Paul 4K 2011 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

Two British geeks go to one of the most important fan fiction events in America, ComicCon. Along the way, near the famous Area 51, they meet an escaped alien named Paul who asks for help getting home.

Review 4K Movie

Paul is another parody featuring the British duo Pegg and Frost. It would seem that the director's chair should be occupied by the third Brit, Edgar Wright, but no: suddenly it was taken by Greg Mottola from the US, whose track record up to that point consisted mainly of TV series, and who is known to the general public only for his work on the comedy Superbad.

And perhaps this is the reason why Paul turned out to be somewhat weaker than Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. I don't mean to say that Paul is bad. Not at all, it's a solid comedy, the duo of main characters works well, and the parody is lively and fun. However, Wright has an amazing sense of proportion: in his films (at least the ones I've seen), he didn't overdo it with black humor, profanity, or other elements that made up his films. In the film shot by Motola, some of the comedic moments seem underdeveloped, and where laughter should break out, only a smile emerges. And Kristen Wiig's character, who began to swear uncontrollably after a certain incident, became a little tiresome at some point.

And overall, when it comes to Kristen, there is a feeling that she didn't quite fit into her role. Despite the fact that the comedy genre is far from foreign to her, at times there is a feeling that someone else should be in this actress's place.

Fortunately, the same cannot be said about the other characters. Header and Trullo fit organically into the roles of dim-witted agents, Cookner and Plemmons adequately portrayed dull rednecks, and Patrick Bateman did a good job of getting into the character of an FBI agent. And at the end, we are treated to a very pleasant and obvious cameo.

And what about the alien named Paul? Personally, I liked his character. He is interesting to watch, he is moderately rude, moderately cheerful, he evokes empathy and a desire to find out how his story ends. He was voiced by the well-known comedy actor Seth Rogen. For those who watch dubbed films, this name is unlikely to mean much, but just for reference: this actor's filmography includes such cartoons as Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, and the 2019 film The Lion King.

Overall, despite some flaws, the film is definitely a success. But while watching the film, fans of the British trio Wright-Pegg-Frost will surely find themselves wondering at times, “How would Edgar have filmed this moment?”