Paul movie review (2011)

Paul (2011)

Brief review: Directed by the "superbad" Greg Mottola, and written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who also star in the film, "Paul" is an 'alien' comedy that promises to be a lot of fun, but it falls short of its potential, due to its ludicrous and often cynical script that delivers less laughs as expected, and a surprisingly unimaginative execution that makes it even less interesting. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost share a good on-screen chemistry as usual, and yet their collaboration is less effective this time around. Paul, on the other hand, is the true star of the show. Even though he has a lot of bad 'human' habits and a cocky behavior, Paul is still pretty likable and funnier than Pegg and Frost put together, plus his CGI design is pretty flawless. Kristen Wiig is also hilarious in her role as the sexually repressed Christian-turned-ribald, Ruth. The movie also feature some surprising cameo appearances from Sigourney Weaver and Jeffrey Tambor, but this marvellous cast can't make up for a weak script that offers lots of predictable jokes. Sadly, "Paul" is also pretty unappealing, visually, as the director uses plenty of boring locations, such as desert roads and US countryside wilderness. The special effects are passable, but they barely add anything to the visuals.

Overall summary: Despite its cool premise, a couple of clever ideas, and Simon Pegg / Nick Frost always successful collaboration, "Paul" is just a mildly funny and unimpressively-executed sci-fi comedy about a humanized alien that smokes pot and loves Marvin Gaye..