Paul (2011)

Not counting the franchise films where he plays supporting roles, the last comedy by Simon Pegg was 2009's How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, which I must say was an amazingly shitty movie, so much so that I almost swore off watching Pegg ever again. The abysmal crappiness of this film was compounded by the film immediately before it, 2008's Run, Fatboy, Run - directed by David Schwimmer, whose main qualifications seem to have been that he could show up to the set - this was another turd of a film, though not as bad as the next one. You could see how after watching these two films, in which one of my favorite comedic actors just craps out, why I would be hesitant to watch Paul.
Two factors brought me to this film, to give Pegg another chance. First, I read Nerd Do Well, Pegg's 2011 memoir, and it was funny and was read by Pegg himself. Second, Nick Frost  costars with Pegg in this film and I loved him with Pegg in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.
I am so glad I watched this. Ok, to be completely forthcoming, I would have eventually watched it even if I hadn't been heartened by the book, or known that Frost was going to be in it. I just would have waited a couple of years like I did with the pair of craptastic films mentioned at the top.
Is this film as funny or as original as Shaun of the Dead? Yes, I think so. It has very much the same quirky feel to it and a similar type of ending. The supporting cast really makes this film pop just like SotD, in the way that Bill Nighy took the small role of Pegg's step-father and ended up owning most of the scenes he was in, Jason Bateman plays Agent Zoil with the same kind of understated brilliance. These two men are clearly better actors than Pegg and Frost, by which I mean no disrespect, and give their respective movies the push they need to be thoroughly enjohable. I have got to mention two other actors in the film and the surprise performances we saw. Sigourney Weaver is the head of whatever agency is in charge of keeping Paul's secret and is the movie's villain, a role which we rarely see her in and to be objective about it, that may quite likely because she would fall flat with them just like she did with this role. I am reminded of the last time I saw Weaver host Saturday Night Live - it was totally horrible, as he lines were delivered as if she had never seen them before, as she stared at the cue cards in a way that actually made you believe that she had not spent any time rehearsing the skits. Interestingly, the other notable performance is by Kristen Wiig, of Saturday Night Live fame. Fortunately, it's nothing like Weaver's performance. I can't say that I'm that big of a fan of the stuff Wiig did on SNL, some was good, some was bad, but most were not memorable. However, her character in Whip It! was great and she does the same in this film, being a total joy to watch.
Finally, I can't write this without mentioning the elephant in the room - Seth Rogen doing the voice of Paul. If you've read my thoughts on Rogen, you know that I dont' think much of him as an actor, which is not to say that I think he sucks. He does the doofus stoner brilliantly. Unfortunately, that seems to be all that he does. Name one movie for me where he isn't that character, I dare you - even in the Green Hornet for god's sake. His voice works for Paul in that the little alien is a doofus stoner, though I've got to admit it was hard to take at first because Paul is so small and Rogen is so big, Paul is so bald, while Rogen is so hairy. Once I got over that, it was fine.