|
Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
Everything you know about aliens from pop culture is true. At least that's the message from Paul, a swift, sharp, and very funny movie from the creative minds that also brought us Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Superbad, and Adventureland. The British stars of the first two, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, also wrote the snappy screenplay, and director Greg Mottola shows that he can make human and sentimental both the slapstick and the subtle, self-referential humour the same way he did in Superbad and Adventureland. The premise Pegg and Frost have laid out for themselves as likable, sci-fi fanatic supernerds is a dream vacation starting at Comic Con, then continuing through the American Southwest in an RV visiting historic UFO sites like Area 51, the Black Mailbox, and Roswell, and finishing up at Devil's Tower in Wyoming, the iconic centerpiece from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. After their inauspicious start, they happen upon an escaped alien who is 4 feet tall, and has the big head, classic diamond eyes, and features we've come to recognize as both the benevolent and evil kinds of space aliens from movies and TV. He is also the titular character, and as voiced by Seth Rogen, this CGI creature spouts a never-ending string of wisecracks, insider secrets, and frat-boy humour that comes loud and clear as classic Rogen in tone and attitude. As an aside and terrific example of the very clever throwaway punch lines that run throughout, there's a brief flashback to 1980 showing Paul on a conference call with Steven Spielberg (really), giving him advice about script development issues for E.T.
Paul crash-landed in the late 1940s and has been held prisoner by the government's men in black. They've not only been pumping him for knowledge, they've also leaked the fabric and features of his being to people who want to believe, especially the ones in Hollywood. Now Paul wants to go home, and he's found the perfect getaway with the want-to-believe team of Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost), who take him to his rendezvous (at Devil's Tower, of course). The road movie that unfolds is consistently hilarious, moving nimbly through one-off gags and inside jokes, but also creating larger relationships and drawn-out humour that relies on us believing that the little CGI Paul is real. And mostly we do, again thanks to Rogen's delivery and distinctive vocalizing. Paul constantly quips, makes fun, gets drunk, smokes dope, and spouts a steady stream of patter about how aliens have been bowdlerized and reimagined in entertainment and the minds of people like Graeme and Clive. There's a jam-packed supporting cast that complements and complicates the story (in a good way), including Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio as the bumbling men in black, and Jason Bateman as the scary man in black. Also passing through are some fun familiar faces like Jane Lynch, David Koechner, Jeffrey Tambor, John Carroll Lynch, and an iconic sci-fi actress who shall remain unnamed. Especially good is Kristen Wiig as a fundamentalist Christian whose mind is literally blown by Paul. Amid the broad humour and nonstop punch lines there's also a sweetness that stays with each finely drawn character (including Paul) and gives Paul an amiable sentimentality that runs throughout. Everyone clearly had fun making this movie, and that's exactly how it is to watch. --Ted Fry
DVD Description
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite for the comedy adventure Paul as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever. For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. For reasons unknown, the space-traveling smart ass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town—a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Collings (Frost). Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. And as two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes. Paul is directed by Superbad’s Greg Mottola, from a story by Pegg & Frost. Joining the comedy’s cast are Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, Joe Lo Truglio, John Carroll Lynch, David Koechner and Sigourney Weaver.
Special Features:
Special Features:
- Extended Feature
- Theatrical Feature Commentary with Director Greg Mottola and Stars Simon Pegg and Nicki Frost
- Bloopers
- The Evolution of Paul
- Simon Silly Faces
- Who the hell is Adam Shadowchild?
- Galleries
- Between The Lightning Strikes: The Making Of Paul, and more
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A fine DVD to cheer you up. Very slap stick humour but that's predictable given the subject of the film. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost make a great team.
50 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Graham and Clive are two likeable English nerds who, after a visit to geek-Mecca Comic Con, take a road trip to America's infamous UFO hotspots. En route they encounter and hide Paul, a real, live "grey" alien, who's on the run from the US government, who've been hiding him for 50 years. With the FBI in hot pursuit, Graham and Clive's road trip becomes a race against time to get Paul to the rendezvous so his people can take him home.
There's a lot to like about Paul. The gags are numerous and funny, and while there's nothing particularly new or unpredictable here, it's all pulled off with such charm and energy that you can forgive the film its faults. Seth Rogen is great as the intergalactic stoner Paul, and Kristen Wiig is also good value as the Christian who discovers the joys of pot and swearing. And of course, Pegg and Frost do their usual schtick; and we love them for it.
It's nice to imagine that 50 years from now, people will probably talk fondly of the handful of good-hearted bromance/buddy films starring Pegg and Frost, and even though Paul lacks the darkness and manic intensity of the best of them (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) it's still a trip worth taking.
There's a lot to like about Paul. The gags are numerous and funny, and while there's nothing particularly new or unpredictable here, it's all pulled off with such charm and energy that you can forgive the film its faults. Seth Rogen is great as the intergalactic stoner Paul, and Kristen Wiig is also good value as the Christian who discovers the joys of pot and swearing. And of course, Pegg and Frost do their usual schtick; and we love them for it.
