Pixels

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1:31

Pixels

PG-13

2015

1h 46m

Comedy

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

18%

Tomatometer

204 Reviews

46%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

When aliens intercept video feeds of classic arcade games and misinterpret them as a declaration of war, they attack Earth, using the games as models. Knowing that he must employ a similar strategy, President Will Cooper (Kevin James) recruits his childhood pal, former video-game champ and home-theater installer Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), to lead a team of old-school arcade players and a military specialist (Michelle Monaghan) in an all-out battle to save the planet.

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Critics Consensus

Much like the worst arcade games from the era that inspired it, Pixels has little replay value and is hardly worth a quarter.

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Udita Jhunjhunwala

Livemint

The film catalogues the worst set of performances seen in a while, particularly Dinklage's accent and Gad's pubescent antics.

Aug 15, 2019

Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

It's a neat idea for a parody disaster film but it's wholly lost in this melange of underwritten characters and awful dialogue.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 7, 2016

Full Review

Alison Willmore

BuzzFeed News

There are scenes in the surreally lazy, occasionally funny Pixels in which Sandler's face slips into the exact same weary, disgruntled expression he wears in Funny People.

Nov 10, 2015

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a fun, innovative premise that is, for the most part, employed to underwhelming and frequently tedious effect...

Rated: 2/4

Aug 13, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The humor is juvenile and inane, the characters are unbelievable and over-the-top, and the overall temperament is childish.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jun 9, 2022

Full Review

Nikki Baughan

AWFJ.org

Monahan is at least given the chance to get her teeth into the role of the army specialist drafted in to help kick some otherworldy ass.

Oct 4, 2021

Full Review

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Ben P

Good movie! I like the Pac-Man scene as well as appearances from Q*bert and Fygar from Dig Dug.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/12/25

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Logan G.

The mix of Sandler jokes and action-scifi make this a Sandler movie I will rewatch over and over.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/01/25

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Luke B

“Pixels” has solid acting and a good plot. The humor is hit-or-miss, but the action is solid. It’s one of those movies that is so bad overall that it actually becomes entertaining to watch. Flawed, but still worthy, it ends up being a good movie. The meaningful message about second chances is eye-opening and gives it unexpected depth.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

Full Review

Vincent W

Good, but mainly for nostalgia purposes

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/21/25

Full Review

Michael D

Nice graphics, and call backs to 1980's culture was enjoyable. Struggled to understand why Kevin James was a good casting call as US President, his tired King of Queens acting as "fat dumb guy" schtick makes no sense. Adam Sandler seems uninterested at times in the role. Either way I'm glad I didn't pay to see this in the theater, but streaming it when there is absolutely nothing else is on is tolerable.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/15/25

Full Review

Justin D

Don’t see what the hate is, fun movie with stellar effects, classic Adam Sandler movie, didn’t know what other people expected

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/13/25

Full Review

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Chris Columbus

Director

Adam Sandler

Sam Brenner

Kevin James

President Will Cooper

Michelle Monaghan

Lt. Col. Violet Van Patten

Peter Dinklage

Eddie Plant

Josh Gad

Ludlow Lamonsoff

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Pixels: International Trailer 1

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Pixels: International Trailer 2

2:31

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Synopsis

When aliens intercept video feeds of classic arcade games and misinterpret them as a declaration of war, they attack Earth, using the games as models. Knowing that he must employ a similar strategy, President Will Cooper (Kevin James) recruits his childhood pal, former video-game champ and home-theater installer Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), to lead a team of old-school arcade players and a military specialist (Michelle Monaghan) in an all-out battle to save the planet.

Director: Chris Columbus
Producer: Allen Covert, Mark Radcliffe, Chris Columbus, Adam Sandler
Screenwriter: Tim Herlihy, Timothy Dowling
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Columbia Pictures, LStar Capital
Rating: PG-13 (Suggestive Comments|Some Language)
Genre: Comedy, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 24, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $78.7M
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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