hellraiser: Revelations were both released that same year. I was initially going to wait to rent
Pixels after its home video release, but since I didn't really have much else to do, I saw it in the theatre.
I have to say, this wasn't the disaster I was expecting but it was still pretty bad. I don't know where to even begin. The humour was brain-dead, the romance was atrocious, no one gives a decent performance, and much of the film was just outright annoying. The movie passes off something as big as having a best friend become the president of the United States of America like it's the most common thing in the world, while also showcasing a man's psychotic romantic obsession with a video game character as if it is a thing of beauty, when it is actually the creepiest film romance since Anakin Skywalker and Padme got together in
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. I also have to mention: what in the name of creation is wrong with Peter Dinklage's fake accent? Seriously, what was he going for? And to top it all off, this film is filled with more plot holes than swiss cheese. It's futile to try to make sense of what is happening onscreen.
As far as redeeming qualities go, the special effect were great, we do see some nostalgic video game favourites, and Adam Sandler wasn't as much of an annoyance as his usual self. Of course, none of that was enough to save the film.
Verdict: 4.5/10
Despite having an attractive premise, this film is entirely avoidable and will do nothing but hurt Adam Sandler's career.
RELATED REVIEWS
The Interview (2013) Marvel's All Hail The King (2013)
PLANNED REVIEWS
The 2015 Marvel Film Adaptations Supergirl Pilot
Scream Season 1 Hannibal Season 3
Batman Films (1989-2012) Spider-Man Films (2002-2014)