Review: Paul

Plot: Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) are two best friends from England out to enjoy the San Diego Comic-Con. Both avid science fiction enthusiasts and believers in extra-terrestrials, the two decide decide to rent an RV and take a road trip to several locations of alien significance such as Roswell, New Mexico. One night while on the road, the two witness a car crash. Upon investigation they come upon Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) an alien who implores them to help rendezvous with a rescue ship. Along the way Clive and Graeme will have to contend with FBI agents Lorenzo Zoil (Jason Bateman), Haggard (Bill Hader), and O'Reilly (Joe Lo Truglio), a naive Christian fundamentalist named Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wiig), and the "Big Guy"(Sigourney Weaver) a mysterious superior who wants Paul dead at all costs.

Review: Anybody who's a fan of all things nerd and also the work of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) will probably find Paul as hilarious and entertaining as I did. Full of quick wit, plenty of pop culture and fantasy/science fiction references, and a steady pace that rarely lags, Paul provides a nice balance of sci-fi action and steady laughs.
Director Greg Mottola keeps the focus of the film where it should be--the relationship between Graeme and Clive. From that stance the film almost directs itself. Pegg and Frost once again prove the ultimate duo. Their buddy chemistry is hard to ignore. It worked in their previous two films and it works in Paul. Graeme comes across as a sweet artist who despite the strong friendship with Clive desperately wants to find love. Clive on the other hand is a struggling author who once won a Nebula award for best science fiction story for anyone under the age of sixteen. Both men struggle for meaning in their own lives and often fill it with fantasy and the belief that hopefully one day they'll meet aliens.
Despite being somewhat sad, they both come across as sweet in their own way. And incredibly funny. Whether it's Clive swearing in Klingon or Graeme's awkwardness around romantic interest Ruth, each possesses a distinct comedic charm that resonates with the audience. The pair also wrote the script which is rife with movie quotes, everything from Jaws to Aliens. While this was grating at times, most of the lines were delivered at opportune moments that were hysterical. The scene where Haggard (Hader) points a gun at the duo and quotes Jaws with, "Smile you son of bitch!" and then proceeds to run over a ravine is only one example. The screen writing duo also added a nice twist at the end which I was not expecting.
Also anchoring the movie is Paul himself, voiced by by Seth Rogen, who also did the motion capture for the character. As an alien trapped on a planet for six and half decades, Rogen does a great job demonstrating how Paul has adapted to the situation. Concealed by the government, Paul has been advising the USA on scientific and sociological insights. Moreover, he's actually influenced pop culture by creating Fox Mulder from The X-Files and assisting Steven Spielberg with E.T. The scene between Rogen and Spielberg over the phone in a flashback to 1981 is classic.
What's great about Paul is how human he is. Paul drinks, smokes, watches television, and eats all kinds of bad food like the normal American. It makes the fact that he's being hunted now by the FBI so they can harvest his stem cells to obtain his psychic powers, that much more heart wrenching. You see his human side come out especially with Clive, who feels jealous because Graeme and Paul developed a connection after Clive fainted at the initial meeting.
Kristen Wiig delivers another strong comedic performance as the naive Ruth. The scenes wear she beings swearing for the first time are initially funny but get old after awhile. However, an awkward scene where she grabs Graeme's junk more than makes up for it. I have to say though that the chemistry between Wiig and Pegg wasn't great and at times the relationship felt forced.
Jason Bateman excels as FBI agent Lorenzo Zoil, although his name is a bit of a groaner. Bateman, rather than his usual goofy self, plays Zoil completely straight laced. The two rookie agents continually confound him and at one point he even refers to them as "Frick and F**k". (Hilarious!) Bateman's dedication to Zoil's stuffiness makes the awkward hugging scene between Zoil and Ruth's father Moses Buggs (John Carroll Lynch) that much funnier. Just when I though Bateman's schitck was getting old he busts out with this performance.
Not surprisingly Bateman's partner in crime from Arrested Development, Jeffrey Tambor makes a cameo as Adam Shadowchild, a popular science fiction writer that Graeme and Clive both respect. Tambor is a perfect egotistical and pompous ass who tells people who haven't bought his book to "F off." Other cameo's by Blythe Danner and Sigourney Weaver round out a balanced and cohesive cast.
My only complaints about the film are that the movie was about ten minutes too long and that the spaceship at the end looked a little cheesy. In addtion the way Paul signals the rescue ship is kind of ridiculous. (Fireworks? Really?)
However, it wasn't enough to distract me from enjoying Paul. Chalk up another comedic success for Pegg and Frost. May the duo live long and prosper.

My rating: 8/10