Movie Review: Paul

There are few things more enjoyable than watching Simon Pegg and Nick Frost playing best friends on an adventure. Their chemistry together is like that of old Hollywood legends, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Whatever movie they're in doesn't seem to matter since watching them together is so much fun. "Paul" is their first film together without Edgar Wright behind the camera but that's been taken care of, as Greg Mottola is more than capable at this sort of material. It's a shame that the potential is here for another modern comedy classic but what we end up getting is just "merely" good. Is it wrong to be a little disappointed in that?

"Paul" starts off a little slow but it allows us to get a feel for our main characters. Graeme and Clive have obviously been friends for a very long time and their shared passion for the nerdy things in life is what holds them together. They are in the middle of a road trip that is taking them from Comic Con to the sights of famous American alien sightings, when they bump into, of all things, an alien. This alien is not what you might expect; his name is Paul, he's fond of smoking, his vocabulary is that of a 20 year-old and he's trying to get home. Hijinks ensue, and all that.

There is a lot to like about Paul, in a juvenile sense, and he's voiced well by Seth Rogen. He has amazing powers and is willing to help Graeme and Clive with the niggling problems all protagonists are bound to have in a movie such as this. He leads them on a wild adventure that is pretty fun until they come upon Ruth, played by Kristen Wiig, and her religious ways. It goes without saying that the ways of "science" and "religion" are at war with each other in our modern world but this topic, while ripe for comedy, comes off as a chance to belittle and mock those who profess a belief in a higher power. Ruth is shown to be a devout believer until she is confronted with the existence of aliens, at which point she goes off the rails (for a little bit) and then quickly turns into an eager student of secular culture.

The way in which religious people are treated in the movie makes it feel like the nerds have finally gotten the chance to turn the tables on the bullies. Ruth breaks out in hymns and falls to her knees, calls Paul a demon and recites scripture. This could hardly describe a majority of any religious followers but comedy deals with extremes, I guess. It just comes off as cheap here, especially from Mottola who has a knack for crafting comedy around a real story with real characters. Ruth is treated more like caricature than character for the majority of the picture while Graeme and Clive are treated with respect and honesty. If that sort of thing can put you off, well, now you know. It's a little disappointing that an otherwise enjoyable ride from such smart and funny participants will include this small issue.

The movie is not perfect but it has the right laughs and makes you care for the people you're watching. Filled with famous nerdy quotes from sci-fi classics and homage-a-plenty to satiate any fan of previous alien movies, it's sure to have something you'll recognize. It's an adequate movie that does the job and you can't ask for much more in this day and age. You can expect more, but you'd be setting yourself up for disappointment.