Pixels 3D (2015/Sony Blu-ray 3D w/Blu-ray 2D)

3D Picture: B Picture: A Sound: A- Extras: B Film: B+

Chris Columbus' Pixels (2015) got a bad rap before it was even given a chance, which is disappointing, because it was surprisingly good. What I mean by this is that it was entertaining, funny, and engaged the audience in not only a playful way, but a nostalgic was as well.

You see, it feels like these days everyone is too quick to jump the gun when they see Adam Sandler as the main character in anything, because they want to see over the top comedies such as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, but those people need to take a moment to think realistically and relax. Adam Sandler is listening and trying to recreate some magic moments, but if you take those characters out of your frame of mind, you will enjoy his new story here.

In Pixels, you have the main character, Brenner (Adam Sandler), who from a young age wants to make something of himself and go to a good school, but enters a world video game championship with his best friend Cooper (Kevin James) and loses to Eddie "Fireblaster" (Peter Dinklage), which makes his life take a turn for the worse. They also meet a younger kid by the name of Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad).

It seems that everyone's life takes a turn for the worse except for Cooper (James), who goes on to become President of the United States of America, which was a shocking role for Kevin James in my opinion. When you first see Cooper (James) on screen as President you may want to go back and rewatch again just to make sure, but as you watch you can see what they were going for when they decided to make him President. It is not the worst decision in the world, but they should have picked a side between if he was going to be the outstanding President or the party goof that everyone ends up loving. When thinking of the President, you do not really see a marriage between the two.

If there is one thing that needs mentioning about Pixels it is that it takes a good 10 to 15 minutes to get any traction. However, once it does start you are in for a real treat. The shining star of the movie is Ludlow (Gad), who not only delivers all the lines and mannerisms that make us laugh and keeps us watching, but also saves the film. It was refreshing seeing Josh Gad, work alongside Adam Sandler because it almost showed how some people's comedy tastes have evolved from the goofy crude older Adam Sandler movies to the awkward and uncomfortable humor that Gad delivers in this film.

It needs to also be noted that Peter Dinklage and Michelle Monaghan also deliver great comedic performances in Pixels. Peter Dinklaage plays Eddie, who is an egotistical man that has a creepy obsession with Serena Williams and Martha Stewart, which is again a source of the awkward humor that is now the new norm for comedy. Michelle Monaghan plays Violet, a very stunning woman who works for the United States military and is a pretty tough gal.

Pixels is presented in 1080p 2.35 X 1 MVC-encoded 3-D - Full Resolution digital High Definition image has some good 3D effects (like the Centipede & Pac-Man, even if it is sometimes latter iterations of the famous characters), but after testing it on more than one 3D system, the color for some reason is weaker here in the 3D version throughout (not just gets weaker) than the 2D 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer that looks visually stunning, even though the aliens that are the classic arcade games are pixels. There is a certain way about them that makes the colors pop and shows up very well on screen in 2D here, so why not 3D? The audio is a lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 mixdown from its Dolby Atmos 11.1 & Auro 11.1 preferred theatrical sound presentations, delivering powerful surround sound that makes you feel like you are at the theater and the dialogue, as well as, the classic arcade noises come through crisp and clear.

The bonus features on Pixels include The Creator of the Machine, The Space Invader, PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Galaga, Q*Bert, Dojo Quest, and ''Game On'' Music Video by Waka Flocka Flame ft. Good Charlotte. It also includes a digital copy for your additional enjoyment.

- Jordan Whiteko & Nicholas Sheffo