Sandbox
Genre: Action / Sci-Fi / Comedy
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Giovanni Garcia
Cast:
Chris Pratt .... Max Dangerfield
Finn Wolfhard .... Edwin
Jack Dylan Grazer .... Chucky
Caleb McLaughlin .... Noel
Dylan Minnette .... Benjamin
Imogen Poots .... Princess Peekaboo
Sacha Baron Cohen .... Draco Bloodhungar
Nicolas Cage .... Stephen Bills
Plot: In an unspecified time in the future, video game technology has enhanced to the point where gamers are practically transported into a highly sophisticated virtual sandbox to play whatever they like. Long suffering technician and general pushover Max Dangerfield (Chris Pratt) is assigned to break in four new interns, a group of teenage slacker video game fanatics Edwin (Finn Wolfhard), Chucky (Jack Dylan Grazer), Noel (Caleb McLaughlin) and Benjamin (Dylan Minnette). Max is put off by the guys's devil may care attitude and immaturity and profanity but chooses not to confront them about it leading to some awkward tension between Max and the interns.
Things do not go as planned, as Max is showing the interns a tour of Billions O' Fun Things To Do Industries, a mysterious series of events that transpires in the sandbox's system causes the sandbox to go haywire, transporting Max and the interns into the sandbox with no means of escape.
After coming to the realization that they cannot leave the sandbox, the group venture around the sandbox with the hope that they can find some way to get back to the real world. But they soon discover that the various characters and creatures that roam the sandbox are more violent and vicious then originally programmed and are out for murder and blood.
There is hope for survival however when Edwin realizes that they can fight back against the creatures by creating their own weaponry and gear within in the game.
The group arms themselves with various guns, swords and explosives and manage to do surprisingly well against the bloodthirsty creatures using a combination of wit, smarts, teamwork and video game knowledge to kill most of the monsters they come in contact with. Max even begins to lighten up a bit being around the interns and uses this circumstance to take out his frustrations about not being appreciated at his job.
Meanwhile, Stephen Bills (Nicolas Cage) Ruthless and maniacal CEO of Billions O' Fun Things To Do Industries and the creator of the sandbox watches the group's progress from his monitor and is extremely frustrated that the group is not dead yet. It turns out that Bills is the force behind the sandbox's malfunction and his main plan is to send the sandbox crashing down with all of the players inside of it.
Bills then creates Draco Bloodhungar (Sacha Baron Cohen) an impossibly badass human-troll hybrid bounty hunter with a ridiculous foreign accent to pursue and kill Max and the interns before they uncover the truth of what Bills is planning to do
After the group save Princess Peekaboo (Imogen Poots) a stereotypical video game damsel who can't help being in distress from the clutches of an evil warlock, Peekaboo joins the group as gratitude for them saving her. Benjamin has a not so secret crush on Peekaboo, that Chucky and Noel tease him for.
Draco is able to find where the group are located and ambushes them, Max attempts to fight Bloodhungar but he is nearly killed doing so. Draco is about to land the killing blow on Max but is interrupted by Edwin, Chucky, Noel, and Benjamin who save their newfound friend and mentor by teaming up to use their various weapons on Draco who then retreats. The guys rush to Max who is not dead but is wounded and the group help him up with them promising to Max that they will found a way out of the sandbox.
When Draco transports back to Stephen and reveals that he failed in killing the group, Bills murders Draco and decides that he is going to finish the job himself.
The Group is able to finally find the transporter that can bring them back to the real world but when they are about to leave, Bills appears and ambushes and easily dispatches of the group using his ability over the sandbox to subdue the group and trap the group before they can enter the transporter Bills explains his plans to the group and claims that he is the god of the virtual world, while Bills is mid insane rambling monologue, Noel shoots him in the crotch, causing an enraged Bills to chase after him this distracts Bills long enough for him to be oblivious to the barrage of firepower and explosives the group unleashes on him. Bills is not dead and it takes a well placed shot to Bills super powered armored by Edwin for Bills super armor and himself to explode in bloody fashion.
Before the tired and exhausted group return to the real world Princess Peakaboo kisses Benjamin before she and the rest of the remaining creatures in the sandbox are erased and vanish due to the glitch.
Six months later it is revealed that Max Dangerfield is the new CEO of Billions O' Fun Things To Do Industries, with Edwin, Chucky, Noel and Benjamin are by his side as vice presidents of the company, and are working on a brand new none dangerous version of Sandbox.
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Giovanni Garcia
Cast:
Chris Pratt .... Max Dangerfield
Finn Wolfhard .... Edwin
Jack Dylan Grazer .... Chucky
Caleb McLaughlin .... Noel
Dylan Minnette .... Benjamin
Imogen Poots .... Princess Peekaboo
Sacha Baron Cohen .... Draco Bloodhungar
Nicolas Cage .... Stephen Bills
Plot: In an unspecified time in the future, video game technology has enhanced to the point where gamers are practically transported into a highly sophisticated virtual sandbox to play whatever they like. Long suffering technician and general pushover Max Dangerfield (Chris Pratt) is assigned to break in four new interns, a group of teenage slacker video game fanatics Edwin (Finn Wolfhard), Chucky (Jack Dylan Grazer), Noel (Caleb McLaughlin) and Benjamin (Dylan Minnette). Max is put off by the guys's devil may care attitude and immaturity and profanity but chooses not to confront them about it leading to some awkward tension between Max and the interns.
