Paul (2011)

Yes, it's a parody of scifi movies...yes, this is definitely a spoof of everything we have come to expect from scifi...and it is put together as a snarky comedy...Paul is an irreverent "grey", a savvy guy who just wants to be liked for who he is, not what he is. Sound familiar ? It should, since it is pretty much how all of us feel about life in general...I'm not going to detail the whole movie, but with Sigourney Weaver in it, as Paul's nemesis with evil intentions, and more than a few weird Earthlings thrown in for flavor, the movie ends up as an excellent portrait of just how strange we appear to those aliens, heh heh...

Clever, smart, very funny and well made in all departments.Two comic book geeks on a road trip around America which, at face value, for many people won't sound appealing.However, a very comical, knowing and clever script coupled with great performances and direction all pull together to create a a rather special road movie and a real treat.Another gem of writing from Simon Pegg & Nick Frost, possibly their most consistent in humorous terms. It definitely doesn't hold back satirising people that base their world's beliefs on fanciful fairy stories rather than relevant scientific facts. Congratulations to them for getting it so well integrated into the movie.Great for fans of well made FUN movies and especially science fiction fans.

Let me start off by saying that I think "Paul" was a good movie. It had a lot going for it: It's a great original story, the special effects are well done, the acting is great and I especially liked the casting choices. My only issue with the movie is that that there are a few running gags which just went on for too long. One such example would be Ruth using profane language. Apparently the writers thought it was golden, so they let it go on throughout the entire movie. It just struck me as juvenile and low brow. Frankly anyone with a double digit IQ should have stopped laughing at the mere pronunciation of words like "c*cks*cker" when they were ten years old. The Atheism vs. Christianity gag was another one which went on way too long. There's a big difference between poking fun at religion and uncomfortable mean spirited religious debate. I think it's safe to say that this movie crossed that line. I'm an agnostic, yet even I couldn't help but cringe at the preachiness and the lack of self-awareness in which this movie puts forth Atheism. It would have helped a lot if it was done in a more light-hearted and less hostile fashion, because as it is now they might as well have cast Richard Dawkins as Paul so he could call Christians mentally ill in his trademark smug and condescending manner. Unfortunately with "Shawn of the dead" and "Hot Fuzz" Simon Pegg and Nick Frost set the bar so high that any movie they made afterwards could only disappoint the inordinate expectations of their fans. That was the case with "The world's end" and unfortunately "Paul" is yet another example of that phenomenon. So while it doesn't do much wrong it is judged more harshly because of our expectations based on the duo's earlier masterpieces. Compare it to a painter, after you've seen an incredible artist paint a triptych of the resurrection you're just not going to be impressed when he paints a fruit bowl. So I give this movie a 7/10. Despite the fact that a few of the gags didn't quite hit the mark, I can honestly say that I enjoyed this movie and would recommend it.

Two British geeks go on a tour of UFO hot spots in the States after visiting Comic Con in San Diego (and getting to meet - *gasp* Adam Shadowchild!) and on the way, stumble upon a snarky, sarcastic and potty-mouth alien named Paul, who takes them on the ride of their lives in his journey to go back home after 60 years."Paul" is hilarious. But it's not the type of comedy that's for everyone - if you enjoy stoner comedy mixed in with geeky awkward nerdy humour, then you will enjoy this. There is a lot of swearing and vulgarity, and it's certainly not an intelligent movie, but as I said - it's fun.There are a few surprising heartwarming moments too, which I won't mention here for spoilers. But along with pure unadulterated silliness, this movie is ultimately about friendship. Bonds that can form regardless of species and regardless of home planet.I thought this would movie would be a dud, but it did not disappoint. Definitely an amusing movie all around.