Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, and Bill Hader with the voice of Seth Rogan
Directed by: Greg Mottola
MPAA Rating: R for language including sexual references and some drug use
Genre: Comedy, Road Film and Science Fiction
Running Time: 1hr 44min
Release Date: March 18th, 2011
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
By John Delia
If you are a Sci-Fi comedy nut like myself Paul delivers 104 minutes of amazement and fun. The cute little laugher features a great comical cast and although the story gets quite corny most of the sight gags are priceless.
Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) have traveled thousands of miles from England in order to attend a Comic Book Convention in the United States. The two British nerds then plan to take a rented RV for a trip to all the historical UFO sights in Nevada and New Mexico. After leaving the wild convention they make their first stop in the middle of nowhere for a bite to eat. On the way out of the joint they dent the finder of a couple of wise cracking patrons and speed off down the road. Just when they feel they are out of danger a car comes crashing into a ditch, Graeme and Clive get a huge surprise when a snappy little alien called Paul pops out of the bushes. When Paul talks the two into helping him escape being hunted by the FBI, a road trip to hell begins.
The comedy comes swift and often with crazy sight gags and snappy one-liners. Although most of the comedy has a British flare it’s still understandably funny. If you have seen Shaun of the Dead or even Hot Fuzz you will get my meaning.
Leading the cast of crazies are Simon Pegg and Nick Frost the duo who made several films together including their next big release The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. Bill Hader, Kristin Wigg and Justin Bateman a trio of Americans help deliver the very funny movie under the fine direction of by Greg Mottola (Adventureland, Superbad). The unmistakable Seth Rogan voices Paul the smart ass alien who kicks the movie into high gear with his super powers.
The movie is filled with lines and gestures borrowed from many science fiction movies and I found myself counting them as the film progressed. The most oblivious is Devils Tower National Monument a site that Close Encounters of a Third Kind made famous.
Paul is rated R for language including sexual references and some drug use so even as cute the alien, please be cautious about bringing immature children.
FINAL ANALYSIS: An A for the Alien. (A)