[rokbox title=”Paul Trailer” thumb=”Paul Trailer” thumb=”http://www.geeksofgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Paul-movie-trailer-picture.png” size=”854 505″ ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hljxH-QJq1g&hd=1&autoplay=1[/rokbox]
WARNING: This review contains a few spoilers, but doesn’t spoil the end.
Paul —The Geek Movie of 2011
If you’re like me, when you heard Seth Rogen was going to voice an animated alien you probably had your doubts. I was pleasantly surprised to find this movie to be an action packed comedic ride that feels more like a 2 hour long ride at Universals then an actual movie. Don’t let the R rating fool you, this movie isn’t as gritty as Superbad , even though it does get close in some terms.
We find British stars, Simon Pegg (Graeme) and Nick Frost (Clive ) thrown in with stars such as Jason Bateman and Sigourney Weaver in this road trip through the west. Geeks Graeme and Clive have planned a road trip through the US West hitting up popular Alien locations such as “The Black Mailbox” and  ” Apache Junction”. Simon Pegg and his partner Nick Frost are back in regular fashion being a hilarious comedic duo. This comedic adventure takes an unexpected turn when Graema and Clive run into Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen).
What makes this movie the geek movie of 2011?
How about the fact that it starts off at the geek meca, Comic Con? Still not enough? Ok, how’s about we look at the countless Scifi and other geek references made throughout the move. Yeah, this is that part of the review you may want to look away if you are sensitive to spoilers…..
Paul claims to have been the consultant and model for our conventional thoughts of alien’s claiming he advised Stephen Spielberg for E.T. while sitting at a desk in the timeless Indiana Jones warehouse where the Lost Ark was stored after the first movie, to the creation of Agent Mulder from The X Files. These references are pure comedic fodder as I was entertained and laughed my way through most of the movie, sometimes by myself (seeing as how most people didn’t seem to understand the nerd allusions).  This movie is a love letter to SciFi fans and does a really good job of touching on some of the more serious, dramatic elements of Science Fiction stories while keeping the air light.
Summary
We begin our journey at Comic Con. Graema and Clive have planned a trip through the hotspots of alien activity through the west, however, along their journey they come across something unexpected, Paul. Paul is running from the government and trying to get back home, sounds somehow familar….. Along the way we meet Ruth, who is just hilarious, along with Pat Stevens (Jane Lynch) and Tara Walton (Blythe Danner). We learn alot about our characters and have fun and laugh with and sometimes at them.
Loved
The writing of paul is very good in terms of allusions to other movies and the direction was just comedic genius. We can’t talk about a Simon Pegg/Nick Frost movie without giving big props to the funniest bromance team in movies today. Again, the best thing about this movie is the way the comedy flows and how it digs deep into the Alien/Scifi popular culture. This movie seems like a great love letter to geeks of all creeds; hardcore, moderate, closet-geek, whatever you are, you should enjoy the movie Paul.
Hated
The only thing I didn’t love about this movie is the small role Jane Lynch played, while she is good at playing the North/Western idea of a loveable white-trash woman , Jane Lynch has a ruthless comedic presence that is a gift. She could have easily been one of the funniest characters of the film, had she taped into this. Also, It didn’t really seem like a Simon/Nick movie like the others: Hot Fuzz, Shawn of the Dead, etc.
Final Verdict
Paul gets 5 anal probes out of 5
Simply because if you have nothing else to do and you want to see a movie that won’t load you down with idiotic stories, go take a few friends and enjoy the wonderful ride that is the movie, Paul.
This review was written by: Brett Long, Ace reporter.
LOVED IT
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