Tuesday, April 26, 2011

MOVIE REVIEW … PAUL

 

paul_poster_2 From someone who was in his element at a recent Dr. Who convention, it’s safe to say I’m a sci-fi fanatic.  I wear my ‘sci-fi geek’ badge with pride and so too it seems do actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost who have a grand time skewering the genre in Paul.  It’s all done with affection walking the tightrope between satire and broad comedy with skill.  Unlike recent celluloid mirth makers it’s actually funny and pays tribute to fans who relish the chance to escape to interplanetary dimensions.

Having enjoyed the fantastical wonders of Comic-Con, friends Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) travel America in search of famous landmarks supposedly inhabited by aliens.  Their trip takes an unexpected turn when they discover Paul, an alien who has escaped the confines of a top secret government facility.  Well versed in the ways of humans, the extra-terrestrial’s wise-cracking demeanor is not what they expect.  Nor are the agents on the hunt for Paul, led by Agent Zoil (Jason Bateman) who tests the mettle of the unlikely trio as they attempt to send Paul back home amongst the stars.

Subtly layering their tale with their brand of quirky English humor, Frost and Pegg’s screenplay is perhaps not as hilarious as it could have been.  Whilst its look at various culture clashes is often very funny, its impact is lessened by its adherence to conventional American style slapstick.  Even though these scenes take away some of its charm, there is still much fun to be had.  The ‘mysterious world’ of sci-fi fandom is one ripe for the picking – an opportunity this film mostly succeeds at grabbing.

What’s clever is how the alien is used to show the strangeness of humanity.  The creature almost seems the most normal person in the entire story, as the human characters are full of the foibles and worries the alien doesn’t have to endure.  Although it becomes a little sentimental and occasionally suffers from sluggish pacing, the actors’ fun performances carry things through until the rousing finale.

Amongst the expected crude jokes and outlandish plot, Paul has some good moments to linger in the memory.  Science fiction fans should be amused by the carry-on and still be proud their passion has been reasonably conveyed on the big screen.

PAUL001

Movie Review Rating 6 / 10

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

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