Paul (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2011)

I was a bit hesitant about seeing Paul from the critical reviews and from the trailer, but found myself enjoying it quite a bit when I took a chance and saw it. There's a lot to see in Paul, and much like Galaxy Quest (1999), Paul both mocks its subject matter while at the same time treating it with both understanding and great affection. A lot of talent went into Paul and it shows. Directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland, TV's Arrested Development) and written by Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, TV's Spaced) and Nick Frost, Paul hits all the right comic notes, skewering its target audience knowingly and lovingly.

What makes Paul work is that, at its heart, it's the ultimate scifi road trip. Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost), two major scifi/comics/UFOs fanboys from the UK, are visiting the US on a pilgrimage of sorts, hitting the biggest scifi/comics/gaming convention on the West Coast and making the grand tour of all the famous UFO-lore sites (Area 51, Roswell, 'The Black Mailbox', etc) in a huge honkin' RV. While on the road out in the desert, they witness a car spin out of control and crash. When they hurry to see if they can help, they come face to face with the classic little green alien with huge head and enormous oval eyes. Except that he's smoking a cigarette, introduces himself as 'Paul', and talks like Seth Rogen (mainly because he's voiced by Seth Rogen, absolutely the perfect choice for this role). Paul tells Graeme (Clive's fainted) of his need to escape the government people coming after him and the road trip is on.

The cast is great. Pegg and Frost are perfect in their roles as fanboys who've been buddies since childhood and have never really grown up, Frost's Clive hoping to finish his breakthrough novel and Pegg's Graeme doing the illustrations for it (the triple-breasted alien woman on the cover is a running gag that keeps getting funnier). Rogen gives Paul his personality, quite literally, making him a fairly unique creation: the stoner/slacker alien who's gone native in a lot of ways but has decided it's time to phone home (largely because the powers that be have apparently decided to quit merely picking his brain and remove it instead). Jason Bateman is great as the deadpan Agent Zoil, the 'man in black' hot on Paul's trail. Bill Hader and Joe LoTruglio are excellent comic foils as his low-grade backups, Agents Haggard and O'Reilly. Jeffrey Tambor is a scene-stealer in his role as the arrogant fanboys' icon, Adam Shadowchild. Kristen Wiig adds a lot to the comic mix as Ruth Buggs, a repressed Christian fundamentalist (she wears a t-shirt with Jesus shooting Darwin through the head) whose close-encounter with Paul ends up liberating her in a completely over-the-top way (think Jessica from True Blood, just with aliens instead of vampires). And there's a major cameo that's held in reserve until the climactic scene, but once it's revealed, your reaction will be "Of course! Who else?"

Another fun part of Paul is picking up all of the movie references, and Paul contains a _lot_ of them, sometimes in lines that are either quotes or parodies of quotes, sometimes in scenes or visuals, from just about every major scifi movie imagineable. Star Wars, Star Trek, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Aliens, Back To The Future, E.T., Predator, Starman. You name it, it's probably in there somewhere. My personal favorite is a scene with a country & western band in a biker bar, playing their version of about the last thing you'd ever expect to hear in that context. I really want to get the DVD when it comes out so I can go back and catch all the ones I missed the first time.

There are a few places where things do drag a bit, usually where the toilet/grossout humor (it's Seth Rogen after all) goes on a little too long. But for the most part Paul keeps things going fast and furious, and the cast are so into their roles that even when you can sense the joke coming, it's still funny when it hits you.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves sci-fi/alien films and for anyone who's ever been a fanboy of anything.

So heads up

If your christian faith in god is so weak that you cannot handle a computer generated alien making jokes and presenting logical facts regarding your faith and its almost complete lack of science.... this movie is not for you.

If you cant handle a smart ass little alien who drinks, smokes dope, and tells dirty jokes...this movie is not for you.

If you have no humor at all and find things in a "comedy" offensive...this movie is not for you

if you find two gross British nerds taking the trip of a lifetime and doing what they love un funny or offensive...this movie is not for you

If you find large explosions or the men in black overly scary and offensive... this movie is not for you.

However,

If you enjoy crude humor, atheist overtones, large explosions, smoking dope, telling dirty jokes AND some nerdtastic adventures... this movie is for you.

I went into this flick not expecting much but I left happy and I cant wait to buy it!

Buy Paul (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2011) Now

As of writing, this film isn't out in Canada, however a CAM version of the UK release is out, so I am reviewing it based on the version I saw.

When it comes to Brit comedy, nobody does it quite like the Frost/Pegg duo. Both are phenomenal actors and seeing them on screen is a charm. So when I saw the trailer for "Paul" with The Green Hornet,, I must say I was very excited. And I must say, the film didn't disappoint. Is it quite on the same level as the Blood and Ice Cream movies? Definitely not, but it's a great piece of brain popcorn and I believe you will definitely love it.

This movie is basically the plot of E.T. with the humour of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, and it works! Of course you can't go wrong with that combination. Although Edgar Wright didn't direct the film, and the film feels very different from the mentioned two, this film actually manages to have the same level of charm and entertainment as those two. Also, the film has a wide range of good actorsincluding Jason Bateman, Jane Lynch, and even David Koechner!

Two British nerds, Graeme and Clive, are on a road trip across the US, which they have been dreaming of as kids. They've been dreaming of this as kids, and the highlight so far has been Comic Con San Diego. They

even have met Adam Shadowchild. One night, while in Area 51, Nevada, they witness a car crash, and come across the foul-mouthed alien slacker Paul. But this ain't no District 9 or E.T. Paul is, as mentioned above, is a slacker, and a loud/foul mouth. He is being chased by US government agents, and Graeme and Clive have no choice but

to take them with him. Along the way, they pick up a religious chick, an old lady who was wronged by Paul, and it all becomes one wacky and zany adventure.

This is definitely an adults-only version of E.T., and one that manages to entertain all the way through. Tonnes of gross moments and WTF moments as well as belly laughs and crude humour. Seth Rogen is

surprisingly great as the said alien Paul, his voice is surprisingly fitting. He was great in his past year's The Green Hornet, and he does amazingly well here. Pegg and Frost are their usual charming selves,

and manage to make a great team. But the highlight of the movie was Kristen Wiigshe was HILARIOUS!!!! Every line from her mouth was gold, and she definitely stole the show. This movie also had lots of heart too, and there is a VERY touching scene near the end I will not spoil.

Overall, this definitely is not Wright material, but if you go into it with an open mind, you will enjoy this movie like I did. Definitely recommended for sure.

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I love this movie, the witty, dry, silly comedy from Hot Fuzz and Shawn of the Dead were back in full force. A great no brainer movie with a lot of heart, just like summer movies should be. Although I agree that if you are offended by movies that question religion, steer clear of this one.

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Simon Pegg + Nick Case = Sheer magic. All the time. This movie is hialarious, despite having a cast full of comedic stars, it's believable and is basically every Con fan's dream come true. I can't watch it enough, it always makes me laugh.

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