Things do not go as planned, as Max is showing the interns a tour of Billions O' Fun Things To Do Industries, a mysterious series of events that transpires in the sandbox's system causes the sandbox to go haywire, transporting Max and the interns into the sandbox with no means of escape.
After coming to the realization that they cannot leave the sandbox, the group venture around the sandbox with the hope that they can find some way to get back to the real world. But they soon discover that the various characters and creatures that roam the sandbox are more violent and vicious then originally programmed and are out for murder and blood.
There is hope for survival however when Edwin realizes that they can fight back against the creatures by creating their own weaponry and gear within in the game.
The group arms themselves with various guns, swords and explosives and manage to do surprisingly well against the bloodthirsty creatures using a combination of wit, smarts, teamwork and video game knowledge to kill most of the monsters they come in contact with. Max even begins to lighten up a bit being around the interns and uses this circumstance to take out his frustrations about not being appreciated at his job.
Meanwhile, Stephen Bills (Nicolas Cage) Ruthless and maniacal CEO of Billions O' Fun Things To Do Industries and the creator of the sandbox watches the group's progress from his monitor and is extremely frustrated that the group is not dead yet. It turns out that Bills is the force behind the sandbox's malfunction and his main plan is to send the sandbox crashing down with all of the players inside of it.
Bills then creates Draco Bloodhungar (Sacha Baron Cohen) an impossibly badass human-troll hybrid bounty hunter with a ridiculous foreign accent to pursue and kill Max and the interns before they uncover the truth of what Bills is planning to do
After the group save Princess Peekaboo (Imogen Poots) a stereotypical video game damsel who can't help being in distress from the clutches of an evil warlock, Peekaboo joins the group as gratitude for them saving her. Benjamin has a not so secret crush on Peekaboo, that Chucky and Noel tease him for.
Draco is able to find where the group are located and ambushes them, Max attempts to fight Bloodhungar but he is nearly killed doing so. Draco is about to land the killing blow on Max but is interrupted by Edwin, Chucky, Noel, and Benjamin who save their newfound friend and mentor by teaming up to use their various weapons on Draco who then retreats. The guys rush to Max who is not dead but is wounded and the group help him up with them promising to Max that they will found a way out of the sandbox.
When Draco transports back to Stephen and reveals that he failed in killing the group, Bills murders Draco and decides that he is going to finish the job himself.
The Group is able to finally find the transporter that can bring them back to the real world but when they are about to leave, Bills appears and ambushes and easily dispatches of the group using his ability over the sandbox to subdue the group and trap the group before they can enter the transporter Bills explains his plans to the group and claims that he is the god of the virtual world, while Bills is mid insane rambling monologue, Noel shoots him in the crotch, causing an enraged Bills to chase after him this distracts Bills long enough for him to be oblivious to the barrage of firepower and explosives the group unleashes on him. Bills is not dead and it takes a well placed shot to Bills super powered armored by Edwin for Bills super armor and himself to explode in bloody fashion.
Before the tired and exhausted group return to the real world Princess Peakaboo kisses Benjamin before she and the rest of the remaining creatures in the sandbox are erased and vanish due to the glitch.
Six months later it is revealed that Max Dangerfield is the new CEO of Billions O' Fun Things To Do Industries, with Edwin, Chucky, Noel and Benjamin are by his side as vice presidents of the company, and are working on a brand new none dangerous version of Sandbox.
BOX OFFICE
Budget: $90,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $99,308,482
Foreign Box Office: $140,446,193
Total Profit: $10,661,594
Domestic Box Office: $99,308,482
Foreign Box Office: $140,446,193
Total Profit: $10,661,594
REVIEWS
"Sandbox is a film that doesn't seem sure of its audience. Is it a sci-fi comedy starring Chris Pratt or is it a kids' movie about a bunch of ragtag teens saving the day? It's a good question, and it doesn't seem to be one the filmmakers have a very good answer for." - Paul Onkean, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"There's a good idea at the core of the film, but the film isn't sure what to do with its star, Chris Pratt. He doesn't do anything all that heroic or comedic, which is a shame for a movie that's billing itself as a sci-fi action comedy." - Michael Wilmington, Rolling Stone
"Sandbox isn't a perfect film by any means, but it's pretty entertaining. The cast does what it can with the characters, and Edgar Wright's direction and Garcia's script keep things moving at a brisk, easy pace." - Josh Manning, NY Daily News
Rated PG-13 for some action violence
Filming Locations:
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA