Aliens attack! A world in crisis! There’s only one team to call upon! Avengers Assem- no! It’s not that kind of attack – these aliens have found our greatest weakness – ’80s computer game villains!

That’s right – with these Space Invaders are Pac Man, Galaga, Centipede and Donkey Kong in all their pixel glory. The aliens stumbled across video feeds of classic arcade games and kind of took the ‘killing of invading aliens’ as a bit of a declaration of war. And I guess who could blame them?

So now they’re here and using these video games as their attack plan. No Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” for them. And Earth doesn’t need its mightiest heroes either; it needs the likes of professional video gamer Sam (Sandler), his best friend and President of the United States Will (James) as well as fellow retrogamers Ludlow (Gad) and ‘The Fire Blaster’ (Dinklage). As kids in the 1980s these guys have saved the world plenty of times before at 25 cents a game. But now they are putting their skills to the test for real.

Pixels is a fun ride and the special effects are particularly cool with unique weapons and ‘pixelated’ attacks from the aliens – it’s very retro. It’s not the finest that cinema has to offer in 2015, but its inspiration is admittedly limited. Pac Man doesn’t have a great deal of plot and we’re still wondering why the space invaders are actually invading... but you’re not coming tonight to seek out world class cinema (you did see Adam Sandler listed in the credits, didn’t you?).

You’re coming to have a fun night, with some laughs at geeks taking the fight to aliens. And here, Pixels absolutely delivers. Plus it will be good training in case the aliens ever arrive and they do look like a giant ape throwing barrels!

In an age filled with movies about high school outcasts that are increasingly clichéd and unoriginal, Dope comes as a refreshing blend of throwback hip-hop culture and modern technology-indulgent youth that tells a winning coming-of-age tale from a viewpoint seldom explored before.

Director Famuyiwa’s fifth feature film tells the story of three high school best friends, Malcolm (Moore), Jib (Revolori) and Diggy (Clemons) who live in a crime-ridden neighborhood called The Bottoms. Because of their obsession with old-school hip-hop they stand separate from their high school peers.

An unexpected turn of events at an underground party leads Malcolm to unwillingly take a path that he did not envision for himself, as he is forced to go from geek to gangster. The film tallies this diversion of identities within oneself with slick speed and lively entertainment. It is a journey that ultimately leads to self-discovery and gives out a clearly resonant message of defying social stereotypes.

Moore gives a star-making performance as Malcolm, a character that delivers equal parts laughter and adventure, and fellow newcomers Revolori and Clemons are equally compatible in their respective roles too. The film is funny and energetic, and acts as a social commentary on racially defined identities within society. A refreshing spin on the Hollywood coming-of-age formula, Dope is one wild ride.