I do not have much hope for the quality of PIXELS. Sure, Chris Columbus is a competent filmmaker and the best one Adam Sandler has worked with in years, but..it’s Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Between Sandler’s last decade of films and both of the PAUL BLART movies, I am not confident that PIXELS is going to be more than another lowbrow comedy with a wasted concept.
Still, this new international trailer for the scifi comedy gives me a glimmer of hope. Sandler looks to have his man-child shtick a bit tempered here but it could just be that it is split more evenly across James, Josh Gad, and Peter Dinklage. Where the first trailer just teased us with the video game mayhem, this one gives us a deeper insight into the characters and their history of video game prowess and how their skills are put to use.
I am not saying that PIXELS is going to be good, but it looks a lot better here than it did in the domestic trailer. The special effects look convincing and the destruction has more of a family friendly vibe that could make this a fun flick for all ages. I just hope screenwriter Tim Herlihy is focusing on his earlier output with Sandler (HAPPY GILMORE, THE WEDDING SINGER) rather than his more recent (GROWN UPS 2, BEDTIME STORIES).
PIXELS opens on July 24, 2015.