kiltforhire

Paul

I wasn’t expecting much going in to see Paul – the new movie from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost – mainly because of some lacklustre reviews and some people claiming that it just didn’t have the get up and go of both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

Plus director Edgar Wright was nowhere to be seen.

Now I love Spaced. I mean I love it. It’s probably in my top five TV shows of all time and that includes Buck Rogers (although that may have been because of Command Wilma Deering played by Erin Gray and because I was at a very impressionable time in my life).

Spaced to me says it all about my generation. It’s packed with classic TV show and movie references. It’s incredibly intelligent and doesn’t play down to the audience. And finally it is about the closeness of friendships and the fact that you just don’t know who someone is till you get to know them. Wright directed and honed his geek-style in the series which would benefit him later with Scott Pilgrim V the rest of the World.

Shaun of the Dead was an instant classic. A Rom Zom Com filled with brilliant British actors and nods to so many classic zombie movies.

Hot Fuzz followed with Pegg, Frost and Wright teaming up once more for a buddy cop movie that paid homage to so many classics action movies from the 80s and 90s. I was lucky enough to work on the PR for this movie for Paramount Pictures in Australia and even got to sit down and chat with Pegg for a while discussing movies, games and his love of brilliant Glasgow pubs (his wife is Scottish).

When I first moved to Australia I brought four DVDs and that was two copies of Spaced DVDs just in case one got damaged. The guys signed them for me. One of my prize possessions!

So the build up for a buddy-road movie with Pegg and Frost heading to the fabled Comic-Con (one day I shall attend!!!!) and then visiting some of the America’s favourite UFO hotspots.

However, on their travels they stumble into an alien. Called Paul. Voiced by Seth Rogen.

I had grave reservations for this film. I was sure it would bomb. I was sure that I’d watch it and think that the glory days we over for these guys.

Wooooo, I was wrong!

It was superb. I laughed more times during this movie than any other in the last few years. It’s got so many brilliant uses of awesome sic-fi classic one-liners, great use of the cast, a solid script filled with excellent quotable lines and it has Paul.

Paul rocks. I figured a CGi alien would be a bit poo but I was wrong. Wrong on so many levels. The little guy makes the movie. You can’t help but like how awesome and laid back he is.

I’m so glad I saw this as the next film in the cinema after Sucker Punch as it has restored my faith in the movies.
Thank you Simon and Nick for once more confirming that you guys deserve a special place in the comedy hall of fame.

Oh and remind me some time to tell you about the time I saw a UFO in the UK…