Review of Paul (2011) by Thomas B — 30 Jan 2015

There is an inherit risk in filming a movie based entirely around a CG character. If the little green man is all show and no character, your film is going to suck. Plain and simple. The opposite is true in Paul. Before the introduction of the Rogen voiced slacker from space, the film is teetering dangerously on becoming boring. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's Graeme and Clive respectively seem to have been created to be the two nicest guys on Earth and there is a severe lack tension resulting in only mild splashes of humour and a over-reliance on geeky in-jokes. But as soon as we meet Paul, all doubts are immediately allayed and the movie takes off. .

Paul is in trouble. Since he crash landed here he's been under government care and now he wants out. However, since he can't drive, he enlists the help of our hapless pair and the trio begin on their journey. In a progression of escalating situations remeniscent of director Greg Mottola's breakout hit Superbad, the group get into quandry after quandry, each one jam-pakced with a slew of fantastic jokes, some of the most inventive swearing this side of In the Loop and in-jokes referencing everything from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Battlestart Galactica. .

Greg Mottola has already proved himself to be more than adept at handling comedy. His work in Superbad displays the perfect amount of intended cliche and well-placed restraint in order to let the script shine through. Here he is no longer filming kids on the quest for female companionship and as such his direction is on a much grander scale. Making full use of the conventions of a road movie, which Paul very much is, Mottola never forgets to spend some TLC on his characters rather than get wrapped up in the technical aspects. Utilising the restraint which made Superbad more real and funnier as a result, Mottola keeps his film very much grounded in the real world, despite the M-class occupant scuttling around the RV. But he doesn't miss an opportunity to indulge himself in pure mindblowing coolness when filming explosions or action sequences. It's his dedication to character which ultimately sees him succeed and each one of his on-screen players gets more than just a once over. Even the henchmen hot on Paul's trail have more to do than point their guns and snarl. .

Which brings us to the performances. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have rarely set a foot wrong with roles ranging from Star Trek to The Boat That Rocked, the pair's most memorable work being Edgar Wright's action double Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Here they are British best buds and all-out nerds Graeme and Clive who have embarked on a holiday beginning at Comic-Con in the US and touring the major sites of extra-terrestrial activity across America's countryside. The two separate characters don't become truly established until they meet our offworld friend, but when they do both Pegg and Frost are able to explore their characters more fully through the jealousy sparked by their different relationships both with Paul and new addition Ruth. Neither of them have especially amazing roles but they both manage to make something more of them than they initially are on the page. Kristen Wiig is fantastic, if a little over-stereotyped, as devout Christian Ruth Buggs. Her journey into the world of "curse words and fornication" is played with naive exuberance by Wiig who lights up the screen constantly. My personal favourite, however, is Jason Bateman. Being a fan of his since his Arrested Development days, it's difficult to say that he's anything but amazing in whatever he does, but here the evaluation is perfectly justified. He plays Agent Zoil with typical restraint and fervour to his cause and shows off his brilliant flair for playing the straight man. He is consistently hilarious whenever he is onscreen as well as having a touch of badass about him, something unseen in any of his AD days. But it's the unseen Seth Rogen who steals the show with Paul. His distinctive voice and gift for humour bleeds through his onscreen representation at every turn. Even in his softer moments he is still hilarious as well as being entirely convincing. Bill Hader gets to relive his unlawful lawman role of Superbad for most of the film, though with a touch more deviousness which Hader plays with relish. Sigourney Weaver's fantastic cameo doesn't allow for much character building, but, hell, it's Sigourney Weaver. All she has to do is turn up. .

The script is fantastic. A clever blend of in-geekery with some truly hilarious lines and a dizzying blend of continuously inventive swearing. The confusing stream of gibberish coming from Kristen Wiig is also fantastic with some of the strangest lines ever written. Occassionally the jokes fall a little flat but the hit and miss ratio is well in favour of hitting. The film references come in thick and fast, an eclectic mix of love letters to Spielberg and to sci-fi films in general. The emotional moments are there as well, mostly left up to the budding relationship between Ruth and Graeme but with plenty left for the title character as well. Some of the last moments are genuinely moving as well as keeping up with the comedy. .

Part road movie, part sci-fi, all comedy, Paul is as funny and as warm as you could want. That the ending lacks the narrative elegance which you may have been hoping for is the largest of its flaws, but when the jokes are this good, you won't mind a bit. .

Defining Scene: .

Graeme and Clive walk down the street with a small cowboy.