Dem Reviews: PAUL

I’ll admit when I first saw trailers for Simon Pegg and Nick Frost‘s new sci-fi comedy “PAUL,” I was a little unsure. I’ve been a big fan since “Spaced,” the British TV series that began their careers. I’ve been a huge fan since “Shaun of the Dead,” their first motion picture. And I’ve been a ginormous fan since “Hot Fuzz,” their follow up to Shaun. But there was something about the early marketing for “PAUL” that just left me questioning. This is the pair’s first film not directed by pal Edgar Wright, who rightfully completes the comedy trio. Could they do it without him? The alien is voiced by Seth Rogen, I dunno about that, he doesn’t sound very… alieny. Could this really work? Will this really work?

OH HOLY FUCK MONKEY BALLS YES! Sorry for the language, but it’s fitting. See the movie and you’ll know. And by the way, you really do want to see this movie. It’s hilariously well-written and well-performed. The comedy stylings of Pegg and Frost are more raunchy than their previous efforts, but that’s not to discredit them. It’s different for them, but it worked. It’s entertaining, it’s smart, and in some ways takes bold steps for a comedy. And while there are tons and tons of treats for the mega-nerds (there’s an especially large amount of Star Wars-references), the movie still seems accessible for the non-nerds alike. The secondary cast deserves some recognition as well; Kristen Wiig was pretty darn funny, while I usually find her annoying. Jason Bates, Joe Lo Truglio, Bill Hader all turn in great performances. But the real credit goes to the animators. PAUL is not your usual CG character, he’s not in your face, crazy, exaggerated expressions all the time. His character is chill and laid back, and there are subtleties in his design that reflect this. You can tell the animators took great care in matching Rogen’s sluggish, stoner attitude and voice. You forget pretty quickly that he’s not real, and just accept him. And that’s important for a flick like this. Looking forward to more from Pegg and Frost! PAUL opens in theaters across the valley on Friday.