Friday, March 11, 2011

I have to take Paul down a Pegg

Paul, the latest movie from comedy duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost who both starred together in the pants-wettingly hilarious Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, is a tale of two British Sci-Fi nerds who visit San Diego Comicon and subsequently go on a road trip across the U.S. in their trusty camper van, with the intention of visiting famous UFO related sites like the Area 51 mailbox. Along the way however they encounter a real live alien by the name Paul [voiced by Seth Rogan] who is being hotly pursued by a relentless FBI Agent Lorenzo Zoil [Jason Bateman].

The movie is a fairly amiable if a formulaic “comedy chase movie” that will appeal to movie going audiences who like that sort of thing as well as fart-jokes and liberal use of the word cock-sucker. It is certainly a homage to Sci-Fi in general and Spielberg in particular, with some hilarious in-jokes that unfortunately will alienate a third of the people who see it, the other third of people will also be alienated as they’re the die-hard “Holy Joe” types who are easily offended by the dismissal of Christianity as a pointless waste of time and would probably never lighten up, so screw 'em.

This is one of these ensemble cast movies where you'll have plenty of "Oh look, it's XXX from YYY" which includes SNL's Kristen MacGruber Wiig and Bill Superbad Hader. Wiig is a convincing cycloptic bible basher and Hader makes a great career-chasing G-Man. Jane Lynch, Blythe Danner, David Koechner and John Carroll Lynch are the famous faces that round out the movie's cast.

Sadly, I had problems with this movie. On a basic level I think it was just too “American” for the traditionally British Pegg/Frost team and it had a budget. Now that’s hardly an issue for 99% of what I watch obviously but I must have different expectations for the Pegg/Frost team despite this movie not being the third part of the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy.

Pegg's Hollywood success means that whenever he now appears, there will probably be serious money involved, maybe not for Pegg himself but certainly for the projects he’s involved in. The budget for this movie was insane at $50m; What it must have cost for an hour of CGI antics for the title character alone is phenomenal. Pegg was used to working wonders up to now with a low to modest amount of money but once serious money takes over it all falls apart. Well that and the fact that it's obviously Edgar Wright is the brains behind the outfit and as he wasn't on this movie it could account for it's disappointment in the writing stakes. Wright himself failed to impress with the abysmal Scott Pilgrim last year which further compounds the proof that Pegg and Wright need to write together to create something good, a comedy movie needs good writing for it to be successful and Pegg/Frost have shown us that they can't do it alone.

Final Verdict: If you're a fan of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz then give this a miss and wait for The World's End. If you're a Sci-Fi nerd and want a few humorous laughs with some genuine comedy talent but with little by way of substance then this is for you.

Colonel Creedon Rating: ***

12 comments:

Constance said...

I'm still going to see it. What about Battle LA?

Civilian Overseer said...

I hear they blow up Dingle Bay in Battle LA. If this true then I support our new alien Overlords in their bid to rid the world of dodgy Kerrymen offering overpriced Dolphin spotting boat trips.

vaughan said...

Constance all I can say is Feh ...I disliked it far more than the Colonel..I personally think it's too self reverential for it's own good...As the colonel himself one of the major punchlines is from Blind Fury....out side of myself and the Colonel I doubt anyone remembers the Blind ninja Rutger Hauer classic form 1988...I also think the atheist / the midwest is full of hicks storyline is also suicidal for a film that will need the money from the very people they mock in order to make a profit...paul cost somewhere over$50 Million to make...add another $20 for publicity and they have to make $140 million just to make a profit.

Civilian The Aliens do indeed attack Dingle....this leads me to the Imagery of Eamon O Cuiv and all those Gaelgori leading a valiant defense of the Dingle Penninsula and being Horribly massacared......so everybody wins!

vaughan said...

update : I meant to type "as the Colonel himself pointed out!"

Paul cost 50 Million and from the looks of things today with projected ticket sales will take $11 million in it's opening weekend that means it will open in fourth place (Ironically the exact same position Scott Pilgrim opened at) which means , oh dear I am indeed right ..this will flop!

Civilian Overseer said...

Mr.V, based on that recommendation, I simply must see it. exploding Gaelgori!, Classic!

vaughan said...

Hang on civvy I didn't recommend it!....I'm just saying the Dingle Invasion is mentioned....at least wait for the Colonels "Balanced" review!...I mean for all we know he could have hated a film where the U.S Marine corp is the last line of defence against an all out Alien Invasion.....right???

Constance said...

You know, I saw the movie and the blowing up of Dingle Bay didn't even register. Luckily for us womenfolk, the best looking man in Kerry wasn't there at the time.

If there is anyway that you could avoid paying full price to see Battle LA... well, let's just that although you may not have seen it yet, you've seen it many times already :)

Constance said...

Oh, and the actors playing the Marines? Very underdeveloped in the muscular area.

Civilian Overseer said...

Connie, There's been quite a lot of men in Kerry, good looking or not, She's the village bike.

Mr.V, I don't believe the Colonel has ever met a movie with marines in it that he didn't like. Still good point, there is a first time. ;)

Connie the actors playing the Marines? Very underdeveloped in the muscular areaas opposed to the brains area? ;) What exactly are you implying about our boys?

Former Grunt said...

"I don't believe the Colonel has ever met a movie with marines in it that he didn't like."

-Ask him about Jarhead...


...I'll not make that mistake again.

Constance said...

Mr. Overseer. I meant no disrespect whatsoever to our boys. Brains, Brawn, and Bravery describe them well...

The writers can take care of making the actors look like they have Brains and Bravery, but these actors are nowhere near as developed in the Brawn area as actual Marines.

Civilian Overseer said...

Lady ConCon, I bow to your superior knowledge of the average marine's physique, based as it is on years of observation and hands on experience. I'll take you word for it. ;)

Seriously, hate miscasting it's really jarring visually. Like when Anakin Sywalkerwas miscast as a soppy kid not a bad ass. Suddenly Darth Vader was reduced from psychotic mass murderer to a whingey bloody emo kid, angry at the world. Duck Boo George Lucas Duck Boo very much. Damned auto spelling.