Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Trugilo, Seth Rogen (voice)
Dir. Greg Mottola
Scr. Simon Pegg & Nick Frost
I loved hanging out with Pegg and Frost again. I loved Paul the Alien. I loved the scenery and the feel and the sci-fi in-jokes and Jason Bateman (he’s so yummy). But I didn’t love this movie. When you start with the brilliantly awesome Shaun of the Dead, perhaps you can only go downhill? But Paul is certainly worth a viewing, especially for those who love probe jokes … you know who you are.
Paul reunites Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Frost), two English sci-fi nerds who make a pilgrimage to America’s UFO heartland. On the way they meet Paul, an alien who has been on earth for 60 years, sharing his knowledge with humankind. Paul realises he’s been less a guest of government and more a prisoner, when the powers-that-be decide a living, breathing Paul has served his purpose and they want to go all alien-autopsy on him. So he’s phoned home and enlists the help of Graeme and Clive to get him to his spaceship. Sounds simple? Well, not quite. Paul, Graeme and Clive are pursued by some Men in Black (Bateman, Hader and Trugilo), as well as a crazed fundamentalist Christian, father of the travelling trio’s accidental kidnapee. Brilliant.
A couple of “thumbs up” I have to mention. First, to the wonderful Sigourney Weaver, who plays The Big Guy, intent on Paul’s capture and Graeme and Clive’s demise. It’s not exactly a spoiler – her voice is heard on multiple occasions before she appears at the end and what kind of sci-fi fan would you be if you didn’t recognise Ripley’s sultry tones? Second, a lovely cameo by the Sci-Fi King himself – Steven Spielberg.
The cast of Paul is incredibly fun to spend 100-odd minutes with. Clichés abound, sure, and there are some pretty hammy performances, but it all fits nicely. Pegg and Frost are sublime and lovely, as usual. Bateman is wonderfully hard-arse. And did I mention he’s yummy? Hader and Trugilo are ridiculously silly. Wiig is incredibly funny. The show here, however, really does belong to Rogen and his little green incarnation. Paul is a wonderful character and I imagine was a joy to write. It’s clear from Rogen’s performance that he was a joy to play as well. Paul is uneven at times and there are just a few too many probe jokes.
I couldn’t help but wish that this film was funnier, which is a pretty fatal flaw in a comedy. Unfairly perhaps, this movie suffers from comparison syndrome. It is not as sharp or clever or funny as Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz – clearly lacking the amazing Edgar Wright as director/co-writer. So it would certainly get a bronze in my imaginary medal ceremony for Pegg/Frost films. As a stand-alone film, which is what Paul is, I would recommend this movie to lovers of the sci-fi genre and people who like a bit of silliness in their cinematic outing. But, if you’re as big a Spaced/Shaun/Fuzz fan as me, don’t expect too much.
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Graeme: You are an alien!
Paul: To you I am, yes.
Graeme: Are you gonna probe us?
Paul: Why does everyone always assume that? What am I doing? Am I harvesting farts? How much can I learn from an ass?