It's nice to imagine that 50 years from now, people will probably talk fondly of the handful of good-hearted bromance/buddy films starring Pegg and Frost, and even though Paul lacks the darkness and manic intensity of the best of them (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) it's still a trip worth taking.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have done very well for themselves with a series of films taking a modern, humorous look at the films that they (and I) grew up with. Shaun of the Dead was a great pastiche of the schlock horror genre, and Hot Fuzz was a perfect take on action films. Here they take on the next sacred cow, good old fashioned alien encounter films, primarily E.T.
Pegg and Frost play two aspiring SF writers on a road trip across America. Along the way they encounter Paul, a real, genuine, honest to goodness alien. He's a sort of intergalactic hippie, stranded on Earth and trying to blow the joint before the authorities catch up with him. The trio start on an unbelievable road trip (picking up a fundamentalist Christian along the way) with an exciting denoument as they bond, find themselves, and find what is really important in their lives.
Pastiching films such as ET, Starman, Close Encounters, Easy Rider, Men in Black (how do you pastiche a pastiche? These guys manage it brilliantly!) and a host of other alien/road trip movies, this is a gloriously loopy drive across America with some engaging characters. Frost and Pegg are in good form, but Seth Rogan, as the slightly roguish and charming Paul really steals the show. His laid back delivery really makes the relaxed intergalactic hippie come to life, and you really wouldn't mind spending time in his company.
I have bad memories of sitting through ET as a child, and I have to say I really wish that it had been a lot more like this film, without all the sappy kids stuff...
It's about as entertaining a couple of hours as you could wish for. I enjoyed it all the more as I am familiar with a lot of the cultural references being taken off, but the Better Half assures me it was also good fun for the non-cognoscenti.
5 stars for this entertaining and uplifting romp.
Pegg and Frost play two aspiring SF writers on a road trip across America. Along the way they encounter Paul, a real, genuine, honest to goodness alien. He's a sort of intergalactic hippie, stranded on Earth and trying to blow the joint before the authorities catch up with him. The trio start on an unbelievable road trip (picking up a fundamentalist Christian along the way) with an exciting denoument as they bond, find themselves, and find what is really important in their lives.
Pastiching films such as ET, Starman, Close Encounters, Easy Rider, Men in Black (how do you pastiche a pastiche? These guys manage it brilliantly!) and a host of other alien/road trip movies, this is a gloriously loopy drive across America with some engaging characters. Frost and Pegg are in good form, but Seth Rogan, as the slightly roguish and charming Paul really steals the show. His laid back delivery really makes the relaxed intergalactic hippie come to life, and you really wouldn't mind spending time in his company.
I have bad memories of sitting through ET as a child, and I have to say I really wish that it had been a lot more like this film, without all the sappy kids stuff...
It's about as entertaining a couple of hours as you could wish for. I enjoyed it all the more as I am familiar with a lot of the cultural references being taken off, but the Better Half assures me it was also good fun for the non-cognoscenti.
5 stars for this entertaining and uplifting romp.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
paul triple play
i would recommend this film if you like sarcasm, rude gestures and plenty of laughs. it is well worth the price of £10.95. especially as it's a triple play.
Published 4 hours ago by yomama
ok but missing something
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost stars of the buddy movies Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead and Channel 4's Spaced reunite in a comic-adventure adventure set in America's UFO heartland. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Donald M. Macdonald
DVD
I bought this DVD for my son for his birthday and he absolutely loves watching it and would recommend it
Published 1 month ago by 'Putman'
"..TOP COMEDY.."
The Simon Pegg and Nick Frost combination certainly does not get old, they belong together!! This movie is pure comedy gold from beginning to end with hilarity around every corner! Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Drury
Funny
A really pleasant surprise and I am so happy that I got this recommended for me by a colleague. I really enjoyed this film and found it very funny.
Published 1 month ago by Ingrid
Review 1
This product arrived here on time, was as described and has been good to see the antics of the guys from hot fuzz
Published 1 month ago by DaveyRavey
Very funny !
I have watched this film about 5 times now - fellow viewers aged 13 to 70 !!. All thought it was very funny and worth watching again. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Ian K. Hubball
Great!
What can I say, but a brilliant movie. I do like what these guys have done and Paul (the Alien) is just awesome!
Published 2 months ago by M. Bell
No brainer.
Bought this for my husband for christmas, it is good, but he finds it far funnier than I do.
I do love the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost partnership anyway, I think they are both... Read more
I do love the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost partnership anyway, I think they are both... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dolly Mixture
so funny
I watched this film at a friend's house; I thought it was going to be ridiculous, but I laughed so much I bought the DVD for my son.
Published 2 months ago by C. J. Garden
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
