Paul

There are certain things that press my happy buttons when it comes to movies, tv, and books.  At this point, you can probably predict what I like and do not like based on my previous yammering.  I would imagine most of you would expect me to like Paul, and most of you would be right.  Paul is a funny movie with just the right amount of pop culture references to work for me.

Why did I enjoy Paul?

1.  Simon Pegg and Nick Frost  --  Thus far, I have enjoyed everything I have seen these two perform.  If they are starring in a movie, I'll give it a go.  It just so happens that they seem to choose the types of films that I enjoy.

2.  Perfect Casting  --  From the charisma between Pegg and Frost to the affable nature of Paul created through Rogen's performance, everyone in the film fits.  The casting is spot on, and the acting is good.

3.  Pop Culture References  --  Including pop culture references can be tricky.  You don't want to go the route of films like Scary Movie or Epic Movie; they focus on references that are pertinent now, so when you watch them two years later, they're dated.  Those references had no staying power, so it does not create a lasting product.  Paul's scribes were smart enough to use a vast number of science fiction based pop culture references that have proven to be classic.  If you're referencing movies like Back to the Future, Aliens, and Jaws, you're doing it right.

4.  Cameos  --  There are a couple nice cameos to be found in Paul.  I almost don't count the one as a cameo because of how long it is, but the film includes a couple people that I like.  The fact that they were willing to be involved in the film helped me to unconsciously give bonus points to Paul.  At this point, I don't know that it would be considered a spoiler to name the involved parties, but I like to err on the side of caution.

5.  Sci-Fi Cliches  --  Paul manages to include a great deal of science fiction type cliches but makes them fresh.  To see what I mean, watch for time travel when you see the movie.

6.  Special Effects  --  While I often grumble about CG, Paul is done incredibly well.  Using motion capture technology paid off in this instance, as Paul feels real to me.  There is a scene where Paul is talking to Nick Frost's character as he grills, and it looks great.  The lighting properly reacts to Paul, as if he is actually there.  It's the attention to small details, coupled with Rogen's voice-work, that make the character real.

7.  The Story  --  The movie plays as a science fiction flavored road trip buddy movie.  What's not to love?  Because the script is decidedly fantastical in nature, it is able to not come across as the generic buddy road movie it could have been.

Frankly, I don't have any real complaints about Paul.  You may be able to make a case that some of the humor is immature, but I still found it funny.  Comments about probing abound at first, but I felt they tried to handle it in a truly humorous manner.*

If you haven't seen Paul yet, you should check it out.  If you don't like science fiction movies, it might not be your cup of tea.  That's okay; we can still be friends.

*With bagels.