Movie Review: Paul

"Paul" - Simon Pegg and Nick Frost  Do It Again

The dynamic duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, are back for another comedy movie of their unique flavor. The actor/writer combo are most famous for their hit movie Shaun of the Dead, timed perfectly to follow the 2004 rendition of Dawn of the Dead, as well as their police comedy Hot Fuzz, but you might better know Simon Pegg as Scotty from the new Star Trek movie that came out in 2009.


I have to say that I thought Paul was great. I really loved the first two movies made by these two guys, and one of the movie companies that pop up before the movie (ie Universal, Marvel etc.) said "Title Pending" or something like that. I really hope that these two guys start up their own film company like Adam Sandler did with Happy Madison Productions.

The movie is essentially about two guys who are huge geeks. They are from Britain and have come over to the US for Comic-Con. Afterwards they decide that they are going to travel the American Midwest and see all of the UFO conspiracy sights while on their "holiday". They run into a real alien named Paul, who is voiced by Seth Rogan. It seems a little strange at first. You expect a short alien to have a higher pitched voice, but as you continue watching, you realize that Seth Rogan was a great choice for the role. Without ruining the rest of the movie, the goal is for the two geeks to help Paul get home. If you are any kind of Science Fiction fan, you will laugh at all of the minute references to past movies/events, etc.

At one point, Paul talks about his close relationship with Steven Spielberg, explaining that the majority of his "original ideas" where actually based upon conversations he had with Paul. This is hilarious and leads to several more Steven Spielberg references throughout the rest of the movie.

Go see this movie. It's not the newest summer blockbuster, but it's a very entertaining comedy with lots of references out there for you to pick up and appreciate if you keep your eyes and ears open. Enjoy!

I give this movie a 3/5 star rating. While it had some exceptionally redeeming points, I was not in tears laughing so hard like I was throughout the entirety of "The Hangover". Some plot points are very predictable, while other cameos and subtle nods to geek culture are very amusing, they will pass over the uninitiated. But while some parts I predicted a mile away, some I did not and I found them hilarious. Paul is a great movie to see, whether in the theater or on Netflix later, I recommend watching it at some point.

~ Brenton