Filmy Film Review: Paul

By the Lords of Kobol, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are back with a sci-fi comedy trying to win the favor of nerds as well as the general audience(for modern comedies that is, it's not a kids movie).

As the (re)player of a sci-fi legend himself (Scotty if you don't know), Simon Pegg is not messing around when it comes to nerd humor. References to multiple sci-fi movies are made, as well as to some of Pegg and Frost’s own movies. While the riddling of geek inside jokes are the parts of the movie I personally enjoyed the most, this movie does not just pander to sci-fi nerds (although sometimes I wish it did). Pegg and Frost’s geekalicious humor mixed with the director of Superbad Greg Mottola along with Seth Rogan, creates a comedy concoction that is hit or miss at times, but overall Pegg and Frost’s writing combined with Rogan’s character works very well. At first glance it’s odd to see Seth Rogan’s booming voice come from a little four foot alien, but as the movie progresses you realize that Rogan was not cast as Paul, but rather the other way around: Paul is Seth Rogan, down to his belchy grin. Rogan’s obvious cultural differences with Pegg and Frost become a comedic tool throughout the movie, as Pegg and Frost’s characters are outsiders looking in on America. This allows the viewers' perspective to also look in at the outrageous parts of American culture that give this film a slightly deeper level as it looks and lampoons the American way of life. This comedy does not dabble in superfluous slapstick and penis jokes (although it does have those) but actually tackles and satirizes core American values. But despite all the surprisingly intellectual comedy this movie contains, Paul is not without its faults. It seems modern audiences love dick fart vomit weed jokes these days, but for me the movie loses points with that. I felt that the movie also peaked with its comedy too soon, the comedy escalated and the movie got funnier and funnier up to a certain point around the late middle, but then seemed to get a little too carried away with itself during a large action sequence and declined until the final act; the ending however was absolutely wonderful.

Theater(for sci-fi fans)-Paul has a lot of hit or miss jokes, but is riddled with references you'll love that make the movie worth it.

Matinée(for everyone else)-Paul without the sci-fi references still stands on its own to a degree. While you won't be able to fully appreciate the movie, but it still has plenty to offer as a comedy. 


-Filmy Film out.