Paul is a movie for a certain kind of person. No, not just fans of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's other genre pictures(
Hot Fuzz
,
Shaun of the Dead
). Whereas those two brilliant movies were hilarious on their own, Paul is unabashedly made for the true sci-fi geek. The guy with every edition(even the LaserDisc!) of
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
resting comfortably on his shelf. The guy with the Starship Enterprise Christmas ornament.(note: women left out of the equation intentionally). If that sounds like you, then Paul is speaking your language,and that language is probably Klingon.
I count myself somewhere in the middle. Dorky enough to catch the many visual sci-fi references thrown my way, but not quite dorky enough to giggle with glee. Pegg and Frost are Graeme and Clive, two Brit comic book nerds and alien enthusiasts living the fanboy dream. It starts at the holy Mecca of pop culture domination, San Diego Comic-Con, where the duo pose with a number of folks your average person won't recognize, and with girls those who do could never get. Then they're off on a road trip to visit some alleged hot spots of alien activity, where they literally run into a real life,(presumably) flesh and blood alien named Paul(voiced by Seth Rogen).
Paul isn't just an ordinary alien with green skin and antennae. He's a vulgar, snarky comedian trying to find a way back to his home planet. Fortunately he bumped into the only two guys willing to help. Or so you'd think, but the two best buds get a little heated on the subject for awhile, and neither is too happy about the baggage that comes with their spacey buddy. Paul is being pursued by the Feds, primarily Special Agent Lorenzo Oil(Jason Bateman). Yes, that's his name, and jokes like that are what make keep the mood light and fresh. Even if most of the humor is of the chuckle variety, there's plenty of it to go around. It isn't long before the gang picks up another member in Ruth Buggs(Kristen Wiig), the daughter of a rigid Fundamentalist who has her entire world perspective shattered when she meets Paul.
For once, Pegg and Frost arent the comedic focal points. That honor goes to Rogen, who has a grainy, strangely pitched voice I wouldn't be surprised to hear on a real alien some day(when they inevitably show up to visit us). Paul's flurry of vulgarities and social quirks are the film's true driving force. He's funny enough that he never ventures into the territory of becoming annoying. The way he both takes pride and is embarrassed by alien stereotypes we've come to accept is hilarious.Wiig is typically hilarious, especially considering her character goes through the most changes and actually has a a story arc. With her creationist viewpoint blown to smithereens, she becomes a new person overnight. She starts trying out a new personality like others try on shoes. Sex is now on the table, so is inappropriately timed cussing, and let's not forget occasional drug use. Ruth is probably the most fun character to watch.
We're so used to the comedic rhythm established when Pegg and Frost are directed by Edgar Wright that something feels a tiny bit off with Greg Mottola(
Superbad
) behind the camera. The script isn't as tight, and while I love them I think there's sometimes too much of a reliance of genre sight gags to make up for some dead spots in the story. Very cool, but don't always add much to the equation. Spielberg would have a field day his work gets mentioned so often. James Cameron, too. When Sigourney Weaver makes a perfectly timed cameo, you don't have to wait long before the first '
Aliens
' quote. I can't lie, it was pretty cool.
Minor issues aside, Paul is a frequently outrageous diversion built from the ground up for fans of Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and awesome superchicks with three boobs.
and Adventureland
the guy is tops in my book. The alien inspired plot doesn't do much for me, and I like Pegg/Frost better when they're genre spoofing more than when making traditional comedy. But we shall see.