Paul

I enjoyed this film quite a bit, it is a rare comedy that started kind of slowly, but continued to get more funny as it went on. Usually I find a lot of comedies start kind of fast then fade out kind of fast. This one has two Brits who are in the United States for comic con, the end all comic book, science fiction, horror and a whole heck of a lot more conventions. These particular two are into aliens and there to not only take in the sights and meet a favorite author, but to drive to some of the famous alien spots out in the west. Well they quickly run into some trouble with some local rednecks and then end up witnessing a very bad wreck. They go out to explore the scene and end up meeting Paul, an alien who is apparently on the run and in the need of assistance. During the course of their adventure the two Brits must keep Paul hidden from government agents and also deal with crazy religious fathers and all sorts of other things one tends to find on the road. Probably why I liked this one as I always enjoy a good traveling comedy of which this can certainly be classified as one. I also enjoy watching Simon Pegg and Nick Frost working together as they have a good chemistry. They are a couple of the few actors who I will watch a movie specifically because they are in it. I used to have a whole slew of actors and actresses like that, but these days not so much. The comedy is funny, like I said it started a bit slowly as I think the comic con scenes could have been a bit funnier, but it really got going once they met up with Paul. Not much of a Seth Rogen fan, but he did a fine job as the voice of Paul. So all in all a funny comedy that kept me entertained throughout.

I like a movie that can make something familiar feel fresh. Paul is this years Short Circuit, or Starman, or Maybe even Galaxy Quest. Its merger of crude/rude and witty comedy plus a cast where everyone brings their A-game, without going too far makes Paul a good watch.

Let's start with top billing. I'll be among the few to say that I didn't love either Nick Frost or Simon Pegg in the Hot Fuzz/Shawn of the Dead duo. They wrote themselves with too much 'sour' in mind and too much self-mockery. For this script, I think they nailed it. Here they are not simply goofs, they are likable goofs, the parts have been written with a few more 'straight' moments, and honesty to balance the satire.

The two of them are on an RV road trip in the south western states from Comic-Con to Roswell. Once in New Mexico however, they get perhaps a little more than they anticipated when they meet the survivor of a car crash in the middle of the night...a little green man, one who speaks English, has been on Earth since 1947, and is asking for a lift.

Paul is delightfully beyond the reach of reason. It's actually a million light years more absurd than Shawn of the dead and Hot Fuzz, so I felt a little more explanation would've helped. It's not too hard to draw conclusions about how Paul learnt English, but why is he speaking it like a punk? He has some really great lines, but he seems way too human for an Alien. Then again, if he wasn't the movie wouldn't be quite as funny.

As the movie starts to wrap up, it does so with a lot of spectacle (perhaps maybe a bit too much). A few too many guns get pointed bullets get fired for me, but at least the laughs keep coming which is important.

Paul, creaks a little here and there, but it is appetizing as a comedy with a buddy movie spirit and a good dose of sci-fi satire.

From the trailers, I had come to expect quite a lot from the movie. Actually I had thought and believed the movie to be more than it actually was when I was done watching it. Now, I am not saying that the movie is bad or dull, far from it. The movie is pretty cool and fun, though there is nothing overly new and inventive about it. And that is what sort of made the movie a bit tame.

The storyline in "Paul" is good. An alien has crashed on Earth and now many, many years later he escapes from captivity and hits the road, where he accidentally bump into Graeme Willy and Clive Gollings. With the government in chase, Paul and his newfound friends are racing to get across USA and to get Paul home.

Right, well throughout the movie there was a bunch of subtle and not so subtle references to other movies. Many of these had me laughing, because they were hilarious and quite often in your face. And it was rather surreal to have a country/hillbilly band play the cantina band music from Star Wars, but it was hilarious.

As for the cast and the acting in the movie. Well, it has long been established that Simon Pegg (playing Graeme Willy) and Nick Frost (playing Clive Gollings) have amazing on-screen chemistry and they add a lot to each other. So it was nice to have another movie with them working together. Jason Bateman (playing agent Zoil; you will love his full name when it is revealed) also did a good job. He was cool and to the point, and his character was really awesome. Bill Hader (playing Haggard) and Joe Lo Truglio (playing O'Reilly) worked well together as a goofy police unit, and added some weird comedy to the movie. It was a shame that Sigourney Weaver (playing The Big Guy) had such a small role. But despite this, she always delivers a good performance. And I just loved what was said right after she got punched in the face. That was one of my favorite movie references in "Paul". Now, Seth Rogen (the voice of Paul) is not really one of my favorite actors, but he did a good job with the voice-acting in this movie.

For a comedy, don't expect to be laughing throughout the entire movie. The movie is driven by a good story and spiced with comedy here and there. Which in itself is a good combination, and it worked well for this movie.

Not to forget the CGIs in the movie. They were excellent. The character Paul was so nicely made, and the textures of his skin, face and eyes was off the charts. And those effects really helped carry the movie.

"Paul" is a great movie, though it is not Simon Pegg's and Nick Frost's best movie, it takes a lot to top "Shaun of the Dead". But it is a good enough attempt, and the movie works well enough all together. A movie with a great story, some laughs here and there, and it will take you out of this world.

Hilarious comedic duo, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are back this time in an American spoofish science-fiction adventure in Greg Mottola's 'Paul'. The sci-fi references (Alien, ET, Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind, Star Wars, Aliens, Predator, etc) are done excellently and had me laughing out loud. Pegg and Frost are superb as they always are when working together.

They're effectively supported by the wonderful Kristin Wiig, the no-nonsense (to an extent) Jason Bateman and Bill Hader. Cameos by Jane Lynch and David Koechner are equally amusing. There's another sort of cameo that's revealed in the end and her presence is just the right way to round up a brilliant cast. Seth Rogan is less annoying than his usual on screen personas but he still is the weakest link here. He's pretty much his usual annoying on screen self even though his character is an alien and it is only the better performances of his co-stars that actually make Rogan appear less annoying.

Compared to Pegg and Frost's previous works ('Spaced', 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Hot Fuzz') which in my opinion are classics, 'Paul' falls a little short. Some of the jokes, especially the toilet humour delivered by Rogan, fall flat. It's also lacking in wit. The pacing is a little slow in the first half but it picks up quickly in the latter portion. Plot holes are scattered throughout the movie.

In terms of execution, 'Paul' is quite well made. The title character looks amusing. The cross country location suits the setting. Cinematography is adequate.

'Paul' may not be a classic like 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Hot Fuzz' but it's still funny enough to be entertaining. Where there is Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, one can always expect to at least laugh.

Paul is not perfect, but it is not as good as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. However I for one found it an enjoyable movie, and much better than people I know made it out to be. I mainly wanted to see it for the concept, which seemed fun and intriguing, and for the most part it was. The story is mostly fast-paced and entertaining, but there are some predictable moments with some gags going on for too long. Also while I loved Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids, I didn't find her character here anywhere near as well written or engaging this time round. However, Paul does look great and has an appealing soundtrack. A vast majority of the writing and gags are very funny and on target and the direction is well above average as well. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are a well-matched pair, both are likable and their chemistry infectious, while Seth Rogan, an actor I don't really care for, is surprisingly good as Paul. Overall, far better than expected even with the flaws. 7/10 Bethany Cox