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Topic: Paul (2011)
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Mike Blakesley
Film God
Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 05-09-2011 12:36 PM
"Paul" is basically an attempt to apply the "Superbad" template to the "E.T." story. The only real difference is that Paul (the alien) doesn't act like an alien; he just looks a little weird and has some extraordinary powers (well, not extraordinary if you've seen any other sci-fi movie ever made). He's foul-mouthed, smokes dope, can turn invisible by holding his breath, and has E.T.'s ability to heal injuries and bring dead creatures back to life. And, rather than innocent kids, our heroes here are two innocent child-like dudes who just came from ComicCon and have formed all their notions about aliens from reading comic books.
It's a typical get-E.T.-home type of story that was done better in "E.T." and "Starman."
Surprisingly, most of the best laughs in this originate from the supporting characters. Especially two bumbling "agents" of some government agency that's trying to capture Paul. And Jeffrey Tambor hilariously reprises his Hank Kingsley character from "The Larry Sanders Show" except here, he's an arrogant self-aggrandizing science fiction writer instead of an arrogant self-aggrandizing talk show sidekick.
It's kind of fun to point out the movies that virtually everything is ripped off from. There's Sigourney's classic line from "Aliens" (used on her this time), and there's the never-ending Star Wars-ish spacecraft flyover, first parodied about a hundred years ago in one of those Zucker Bros. sci-fi comedy ripoffs, and the entire ending is copped from E.T. (with all of the pathos left out).
Having said all of that, I have to say that the movie was enjoyable to watch for some strange reason, even though I knew what was going to happen pretty much throughout the whole thing. Oh, and they put the two funniest bits from the movie in the trailers.....idiots.
Overall, I will say three out of five stars from me.
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