Adam Sandler Serves Up Another Dose of 80’s Nostalgia in ‘Pixels’

Sandra Miska

“The Wedding Singer” fans, rejoice!  Adam Sandler is bringing the 1980’s nostalgia back once again with “Pixels,” the latest offering from Happy Madison Productions, a sci-fi comedy in which Sandler plays a 1980’s video game champion who is called upon to save the world.

“Pixels” opens in 1982, with 13-year-old BFFs Sam Brenner (Anthony Ippolito) and Will Cooper (Jared Riley) as they check out their town’s new video arcade. Long days at the arcade pay off for Sam when he when he enters and wins a prestigious video game competition.  The competition is taped and is included in a time capsule launched by NASA into space in an effort to establish peaceful communication with extraterrestrial life.

Fast forward to present day, where adult Brenner (Sandler) is not exactly living a champion lifestyle.  Divorced and beaten down, he now works for a company installing home entertainment systems.  Life has been a little kinder to his former sidekick Cooper (Kevin James), who is now the President of the United States.

Everything changes for both men when the time capsule sent over 30 years ago has finally reached the aliens, who have misinterpreted video-feeds of classic video games as a declaration of war.  After the aliens start attacking Earth using games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong as models, Brenner receives a call from his old pal asking for help.

Teaming up with other retrogamers, including his former rival Eddie Plant (Peter Dinklag) and childhood friend Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad), Brenner sets out to defeat the invaders using technology similar to that found in video games.

The cast of “Pixels” also includes Jane Krakowski as the FLOTUS and Sean Bean as an Army general.  Moviegoers can also look forward to cameos from Dan Aykroyd and Brian Cox, plus plenty of special effects and action sequences.

“Pixels” was directed by Chris Columbus, a writer/director who penned classics such as “The Goonies” and “Mrs. Doubtfire.”

“Pixels” opens nationwide July 24.