Paul

The idea that an alien being, an until recently fundamentalist Christian, and two basement nerds discover the world and are therefore not particularly different from each other has wonderful potential and invites endlessly funny confrontations worth multiple series. So why the funniest component of the film is a federal "higher power" on their asses is indeed a mystery. It's probably because the screenwriter decided that if there weren't at least 16 lighter moments in every scene, it just wouldn't be it. Unfortunately, though, he didn't think any deeper about the fact that to make it work it's good to build on the jokes and build up the jokes, not drop them like eggs onto a conveyor belt. As such, though Paul makes it through quite deftly every time it threatens to get bogged down in the ballast of sentimentality, just as often you'll find yourself while watching it dropping a "he he he" and a "why" in the same sentence. (12/03/2012)

Relaxing entertainment with the nicest alien this year. Paul, with a perfect voice-over by Seth Rogen, excellently complements the good old Simon Pegg and Nick Frost duo. The movie is packed with references to every movie possible (Spielberg’s voice cameo is faultless) from Star Wars to Spiderman and back again. An excellent atmosphere, full of effing and blinding in the unrated version, is maintained throughout the movie and, during the ending, when things end up exactly the way you expected, you sigh with emotion, these movies simply have a heart. - Paul? - Yeah. It’s a nickname, it stuck. My ship landed... on a dog. That’s OK. (09/06/2011)

I honestly like the work of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost a lot. It's a slightly different kind of humor that, when done well and tastefully (and that's really true in this case), usually works brilliantly. Another very ill-matched (or well-matched?) pair of protagonists who live in their own worlds, yearn for an alien encounter, and their collisions with the real world usually end in disaster. The cadence of jokes and gags may not be as killer this time around as in, say, Hot Fuzz, but it's richly balanced by the laid-back atmosphere that oozes from the entire film, and I actually liked the slight pathos at the end quite a bit. (19/09/2012)

The trailers gave me the impression that it would be some kind of childish and embarrassingly vulgar nonsense, but I like science fiction and I gave Paul a chance, even though I was almost sure I would bury it later. And lo and behold! It’s pretty funny. A nice wisecracking comedy that as a bonus sticks its tongue out to Christianity several times. I had fun. 75 % (09/06/2011)

Excellent comedy with one alien, which shows that the Pegg/Frost duo can work even without director Edgar Wright's guidance. Additionally, it's a great opportunity for Seth Rogen, who showcases his best acting, that is, his voice. For nerds, it's almost a must-watch, perhaps that's why I liked it so much. (27/03/2014)