BY CHRIS HARRISON
Sci-fi comedies are no new concept. Films like Ghostbusters and Spaceballs have helped pave the way for more contemporary movies like Galaxy Quest and Shaun of the Dead. Supernatural elements being made into a mockery has a certain appeal to audiences, and the latest foray into farcing the realm of science fiction is Paul, directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad).
Starring and written by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz’s very own Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Paul centers on British science fiction fans Grahame and Clive touring the most nerdtastic spots in America, from Comic-Con to UFO sites, only to run into an actual alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen). He befriends them and convinces them to help him escape from a Federal Agent (Jason Bateman) and get back to his home planet.
I went into this movie with high hopes, considering Simon Pegg co-wrote Hot Fuzz, which I would argue is one of the greatest comedic screenplays ever written, if not the greatest. While nowhere near as brilliant as Hot Fuzz (Then again, what is?), Paul does give plenty of laughs. The dialogue between Jason Bateman’s character and his two subordinates, played by Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio, was especially fun to watch. Paul is also a pretty lovable character, from his snark and sarcasm to his genuine sense of empathy. At times, it seems that he’s more “human” than the people hunting him, which showcases a good commentary on the state of contemporary humanity. However, I did notice that Grahame and Clive aren’t particularly well-crafted protagonists. Their friendship is rather touching at times, but the characters themselves seem to be somewhat flat and uninspired.
The biggest problem, however, comes from the characters of Ruth Boggs and her father Moses (Kristen Wiig and John Carroll Lynch), two fundamentalist Christian stereotypes, the former who will eventually serve as a love interest to Grahame, and the latter who will become the Zodiac killer. Wait, wrong John Carroll Lynch movie…well, he becomes a bloodthirsty sociopath, so I was still close. At any rate, this screenplay portrays the Boggs family as closed-minded, antisocial buffoons who have a distorted and deluded sense of reality (especially in the case of Moses). I should make it clear that I have absolutely no issue with the satirization of religion, including and especially Christianity. In fact, I openly welcome it. This movie, however, provides nothing new and gives the same “Christians are backward hillbillies who hate science lolz” routine we’ve seen a billion times. Although, I will admit Ruth’s t-shirt featuring Jesus shooting Charles Darwin in the face is pretty hilarious.
Despite its flaws, Paul does hold up as a very fun and entertaining comedy. Pegg and Frost have always worked well together as a duo, and their first script together was not a bad start. It provides a good amount of laughs, action and at times, some genuinely heartwarming moments. It’s definitely worth a watch, so be sure to keep this on your to-see list of 2011.◊◊