Review of film: “PAUL” ( about an ALIEN visitation )

 2011, 03-15:

Review of film: “PAUL”

               Can an ALIEN act “Down-to-EARTH”?!...

I was a big fan of the 2007 film “SUPERBAD”, finding it exceptionally funny in a raucous way.  That was directed by GREG MOTTOLA, who also did this film (plus the thoughtful “ADVENTURELAND” which I quite enjoyed in 2009).  Thus, I had some cautious “high hopes” for this new film…

… “PAUL” was written by Englishmen NICK FROST (who plays Clive Gollings) and SIMON PEGG (who plays Graeme Willy).  They are huge aficionados of COMIC Books, true proud Geeks of the genre--  particularly of ALIEN-related ones, since Nick is a writer of such “graphic” literature…

…  Nick & Simon visit the U.S., & are in their glory attending the “Grand Hub” of such nerd-dom, namely, the COMIC-CON celebration in San Diego.  They’re enthralled to be there, & are almost breathless in meeting one of the esteemed authors of such work, Adam Shadowchild (JEFFREY TAMBOR)…

 

…  To continue their venture, Simon & Nick have rented an RV to take them to important “historical”  locations in the world of Alien / UFO “visitation”, such as Roswell, New Mexico…  They are looked upon as fairly “weird” by the “native” hick-ish populations out west, especially around the Area 51 in Nevada…  In other words, they themselves are looked-upon as being sort of “Aliens” to the populace…

…  As they’re riding in the desert, a car crashes near them--  & they chance to see a REAL “Alien”, by the name of Paul (an E.T.-like animated figure, voiced by SETH ROGEN)…

…  Rather than speaking sort of “mystically” or even in a “child-like” fashion as you might expect, Seth speaks in a conversationally “breezy” but exceptionally VULGAR tone (which is one reason the film is R-rated)…

…  In one scene (strongly highlighted in TV ads), Paul has various special powers such as being able to bring creatures (like a bird) back from the DEAD--  after which he eats it…  He’s also able to make himself INVISIBLE for short periods…

…  Seth has escaped from a U.S. Government facility (run by SIGOURNEY WEAVER as “The Big Guy”), and he leads the Englishmen towards areas he himself wants to visit--  as he’s trying to escape some GOVERNMENT AGENTS who are chasing him…

…  The agents are squirrely Haggard (BILL HADER = Dwight Schrute from TV’s “THE OFFICE”) & O’Reilly (JOE LO TRUGLIO).  They’re commanded by Agent Lorenzo Zoil (JASON BATEMAN) who’s super-eager to find Seth (seemingly to please his boss Sigourney…

…  As Seth & his Englishmen roam around, they meet various “characters”, such as waitress / saleslady Pat Stevens (JANE LYNCH), and an elderly lady, Tara Walton (BLYTHE DANNER), who’d previously been “VISITED” by “other” creatures... 

…  When they visit an RV park, they meet super Religious Ruth Buggs (KRISTEN WIIG) & her even more prejudiced & self-righteous father, Moses (JOHN CARROLL LYNCH).  Seth delights in “puncturing” Kristen’s narrow-minded & fanatical views about the world & anything un-“biblical”…  But, he does work to help her with a physical ailment she has…

…  Once Kristen starts to leave the ways her “church” & father taught her, she becomes super “liberated” & “taken” with Simon.  In other words, she goes “CRAZY” sexually & verbally…  As time goes on, the roaming of the RV group becomes a “CHASE” escapade…       

…  As the group bumps into more & more people & adventures, there are more & more REFERENCES to PREVIOUS “alien” meetings--  including Encounters of the “THIRD” kind (there’s even an appearance by STEVEN SPIELBERG!), satires of “STAR WARS” & “STAR TREK”, lines from “INDIANA JONES” films, etc…

…  Will Bill and Joe track down and confront the RV group?...  Will Kristen’s gun-toting dad John catch-up with the group (who he hates for “converting” his precious daughter)?...  Is Jason in-effect a “DOUBLE-agent” of some kind (&, if so, to what "end”)?!...

...  There are a number of small laughs during the movie, and even some “stronger” ones (sort of “based” on a tag-line of “Sometimes, it’s nice to FEEL a little Alien...")...  But, for the most part, the script is NOT all that “clever”--  tho there are a number of “WINNING” characters & incidents interspersed thru the film...

...  To me, one of the drawbacks is the CRUDENESS & purposeful tastlessness on the part of the character played by SETH (which, unfortunately, is far too “common” in his roles, especially in recent years).  It’s simply UNNECESSARY & off-putting when it’s handled as it is here...

...  The language & “attitudes” weren’t as “bad” as I’d expected (from a friend’s comments), but it still was way “OVERDONE” here, & that dimished the clever “charm” the film COULD have had...

...  Thus, all things considered, I’m rating the film at 7 out of 10 stars (& perhaps a bit more for those who like trying to “discover” all the “TAKE-OFFS” the movie is attempting)...

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