Pixels Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray release of "Pixels" by Sony offers an impressive visual presentation characterized by razor-sharp, pristine quality. The detail perception is nearly flawless, exhibiting lucid visual acuity and fine rendering. Colors are lavish and eye-popping with oversaturated primaries and warm tones, providing a visually engaging experience. Flesh tones lean towards warmth, but contrast and black levels are boldly applied, offering excellent balance in bright and low-light scenes. Shadow detail is remarkable, maintaining visibility in dark backgrounds. While the CGI and green screen photography slightly soften some shots, the overall fidelity remains unaffected, providing an immersive viewing experience.

The 3D presentation of "Pixels" conveys a mixed bag. While the added dimension delivers a strong sense of depth and space, especially exciting during action scenes with flinch-worthy effects and convincingly full pixel enemies, it lags behind the stellar 2D release in image quality. Notable issues include warmer colors—most apparent in charcter flesh tones— and darker blacks that sometimes crush detail. Nonetheless, brightly colored alien invaders stand out sharply against nighttime backdrops. Despite these setbacks, detailing in faces, clothes, and graphics remains impressive, with wide shots creating a genuine sense of distance and layered appearance that is particularly captivating in 3D.

In its native 2D format, the 2.40:1 image astounds with vividly bright colors that suit the film's comedic and animated spirit. Opulent primaries and secondary pastel hues offer intense energy and warmth to the characters’ flesh tones, revealing details like pores, wrinkles, and stitching with clarity. Daylight exterior sequences excel, displaying extraordinary visibility in every detail. Although a few nighttime moments lack some definition due to stronger black levels, the overall video presentation remains stable and pleasing, making this high-definition transfer one of the year's most satisfying visual treats.

Pixels' 3D Blu-ray edition is equipped with a 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack instead of the more immersive Dolby Atmos found in the 2D version. This choice might disappoint some, as the 3D format would benefit greatly from the heightened immersive experience that Dolby Atmos provides. Despite this, the DTS-HD MA track holds its ground well with excellent clarity, wide dynamic range, and high-level detail. Dialogue through the center channel is crisp, definitive, and well-integrated within the soundstage, while front and rear channel separation delivers impressive directional consistency based on on-screen events.

The audio presentation also features a distinctly spacious soundstage that assists well in both large action sequences and subtle ambient scenes. Action scenes benefit from dynamic, sweeping sound movements that engulf the listener, while sequences with light ambience maintain a high level of immersion. Additionally, Henry Jackman's score thoroughly enriches the room with an engaging soundscape, particularly during the live-action battles against vintage arcade characters. The sound design during these sequences showcases superb discrete directionality and panning effects, giving life to onscreen chaos with precise clarity.

The sound mix is balanced and offers powerful bass that is particularly impactful in DTS-HD MA. The low end impresses, providing an authoritative and almost shockingly powerful bassline that enhances the cinematic experience. Users with robust subwoofers will be treated to resonant low frequencies reaching down to ultra-low Hertz levels, especially during intense scenes like the final battle against Donkey Kong. Overall, 'Pixels' on 3D Blu-ray, despite lacking Dolby Atmos, delivers a high-resolution audio experience that remains satisfying and enveloping for sound enthusiasts and average viewers alike.

The Blu-ray release of "Pixels" boasts a robust array of supplemental content that enhances the viewing experience. The disc includes a series of brief but insightful featurettes focusing on the iconic video game characters featured in the film, detailing both practical and digital effects, and featuring interviews with the cast and crew. Notably, the set provides a combination of 3D and 2D Blu-ray discs, with exclusive extras in high definition. An engaging music video and photo gallery round out the package, offering fans an all-encompassing peek behind the scenes. Additionally, digital HD copy codes are included.

Extras included in this disc:

• God of the Machine: A look at Toru Iwatani's history and his role in the film.
• PAC-MAN: In-depth character featurette.
• Donkey Kong: Character and scene creation exploration.
• Centipede: Detailed scene-making process.
• Galaga: Featurette on digital effects.
• Q*Bert: Brief look at character integration.
• Dojo Quest: Insights into the creation of Lady Lisa.
• The Space Invader: Profile of a high score player’s involvement.
• Game On music video by Waka Flocka Flame ft. Good Charlotte: High-energy music video.
• Photo Gallery: Still images from the production.

"Pixels," directed by Chris Columbus, centers on aliens misinterpreting video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, leading them to attack Earth using these games as blueprints for their assaults. The movie features President Will Cooper (Kevin James) calling on his childhood friend and '80s video game champion, Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), to lead an old-school gamer team to save the planet. Despite the intriguing premise and the nostalgic appeal, "Pixels" struggles to fully capitalize on its potential.

From a visual standpoint, the film excels, showcasing spectacular pixelated destruction and impressive large-scale scenes. The creative digital design team deserves commendation for their work in bringing to life the iconic games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Centipede. These effects effectively capture the nostalgia of adult audiences who grew up playing classic arcade games, blending live-action sequences with animated mayhem. However, the film often leans more towards broad appeal than pure fan service, resulting in a mix that sometimes feels like it's just another special effects-laden comedy rather than a standout geek culture celebration.

Narratively, "Pixels" juggles a straightforward plot with familiar tropes. Sandler’s portrayal as a man-child thrown into extraordinary circumstances is predictable yet entertaining. Kevin James fits the role of an unconventional Commander-in-Chief, adding a layer of comedic relief. Unfortunately, despite some standout performances, including Peter Dinklage as a feisty gaming champion, the film frequently treads familiar ground without delving deeply into its geeky roots. The reliance on nostalgic elements makes it appealing to older gamers but possibly alienates newer generations not as familiar with the vintage games depicted. The balance between nostalgia and wide appeal ultimately leaves "Pixels" as a fun, if somewhat mindless, entertainment piece that tantalizes without fully immersing.

"Pixels," starring Adam Sandler, aims to blend nostalgic elements and goofy fun, catering primarily to an audience familiar with classic arcade games. The movie is a standard Comedy-Disaster-Alien Invasion genre blend, where the spectacle often outweighs substance. While the plot doesn’t offer surprises beyond the trailer, it is a light-hearted romp that brings retro video game characters to life. Though entertaining in its own way, "Pixels" falls short in leveraging its unique premise to elevate itself above being a merely mediocre comedy. There's potential in the concept, and it could see growth if the franchise continues.

The Blu-ray 3D release of "Pixels" features a well-done 3D effect and excellent visual action sequences. However, it isn’t without faults; color reproduction tends to favor darker hues, and the audio downgrade from Dolby Atmos to DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 in the 3D version is a noticeable step down. That said, the sound quality remains robust with impactful low-end effects that enhance the viewing experience. The visual presentation in 2D format is particularly superior, ensuring the package is appealing for fans of both formats. On the downside, the Blu-ray offers only minimal bonus content, with no additional extras beyond 3D trailers.

For those interested in visual spectacle and nostalgic video game references, "Pixels" on Blu-ray is a worthwhile addition to any collection, despite its imperfections. The movie, while mindless and silly, can provide an enjoyable viewing experience for a broad audience. Given the amalgamation of great audiovisual aspects and the fundamental core idea, it holds value as a rental for the curious and a potential purchase for dedicated fans of the unique blend of video game nostalgia and Sandler-esque comedy.