Above, a scene from “Paul.” (Photo credit: Universal Pictures)
‘Paul,’ while funny, leaves you wanting more
UPDATED – Few things in life amaze us like thinking about space and all of its wonders. And while many agree the chances of advance life on another planet is incredibly likely, few could imagine having an alien encounter on Earth. But that’s what we get in the sci-fi comedy “Paul,” and even though the title character looks strikingly similar to the little green men we’ve been indoctrinated to learn as to what an alien looks like since the ’50s, that’s as far as the similarities go. What we get in its place is a foul-mouthed, board shorts-wearing, English-speaking miscreant who has a penchant for spouting wholly inappropriate (code word: hilarious) responses to every crazy situation he finds himself in.
“Paul” is a story about two English friends making a pilgrimage of sorts to Comic-Con in San Diego, the mecca of nerdiness. The best friends, Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg, “Shaun of the Dead”) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost, “Shaun of the Dead”), have been planning to make a trip across the pond for years, and they are geared up to make the most of it. Starting from the annual convention, the sci-fi enthusiasts will trek across America to visit sites of extraterrestrial interest, including Area 51 and Roswell. However, their journey to document the weird is cut short after running into Paul (voiced by Seth Green, “Knocked Up”). He asks for a lift to get to his then-mysterious destination, and Graeme and Clive begrudgingly offer aid. From here, some ridiculous antics ensue as Paul and his human companions journey through rural America, running into everything from rednecks with near-offensive Southern drawls to fanatically religious zealots who single-mindedly deny the theory of evolution to the bumbling men in black trying to find and capture Paul to study his unique abilities, all in a quest to get Paul home.
When it comes to humor, what really gels a movie is a sharp script and great actors. “Paul” delivers on both, even if some of the jokes were hit-and-miss and a bit crude. Having Pegg and Frost back together on the silver screen is just brilliant, especially after comic gems “Shaun” and “Hot Fuzz.” It should be noted that while the movie was directed by Greg Mottola (“Superbad,” “Adventureland”), Pegg and Frost wrote the screenplay. It’s obvious they were a bit indulgent in the writing, tapping into their own nerd and lacing the film’s lines with a multitude of pop culture and sci-fi references. You may not get some of the puns if you don’t regularly visit Internet chat rooms debating the difference between different Enterprise ships, but that doesn’t hinder the absolute hilarity of the situation that spawned the joke. Pegg and Frost just have a natural connection, one that only amplifies the humor. Their characters are relatable, and you just want them to succeed in their endeavor. But they’re not the only funny people in this line up. Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”) is just dynamite as the crazy love interest, Ruth. Watching her descend from a pure Christian girl to an expletive-spewing harlot is more entertaining than it may seem. And weirdly enough, the feds chasing Paul (including Jason Bateman, Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio) provide drama and comedy in equal doses, adding a much-needed measure of suspense to this otherwise cookie-cutter plot.
But when it comes right down to it, “Paul” could have been funnier, considering the writers and actors involved. Most of the time it comes across as juvenile, as if shock value is more important than the intelligence behind the jokes. That doesn’t mean it isn’t so funny you may wet yourself, just that it could have been better. Major kudos are in order, though, for the risk the studio took in allowing so many religion jokes. Seriously, Paul just owns all the crazy Christians running around in T-shirts featuring God blasting Charles Darwin with a shotgun. A bit much, yes, but entertaining nevertheless.
Meeting a real-life alien is every sci-fi fanboy’s dream, and “Paul” allows that to happen for two nerdy Brits. “Paul” proves that it’s more about the journey than the destination and how some weed, beer and good music can start an unforgettable adventure. And in case you were wondering, no, nobody was probed in the making of this movie.
Three probing stars out of five.
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