Paul: A close encounter of the hilarious kind!

Graeme and Clive are two sci-fi fanatics that are on a quest to find out what is really going on in Area 51. But on their way to investigate they run into an actual visitor from another planet named Paul, who is on the run from the authorities. Together they hatch a scheme to get Paul back to his mother ship and back home.

Paul was essentially a buddy road trip film that happened to have an alien and some other screwball shenanigans added in to make it atypical for the genre. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were hilarious as Graeme and Clive respectively, showing the same kind of comic talent and timing that made the other flims which they have starred in together (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) memorable comedic fare. There were plenty of sight gags, thinly veiled references to other classic sci-fi films (the audience was finally shown who truly inspired Stephen Spielberg to create E.T.) and just enough dry "British" humor to cause the audience to geniuely chuckle throughout. But the best (and perhaps most unexpected) part of the film was the fact that title character (voice by Seth Rogen) was so entertaining, effective and believable. Usually when one thinks of a character that is completely CGI unfortunate mistakes like Jar Jar Binks pop into their heads, but Paul was different. He was different in that he did not act like one would expect a visitor from another world to. He wasn't screaming, "take me to your leader" or threatening passers-by with death rays, he just seemed like a regular person. He smoked, cursed and acted crude at points but there was a heart to him which made him endearing. Director Greg Mottola was wise to seize upon this and accenutate those moments where Paul, Graeme and Clive were just hanging out having a good time because those were the moments where the audience could gravitate toward the guys and the quest they were on.

This film was one of those rare comedies that was actually funny, and it is definitely worth a look.

Grade: B

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: An epic of epic epicness indeed!

Scott Pilgrim has met the woman of his dreams but there is a problem, she has seven deadly exes. In order to be with her, he must defeat these seven evil former flames in mortal combat.

So why should you rush out to rent or buy Scott Pilgrim vs. the World? For starters, the performances by all of the actors are solid, from the lead all the way through to the extras in the background. Michael Cera played Scott with the kind of geekish charm the part called for, Mary Elizabeth Winstead nailed her role as Ramona, Scott’s dream girl with the set of seven deadly exes while Kieran Culkin and Alison Pill stole almost every scene they were in as Wallace and Kim respectively. Visually, the movie reveled in its comic book source material and also paid homage to the numerous video games it referenced throughout the screen time. This meant that the fight sequences were a thrill to behold as Scott and his foes used insane moves (which can usually only be accomplished via impossible button combinations on a PS3 or Xbox 360 controller) to fight for the love of Ramona. Beyond all of that, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was just a fun movie to watch for the story not only entertained the audience, but gave them a set of characters to emotionally connect with.

This film could have easily just focused on the numerous fight sequences, gone sophomoric in its humor and unleashed hip pop culture reference after pop culture reference or delved into bad toilet humor but (under the watchful eye of director Edgar Wright, the man responsible for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, two films you should also check out after this one) instead, it blazed a trail of originality with its fully developed story that came complete with a hero in Scott who grew throughout the film and changed for the better by the end of it.

Grade: A

Shaun of the Dead: A zombie comedy.

Now here's an interesting take on the zombie film! Shaun of the Dead is a zombie comedy which was able to take those typical genre conventions one would expect in a film about the living dead and turn them on their heads.

Shaun is just like every other regular guy out there. He’s stuck in a dead end job, has a girlfriend that wants him to be more than he is and has a roommate that is permanently attached to the couch playing video games. He is trying to make sense of his life but there is the little complication of a horde of zombies attempting to kill him and the people his loves.

The story of Shaun (played to the hilt by Simon Pegg) and his attempts to change and understand what exactly he wanted to do with his life was what carried the film and made it a kick to watch. Before he even faced down his first zombie, he was dealing with problems most people must grapple with; dead end job, girlfriend who wanted him to change and be something more and an overall directionless life. The zombies, while the main villains of the film, were also the things that spurred along Shaun’s attempts to change. What also propped this film above other zombie movie was It was how the director, Edgar Wright, made sure to show how all the regular people around Shaun’s neighborhood acted like zombies before they actually turned. His little social commentary went a long way in framing the world Shaun and friends lived and our own by extension (take a look at the person in the cubicle next to you at work and you'll see what I mean).

Shaun of the Dead was thick with laughs throughout, (usually provided by Shaun’s lazy flat mate Ed), and contained the typical blood and gore one would expect in a horror film.

Grade: B