Paul

Chugh SoH Sov nuq vam jatlhtaH legh 'oH. No, that is not jibberish- it's Klingon; and if you speak Klingon you should definitely see this film. Written by its stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, "Paul" is a sci-fi comedy geared toward anyone that has ever tried to get tickets to Comic Con (and failed most likely). Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost) have come to America to visit some extra-terrestrial hot spots, and on this trek they have their own close encounter. Paul (Seth Rogen), their new alien tour guide, takes them boldly where no man has gone before- okay, I guess Spielberg and his crew have been there.

Filled with allusions, some harder to find than others, to classic films of this genre, "Paul" will find a place in the hearts of Trekkies and Jedi Junkies alike. The audience finds itself searching for the next sci-fi film reference like a "Find the Hidden Object" game. Throughout the movie nerds are prodding their neighbors and asking "Did you get that?" If you don't want to be left out of the loop, you may want to dust off your collection and renew your geek license.

With an A-List cast of comedians I was hoping I might fall out of my chair once or twice, but sadly I didn't budge. Pegg and Frost have proven to be extremely witty in their previous work. As co-authors, I had hoped they would include their sarcastic play off each other in the script, or at least ad-libbed it during production. Unfortunately their characters' interactions weren't a focus of this film. Pegg and Frost weren't the only comics off their game. Rogen seemed to read jokes straight off the page. He has the rare gift of hilarious improvisation and I wish he would have used it more on camera. Kristen Wigg, Jason Bateman, Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio make up the supporting cast. Kristen Wigg steals the show with her hilarious failings at being a foul-mouth, while Hader, Truglio and Bateman make up a less funny version of the Three Stooges.

All-in-all I would say this movie is a lot like the Comic Con you've been dying to go to. You've heard so many amazing stories that you expect a mind-blowing experience, but when you finally get there it can't possibly live up to the hype you've created for it.

Overall Score: B-