Paul (Review)

You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger group of geeks than the people behind Paul. It was written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, two British actors who have made no secret of their fondness for nerdy cinema. These two also star here, and not a second goes by without some reference (be it subtle or overt) to some old-school science-fiction film that the pair obviously have some level of fondness for. Paul is so saturated with these wink-wink moments that it comes close to bursting. It isn’t so much an original film as it is a scatterbrained collage of nerd culture, albeit an eminently watchable one. While the laughs don’t always come fast and furious, the fun never evaporates.

Pegg and Frost star as Graeme and Clive, two übernerds and aspiring comic book authors who have traveled from England to San Diego to attend Comic-Con. After reveling in geek utopia, they rent an RV and embark on a cross-country road trip that will take them through all of America’s most famous UFO hotspots. After they witness a car crash, the two encounter a small alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen). Paul is an intelligent, crude, foul-mouthed little beast, and he uses his new friendship with our heroes to procure a ride up north. No one is quite sure where he’s going or what he plans to do. All the way the trio is hunted by three federal agents played by Jason Bateman, Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio.

Paul attempts to do for ’80s sci-fi blockbusters what Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz did for horror and action movies, respectively. What this film shares with those two is an unabashed love for the genre being spoofed. You can’t make these types of movies without an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject at hand, and this is something that Pegg, Frost and their directors obviously have. Where other spoofs operate by cruelly mocking their targets, Pegg and Frost films tease because they love.

The cast of Paul is so good and engaging that it’s easy to forget that what’s happening may not be as hilarious as it could be. Besides the obviously great work of Pegg and Frost in the leads, nearly every other supporting actor shines in what little screen time they have. Saturday Night Live star Kristen Wiig steals several scenes as a sheltered, fundamentalist Christian girl who seeks to break free from her overprotective father, played by the always awesome John Carroll Lynch. Her work in Paul is further proof that Wiig can be a fun actress when she’s not playing an abrasive, one-note character. (Looking at you, Gilly.)

The film’s geniality is further boosted by the solid directorial work of Greg Mottola. In theory, he may be a bit out of his element here. Past films of his have been more focused on dialogue and characters (Superbad and Adventureland), so the more frenetic and action-packed Paul might have presented a bit of a challenge. Yet he seems more than up to it. If nothing else, Paul is further proof that Mottola is capable of making terrific films. Still, I’m not sure I’d like to see him tackle a project like Paul again.

No ’80s sci-fi film is left unreferenced in Paul, even down to the most terrible (Mac & Me). This adds a great deal to the film’s charm, but sometimes the allusions can get overwhelming. This film is clearly going after the nerd demographic, and they’re likely to fall for every last joke. For others, a lot of the jokes may go right over their heads. Not everybody knows Star Trek inside and out. Heck, I don’t.

Nerd-centric movies in general are hard to pull off, but when they’re done well I can appreciate it. Paul may not be as trailblazing as last year’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (directed by frequent Pegg/Frost collaborator Edgar Wright), but it exists in the same nerd-culture universe. Like Pilgrim, it’s very probable that Paul will be adored by its target audience while it leaves outsiders in the cold. That’s fine, really. Paul isn’t meant for everybody. This is for the people who dress up for midnight screenings of a bad Star Wars prequel. This is for the people who are willing to travel across an ocean for Comic-Con. This is for the people who spend their free time creating their very own comic books. You can have your art films. This one’s for the nerds.

Rating:  (out of 4)