Ralph Potts reviews this comedy action adventure about what happens when aliens misinterpret video of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, and attack the Earth in the form of the video games.
The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/3D Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
92
Details:
Studio and Year: Sony Pictures – 2015
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 106 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC/MVC
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, English/Portuguese DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio (3D version), French, Spanish, Thai Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Chinese, French, Indonesian/Bahasa, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Monaghan, Brian Cox, Josh Gad, Sean Bean, Jane Krakowski
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Music by: Henry Jackman
Written by: Tim Herlihy & Timothy Dowling
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: October 27, 2015
“Game on!”
My Take:
When aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth using games like PAC-MAN™, Donkey Kong™, Galaga™, Centipede® and Space Invaders™ as models for their various assaults. President Will Cooper (Kevin James) has to call on his childhood best friend, ’80s video game champion Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) to lead a team of old-school arcaders (Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad) to defeat the aliens and save the planet.
Pixels was essentially universally panned by critics upon its release in theaters. After seeing the latest round of collaborative films starring Kevin James and Adam Sandler, I wasn’t eager to devote my time to it but couldn’t help but be curious, so I went ahead to requested it for review. I watched it with my wife who was a reluctant participant. Is Pixels a good film? No, it’s not. The storyline is elementary, inane and lacks a spirited sense of humor. However, I must admit to finding the movie to be more entertaining than I thought it would be. I think much of this is owed to the idea that Pixels never takes itself too seriously (c’mon Kevin James is the President of the United States) and succeeds at generating a fun sense of nostalgia by bringing to life the video game classics of old harkening back to a time when video arcades were all the rage for us adolescents.
In that vein I enjoyed the film’s implementation and entertaining production elements. It also appeared to me that the cast had a great time making the film. My wife didn’t share my opinion and didn’t care for it at all so everyone’s mileage may vary. At the end of the day Pixels is pretty much what you would expect but don’t be surprised if after giving it a chance it doesn’t find a place at the very bottom of your guilty pleasure list.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for some language and suggestive comments.
AUDIO/VIDEO – By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100/EXCELLENT = 83-91/GOOD = 74-82/AVERAGE = 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 96
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Dynamics:
Low frequency effects:
Surround Sound presentation:
Clarity/Detail:
Dialogue Reproduction:
Low frequency extension * (non-rated element):
DSU Rating * (non-rated element):
3D Presentation: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Depth (Onscreen):
Dimension (Beyond the screen):
Realism:
Clarity/Detail:
Color Reproduction:
Pixels 3D comes to Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.4 Mbps.
This film wasn’t shot natively in 3D but was converted in post-production. The film was shot using a mix of live action and CG and the reproduction of the digital effects and wide angle background elements translates positively here. Depth is appreciable as evidenced by separation of objects and/or people layered in the foreground/background which creates a discerning sense of virtual space. High definition dimensionality and apparent resolution is rarely questionable in close ups and brightly lit exterior sequences but it varies some in the low lit environs featured in the film. Comparing white/black levels, color and skin tone reproduction to the 2D presentation I found them to essentially be identical. There is effective and where called upon entertaining use of 3D effects that transcend the boundaries of the screen which makes for an involving experience especially during the large scale set pieces containing many moving parts. I will say that this added to my enjoyment of the overall presentation which like the 2D version looks terrific on Blu-ray. I didn’t notice any distracting instances of crosstalk or other video related anomalies. The end result is a satisfying and predominantly fun 3D video presentation.
The 3D version of Pixels contain a 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, rather than a Dolby Atmos mix, which is found only on the 2D version. This is a strange choice as I would have liked to have experienced the 3D presentation with the immersive Dolby Atmos sound. Hopefully any future 3D titles incorporating Atmos sound from Sony will combine the two. Be that as it may I found much to enjoy with the soundtrack. This lossless soundtrack is demonstration quality and features wide dynamic range, superlative clarity and high level detail. Dialogue is definitive and appreciably lucid through the center channel as it is located just slightly in front of the left/right speakers within the acoustic space it occupies in the soundstage. Front and rear channel separation and imaging is excellent. This draws out both large and small sound elements and allows their directional correlation based upon the onscreen events to be definable.
Henry Jackman’s music score, coupled with the integration of discrete and atmospheric surround sound effects, plays an intricate role in this active surround mix. The detection of subtle background sounds, off camera cues and spatial dimension within the room’s acoustic environment is excellent. The atmospherics, sound effects associated with the various invading aliens/games or the openness of the streets of New York City sound engagingly real. My favorite sequence occurs during the “Centipede” alien/game attack in London. The room becomes illuminated with sound effects that traverse the soundstage, panning right to life/left to right as well as sweeping front to back.
