Paul was skillfully directed by Greg Mottola, the brilliant director of "Superbad" (2007), "Adventureland" (2009), and the TV series: Arrested Development.
The Tourists
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are talented comedians. They do a smash-up job as the nerdy British tourists coming to the USA to attend Comicon and then take a tour of the alien hot spots. They have all the usual fears of anal-probing in a spaceship, but also the excitement of meeting new alien life. They are, after all, sci-fi fans. They're the perfect guys to meet and help an alien.
Paul the Alien
Seth Rogan does the voice of the alien, and does a good job if it. Paul is trying to escape from Area 51. He meets with Simon and Nick, and the story unfolds from there. They help Paul elude the FBI, who are right on their heels, and try to get him to a safe place for a rescue ship to pick him up and take him back to his home world.
The plot isn't new, but the writing is very fresh. The jokes are clever, and the actors' timing is right on the money. A lot of movie parody goes on, with references to "Star Wars," "E.T." and Ridley Scott's "Alien." Sigourney Weaver makes a short appearance, too. Jason Bateman is the great straight-man, as always, playing the part of the only FBI agent who really knows what's happening.
Best Lines
My favorite line comes when Paul brings a baby bird back to life (after it flew into the RV's windshield), and the guys are awestruck. Then Paul eats the bird in one gulp. "What? I'm not going to eat a dead bird."
I also enjoyed "This man has peed his pants," as well as: "We're just a couple of regular guys ...with a small cowboy." See the movie to get the context.
The Electric Light Orchestra soundtrack comes together for a positive vibe, making the whole package a great movie for this year. I wonder if the spaceship on the cover of ELO's "Out of the Blue" LP is the reason for using their music. If so, nice touch. Check out the movie, or at least the Paul trailer. Don't let this alien comedy slip by you.
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