SXSW film review
Paul
Director: Greg Mottola Writers: Simon Pegg & Nick Frost Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite as two geeks who meet an alien named Paul (Seth Rogen) on a pilgrimage to America’s UFO heartland. Their road trip will alter our universe forever. Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, John Carroll Lynch, with Sigourney Weaver, and Seth Rogen as Paul (North American Premiere)
WHO'S IT FOR? If you loved Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Superbad, you need to lower your expectations a little. It's filthy talk that makes this R. For the most part, it feels like basic laughs from professionals who know what they are doing.
OVERALL
When you put Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in front of a computer to write, you expect a really good script. When you put Greg Mottala (Superbad) behind the camera to direct, you expect. Plus, it's not just Pegg and Frost in this film. There's Rogen, Bateman, Wiig, Hader, Weaver and Koechner ... you expect.
I wasn't overboard expectations. I didn't go around shouting to the neighbors that this HAS to be the funniest movie of all-time. I just expected creative laughs. While I did chuckle, I didn't bust a gut. Not once. It was easy laughs. Predictable laughs. At it's best it is a road trip, hang out movie. It's surprising that we haven't had foreigners (in this case British) do a road trip movie in the states more often. That concept works because we can see it new through their eyes.
Whenever it's not tripping ... when they go for romance, action or even (gulp) compassion it doesn't work. For example, the joke about three tits (an obvious, easy steal from Total Recall) is run into the ground. Paul consistently references sci-fi movies. Specifically, they keep pointing to Steven Spielberg. Close in Counters, E.T. and even Indiana Jones. Some of them hit, some are simply familiar, not funny. I understand it is technically a joke that Paul wants Reese's Pieces, my hope was that this movie would be better than that. Anyone can make a basic E.T.'s favorite candy joke, right? In Hot Fuzz they made a joke out of loving Bad Boys II, they didn't simply bring it up.
Paul will give you some laughs, but it also gets stuck, and feels a little dated, especially on the big stuff like caring. I will happening look forward to all of these entertainers showing up again, I just never felt like they fully showed up here.
FINAL SCORE: 6/10