A Sci-Fi-Brom-Com

They always said they wanted to do a trilogy of genres. First there was Shaun of the Dead (Rom-Zom-Com) then came Hot Fuzz (Thrill-Com) and now we have Paul (Sci-Fi-Brom-Com). All three have the emphasis placed firmly on the comedy aspect but all have different appealing values. This latest venture details the journey of two British nerds on the holiday of a lifetime in America. After visiting Comic-Con (Pegg & Frost love abbreviations!) in San Diego the duo head off on an RV road trip. Their plan is to drive around Nevada visiting all of the alien sites that you find plastered on a thirteen year old’s bedroom walls (Area 51, Roswell, etc). If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll already know that they run into Paul (the extra terrestrial trying to find his way home) and have to harbour him from the government. The fun commences when Paul, voiced by Seth Rogen, doesn’t turn out to be quite as the pair expect.

I must admit that upon seeing the trailer for this film I was pretty disappointed. Almost all of the story is given away, leaving little to the imagination. Even worse, almost all of the jokes are given away, leaving even less to the imagination. But don’t let the trailer put you off entirely: it doesn’t do the film justice. There are plenty of jokes and even more sci-fi references to keep the fan-boys happy (note the door tone as they enter the firework shop, and the cantina band song playing in the bar). At the same time, there are also plenty of jokes for those uninitiated in sci-fi culture, and an interesting creationism vs. evolution debate to keep up lively conversation in America. Reputedly the joke about “Agent Lorenzo Zoil” was coined by Frost and he was so happy with writing it that he gave himself the afternoon off.

Gags aside, is this film as good as the previous two Frost/Pegg collaborations? I don’t think so. They seem to be missing the British touch of Edgar Wright. The film doesn’t stand out as an original piece of work, certainly not as much as Shaun of the Dead. Though it is good clean fun, it lacks any kind of enduring impact and, unlike their previous films, doesn’t have quite the same cult-classic potential. The only thing I can still recall from leaving the cinema is wondering where I could get a replica of the “evolve this” t-shirt worn by Kristen Wiig, depicting God shooting Darwin in the head. As a tribute to sci-fi films, the film is a crowd pleaser, and a film publicist’s wet dream, but unfortunately it is not a unique experience. For a trio with so much combined talent and such a strong start in the form of Channel 4’s Spaced and Shaun of the Dead, it’s disappointing – though perhaps not that surprising – that their work is losing its edge as it gains profile and ventures further over the pond. Nevertheless, here’s hoping the Pegg/Frost/Wright collaborative team will reunite, as I’m certain there’s much more to come.