Low frequency effects are applied authoritatively and underscore the bombastic and aggressive aspects of the presentation with aplomb. Its palpable presence is never in question as it renders refined bass quality that kicks nicely and extends deep enough to engage the room. The film’s final action set piece takes place simultaneously in the city and in the alien space craft as the arcaders face off against a large invading force below and Donkey Kong aboard the ship. There’s plenty of room filling sound and palpably rich bass to keep the juices flowing.
2D Video Quality:
Video: 94
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Resolution/Clarity:
Black Level/Shadow Detail:
Color Reproduction:
Fleshtones:
Compression:
Dolby Atmos Rating: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Level of immersion:
Soundstage integration:
Audio object placement:
Effectiveness:
Entertainment factor:
Pixels comes to Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 24 Mbps and lossless Dolby Atmos/TrueHD 7.1 sound that has an average bitrate of 4 Mbps.
This is an excellent and high quality Blu-ray offering from Sony. The video is razor sharp with a pristine quality that is visually engaging. Detail perception is nearly flawless with lucid visual acuity and fine rendering throughout. Colors are lavish and eye popping with oversaturated primaries and warm tonality that make them pleasing. Flesh tones are noticeably on the warm side with primarily fair delineation among the cast. Boldly applied contrast and consistent black levels provide excellent balance during bright and low level scenes containing mixed content. Shadow detail is excellent allowing the detection of plenty of visibility in low lighting and dark backgrounds. The CGI based and green screen photography softens some shots but its effects are innate and fidelity remained unaffected.
*It should be noted that my impressions with regard to the quality of the 7.1 channel Dolby TrueHD core found on the 2D version and those of the 3D version’s DTS-HD MA track are identical. See above.
In listening to the Dolby Atmos surround mix I found it to be of the moderately active variety that makes steady use of the platform. Its use of audio objects placed above is a mix of atmospherics, music and discrete sound effects. This is done very well and creates a tangible level of immersion that coincides with the onscreen events nicely, especially when things ramp up during the invasion sequences. Speaking of which, everything really comes together for the first time during the Centipede invasion (followed later by the Pac Man and dual action segments in the finale) as ruptured pixel cubes, explosive near field objects, and multi-dimensional ambience places you inside the action as sounds rotate and revolve around the soundstage from both above and at ear level. While this isn’t what I would regard as an aggressive Atmos mix I enjoyed the balance of atmosphere combined with discrete object placement. I think that it complimented the source material and made for an entertaining listening experience.
Bonus Features:
Pixels 3D Blu-ray (with DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound)
Pixels 2D Blu-ray (with Dolby Atmos audio – Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core)
(HD) *Exclusive (six featurettes totaling 18 minute)
God of the machine
PAC MAN
Donkey Kong
Centipede
Galaga
The Space Invader
(HD) Q*Bert – 2 minute featurette
(HD) Dojo Quest – 4 minute featurette
(HD) “Game on” music video by Waka Flocka Flame ft. Good Charlotte – 4 minutes
(HD) Photo Gallery
Digital HD Copy
Final Thoughts:
Pixels is an erratic, slightly overlong comedy that on its surface offers little in the way of a rewarding film experience. I wound up finding some merit in its light hearted approach, nostalgic subject matter and excellent production elements. Speaking of rewarding, its presentation on Blu-ray, offered here in 3D and 2D video is splendid and includes Dolby TrueHD Atmos surround mix (2D version only) with compatible Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel core, and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound (3D version only) that bring the film’s experience to life with aplomb. My personal favorite is the Dolby Atmos mix which truly shines, providing an enriching tangibility to the subject matter. I am puzzled by Sony’s decision not to include the Dolby Atmos sound on the 3D version as I believe that the combination of the two would have made the viewing experience even better.
The supplemental package includes format exclusives and a Pixels Game App that fans should enjoy. Pixels is tough to recommend for viewers looking for a well-balanced film experience but if you check your brain at the door it’s not all bad. If you’re looking for a rewarding audio/video experience than its Blu-ray presentation is just the ticket.
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JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal)
Stewart Filmscreen – Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16×9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8802A 13.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies – 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton “Ergo” and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) – Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components – CP-CP102 cooling package
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