CAST: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kristen Wigg, Bill Hader, Jane Lynch, Jason Bateman, Seth Rogen, Sigourney Weaver; DIRECTOR: Greg Mottola; WRITERS: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost; GENRE: Comedy; RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes.
Technical Assessment: 2.5
Moral Assessment: 2
CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 years and above.
Make no mistake about it: Paul is no harmless cartoon for kids. The language alone can make the proverbial sailor blush, as the alien Paul tells a character, “Cursing is fun; you just have to pick your moments!” The word “f - - k” is used 50 times, “s - - t” 40 times, and so many other terms you would never want to hear coming out of your children’s mouth. On top of that the alien Paul smokes marijuana and spurs others to do the same; he’s a beer guzzle and a reckless driver; pushes others to steal to satisfy his whim, pokes fun at Bible-toting Christians, and has a yen for making obscene gestures. CINEMA came across a crisp and incisive critique of the movie by Plugged In Online which we respectfully excerpt and pass on to our readers.
“Paul tells us that advanced civilizations have outgrown the concept of God—at least a Christian God. But here's what I find most interesting about its point of view: In attempting to strip away one religion, we've been given another.
“The popularity of aliens and UFOs in pop culture has been attributed, by some, to folks trying to replace traditional faith with a more scientific form of religion, complete with rewards (knowledge), punishments (probes!) and awe-struck wonder. Consider Paul—his characteristics, not his character: He's a being from another place, a creature filled with unimaginable knowledge and incredible power. He heals the sick, he raises the dead, he helps the blind to see. He holds (the film suggests) the promise of a better world—one full of peace and love and community, free from strife and sin.
“And yet Paul does not appear to everyone. Indeed, he reveals himself only to a select few … disciples. And those to whom he shows himself are often mocked, even persecuted sometimes.
“We meet a woman to whom Paul revealed himself 60 years prior. Now old, she's angry with Paul at first, telling him how the neighbor kids would make fun of her, throw rocks at her window. They would not believe her and her "alien" stories, and in time she had perhaps begun to doubt her own memories. But then she softens. Seeing Paul now, face-to-face, everything's fine again. Her faith—following an unseen, unfelt visitor—is validated.
“If you haven't connected the dots yet, what I'm getting at is Paul's status as a deity. But what a slovenly deity he is: Little more than a "greater" being who, when he gives his friends the sum of all his knowledge, doesn't change them a whit; an advanced entity less concerned with mankind's betterment than with the pot he's carrying and the partying he's planning.”
“The popularity of aliens and UFOs in pop culture has been attributed, by some, to folks trying to replace traditional faith with a more scientific form of religion, complete with rewards (knowledge), punishments (probes!) and awe-struck wonder. Consider Paul—his characteristics, not his character: He's a being from another place, a creature filled with unimaginable knowledge and incredible power. He heals the sick, he raises the dead, he helps the blind to see. He holds (the film suggests) the promise of a better world—one full of peace and love and community, free from strife and sin.
“And yet Paul does not appear to everyone. Indeed, he reveals himself only to a select few … disciples. And those to whom he shows himself are often mocked, even persecuted sometimes.
“We meet a woman to whom Paul revealed himself 60 years prior. Now old, she's angry with Paul at first, telling him how the neighbor kids would make fun of her, throw rocks at her window. They would not believe her and her "alien" stories, and in time she had perhaps begun to doubt her own memories. But then she softens. Seeing Paul now, face-to-face, everything's fine again. Her faith—following an unseen, unfelt visitor—is validated.
“If you haven't connected the dots yet, what I'm getting at is Paul's status as a deity. But what a slovenly deity he is: Little more than a "greater" being who, when he gives his friends the sum of all his knowledge, doesn't change them a whit; an advanced entity less concerned with mankind's betterment than with the pot he's carrying and the partying he's planning.”
If you’re looking for laughs plus, there’s Kung Fu Panda; for adventure, there’s Pirates of the Carribean: Stranger Tides.
