Directed by Greg Mottola, (4/5).
Paul is the newest brainchild of genius comic duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the all-round awesome guys behind the classics Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. This time, Frost and Pegg play British sci-fi nerds Clive and Graeme who are on a road trip around the United States' UFO “hotspots” in one of those sweet American RVs. That probably would have been enough hilarity alone considering the pair's comedic prowess, but add in a very close and extended encounter with alien/fugitive Paul (voiced by Seth Rogan), lots of Saturday Night Live stars thrown in the mix (plus Sigourney Weaver?!) and you have the recipe for another quotable classic.
It's been almost 30 years since E.T. (can you believe it?) and the market has definitely been wide open for another friendly alien to touch our hearts with a glowing finger. Paul is definitely Frost and Pegg's modern answer to fill the gaping void E.T. left us with when he flew away into the stars. Paul is E.T. if E.T. said the “c” word, and had testicles and a pack-a-day smoking habit.
The amount of fun this movie must have been to shoot clearly shows through in the end result, as the dynamics between the cast are excellent and the comedic timing is impeccable. I loved the mash-up of British and American humor and found myself llolal-ing (literally laughing out loud a lot). Unfortunately, as buddy comedies often do, Paul suffered from a small amount of sap and a large amount of predictability. That said, it was very watchable and very re-watchable although I maybe-probably-definitely still like Shaun of the Dead better. Still, go and see it. If you like Frost and Pegg, you will love it.
Paul
