Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Working Title Films
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Jane Lynch, Sigourney Weaver, Blythe Danner, Jeffrey Tambor
Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) are two sci-fi comic book geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. After attending a conference and meeting their hero, they head off on a tour in a camper of famous UFO hot spots. While there, they accidentally meet an alien Paul (Seth Rogan) who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. Paul was held prisoner at Roswell for the past 60 years at a top-secret military base, all the while thinking he was a guest. When he discovers he’s been taken prisoner, the space-traveling smart ass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town-a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme and Clive. This is the greatest adventure of their lives, a real nerd fiesta, but they are chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap. Graeme and Clive hatch a plan to return Paul to his mother ship. And as two nerds try their best, their may end up dead, lost, or perhaps intergalactic heroes.
Paul is different that I expected. I can see why Seth Rogan was cast, as Paul really is a smart-ass, and these guys are bumbling fools. But this is a “Revenge of the Nerds” type movie and it’s done in slapstick and low humor. With lots of homages to other sci-fi films, it’s got a lot of humor on that level as well. So it’s really funny, but it’s not heartwarming or touching. It’s more cracking jokes. Jason Bateman and Sigourney Weaver play the feds and are very funny. Jeffrey Tambor plays their comic book writing hero who also has a funny part in the movie. Kristen Wiig plays the one-eyed fanatical Christian non-believer who is kidnapped and becomes part of the chase. These extra characters add a lot of funny parts to the film, and so if you’re a fan of sarcastic humor and satire, you’ll get a kick out of Paul. It’s not a cute kids film though, it’s mostly pratfalls and slapstick. But for that type of movie, it’s really cute.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
