Saving the world is not always the prerogative of superheroes, feels "Pixels" star Josh Gad, who finds it more relatable to see the common man rise up to the occasion.
The actor-comedian, loved by children as the voice of snowman Olaf in Disney's viral hit "Frozen", will be seen fighting an alien attack in Chris Columbus-directed 3D, sci-fi comedy with Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan and Peter Dinklage.
"There's something really refreshing about heroes without a cape or a superpower, who have to utilize their skill sets, right? And I do think that in the vein of great movies that have come before us - like Ghostbusters, it is great to see the everyman, or the geek, rise up to the occasion. That's something that everybody can relate to," Gad told reporters at a recent media event in Cancun.
Alluding to his not-so-muscular frame, Gad, who plays Ludlow Lamonsoff in the movie, said those who enjoy their food can also become superheroes.
"And I think that these characters all represent something that hopefully somebody sees in themselves - that it's not just I need to eat only egg whites and have claws to fight, to save the world. I can eat like Kevin James or Josh Gad and be just fine."
The movie's plot revolves around a bunch of former arcade games champions who get a chance to save the world when aliens misinterpret video games footage that NASA sent them and attack the Earth using games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Space Invaders, Arkanoids and Tetris as their models.
James, who plays the US President Will Cooper in the movie, said the movie will connect with everyone.
"This movie is about the unsung hero. This is about a group of guys who had a skill that seemed pretty useless back in the day, and they were so good at it that there was actually a way to channel it and to use it for good, and to defeat the aliens, which is pretty amazing," James said.
"Pixels" hits the screens on July 31.
