“Pixels” is a film following Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), a former competitor in a world video game championship. When the United States sent a time capsule full of ’80s nostalgia into outer space, enclosed was a video of Brenner and his fellow competitors playing video games. The extra-terrestrials who received the time capsule mistook the video as a declaration of war, causing the attacks on Earth using popular arcade video game characters. Due to their experience with the games, Brenner and his fellow competitors are called on to save planet Earth.

Each cast member of “Pixels” has starred in average comedies. Kevin James, who also starred alongside Sandler in “Grown Ups,” plays the familiar character of a middle-aged man who is troubled by his decision to act out on a whim. Sandler’s character is, as with his role in “Big Daddy,” a sarcastic middle-aged man who ends up being less successful than his friends. Josh Gad plays his typical nerdy character, and Peter Dinklage a comedic “badass.” Michelle Monaghan is the love interest who plays hard to get, but wasn’t all that hard to get; in the end, doesn’t the hero always get the girl?

The storyline itself is atrocious. “Pixels” focuses more on juvenile comedy attempts than it does on the action of the film. Despite the 106-minute run time, which felt twice as long, not once did the theater erupt in laughter. As if the humor itself wasn’t dreadful enough, the effects used in the film poorly allude to the arcade game theme. The graphics look tacky and don’t do much other than fill a few seconds during the battle scenes.

Once again, Hollywood has produced another comedic bust. Have we run out of funny movie ideas? This year, it seems that production studios will back any movie claiming to be a comedy. As for Happy Madison Productions and Columbia Pictures, better luck next time.

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