‘Paul’ – Tribute, not Parody

This is an unapologetic nerdfest, nothing more, nothing less.

Paul

Directed by Greg Mottola

Written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

USA 2011

Simon Pegg, co-writer of the beloved zombie spoof Shaun of the Dead and the much admired throwback to yesterday’s action/cop films Hot Fuzz, partners up with co-star Nick Frost to script yet another ode to films past.

Paul is many things – a celebration of sci-fi flicks, an ode to fanboys, a modern bromance, an old fashioned mismatched buddy film, a funny, simple, thoroughly enjoyable road-trip, and a love letter to American pop culture. Paul doesn’t ask us to do much more than enjoy the trip and despite the science fiction trappings and a few incredibly nonsensical action sequences, the film is a surprisingly gentle and whimsical adventure. More than anything, Paul flourishes because of the unconventional relationship amongst it’s three charismatic leads, Graeme, Clive, and well, Paul.

While the film comes with hundreds of film references to ’70s and ’80s sci-fi staples (Mac and Me, Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Aliens, Back to the Future, The X-Files, Star Trek, E.T.…), Paul is not a full-on spoof. There’s a difference between parody (Spaceballs) and tribute (Galaxy Quest). Outside the occasional, affectionate jabs at genre enthusiasts, Paul avoids taking the satirical approach and more importantly, it has a story of its own to tell – even if it’s basically a stoner take on E.T.. Here is a story that follows two characters who are both smart and zany in such a loving way, and follows a friendship that feels so true, and more importantly a friendship that most of us geeks can relate to. Paul is genial and often hilarious, and despite a few stretches that feel undercooked and pointless, it’s the clever little moments that deliver a winning, almost-human story at the center of it all. Four-letter words are spoken so often in Paul that its sear count must approach Platoon, but it’s another four letter word that might cause concern: “nerd.” Yes, us fanboys/nerds are the target audience for this movie, but Paul never ever completely alienates those who maybe won’t pick up on all the in-jokes tossed around, be it a country and western band playing the Cantina band theme from Star Wars, or a quick Steven Spielberg cameo.

Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland), escaping from Judd Apatow’s stable, directs what is arguably the best science fiction comedy since Galaxy Quest. Mottola keeps the energy high and pacing swift, with cinematographer Lawrence Sher (Hangover), keeping things light and breezy while David Arnold’s score evokes and teases classic films. While compared to Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of the Dead, Paul doesn’t quite make it to the top tier, but it’s a fitting addition to the canon of both Frost and Pegg who continue perfecting their onscreen benevolent paired personae as best friends. Pegg and Frost play the characters they have become famous for: both awkward, both socially inept. Pegg with a patented mix of innocence and street smarts and Frost’s slacker buddy routine continues, and despite taking place in the United States and being directed by an American, the humour is still very British.

Finally there is Paul, a digital creation inspired by the popular “Roswell alien” images. Paul is a shirtless, foul-mouthed, dope-smoking version of those celestial beings of Close Encounters of the Third Kind but with E.T. hands. Voiced by Seth Rogen, Paul looks like every alien throughout popular culture with a large egg shaped head, wide eyes, and a slender body. We quickly learn that after he crashed landed on earth, he was taken captive by the US government and ever since, Paul’s likeness was marketed via movies, toys, and literature. In other words, he’s the original pop-culture prototype.

Rogen’s nonchalant smart-ass delivery is perfect for the role, and his vocal performance eclipses many of his latest live-action roles. SNL veterans Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, who appeared in director Greg Mottola’s previous venture, are back. Hader’s reduced to a menacing man in black named Zoil while Kristen Wiig scores as a fundamentalist Christian cyclops named Ruth Buggs. Some performances feel tossed in, particularly by Jane Lynch and Blythe Danner stuck playing cartoonish roles that add nothing to the mix, and while Jason Bateman can do corporate sleaze (Up in the Air), menacing gunman isn’t his forte.

Paul moves along briskylu at 99 minutes, and while it’s hardly groundbreaking, it’s well executed and great fun – a movie that knows exactly what it is and never tries to overreach. This is an unapologetic nerdfest; nothing more, nothing less.

Ricky D