It's Just Movies

— by ROB COX —

In yet another sign of Hollywood ’s ever-depleting idea pool, IGN reported recently that video-game company Namco Bandai may be interested in developing a Pac-Man movie. If so, the announcement is anticipated to come June 15, when Bandai will throw a 30th birthday celebration for the character.

Fueling speculation is Avi Arad, who’ll be on hand to announce a new Pac-Man-based project. Bandai refuses to confirm the project type before the event. However, considering Arad has produced multiple big-screen superhero adaptations — including 2008’s “Iron Man” — and is the former head of Marvel Studios, it’s not unreasonable to guess a feature film is in the offing.

With Habro developing a film based on its Magic 8-ball toy, it’s not surprising that Pac-Man would join the recent “I-never-guessed-they’d-make-a-movie-out-of-that” brigade marching out of Hollywood and onto multiplex screens. It’s not like the yellow glutton’s never been adapted to the screen either — though, admittedly, only to the small screen.

Those previous adaptations are part of the problem, though. I keep seeing the old ‘80s “Pac-Man” Saturday Morning cartoon playing in my head. A modern Pac-Man film would likely be digitally animated, but I fail to see what the writers could do with the character that’s any more interesting than that old cartoon — which was mindless even by ‘80s kiddie standards.

Perhaps I’m expecting too much from a Pac-Man film? What else would such a film be other than a mindless kid’s movie? Why would I expect it to be something adults could enjoy? I don’t. And I hope Bandai’s June 15 announcement won’t be for a film, but for some new Pac-Man video game instead.

Please Bandai, leave Pac-Man on the video-game screen, where he can continue gobbling those little electronic dots. Don’t give him on a movie screen too, where he can gobble the public’s collective IQ as well.

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