Paul

Rated R for language including sexual references, and some drug use.

Two wannabe comic-book writers from England, Graeme Willy (Simon Plegg of Shaun of the Dead) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) come to Comic Con in San Diego and then decide to take an RV tour of alien sightings locations in the Southwest. While running from a pair of rednecks intent on nerd-punching, the geeks meet a wise-cracking, foul-mouthed alien self-named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen). It seems Paul, who incidentally looks like the ubiquitous, giant, almond eyed, little green man described by alien abductees, is himself running from people—agents from the United States government—under the command of a formidable woman (played by someone quite familiar with creatures from outer space: Sigourney Weaver). Jason Bateman, by the way, does a great “man in black.”

Paul (the movie) is pure camp. This is a parody of all the other alien type movies; making fun of about every element of UFO encounters, black op conspiracy silliness, and the movies about such hoopla. It also makes fun of Fundamental Christianity (anti-Evolutionists especially) and the humor most certainly falls within a 7th grade mentality, several steps below sophomoric.

I loved the two tourist characters. They were marvelous, exploring this (to-them “alien”) civilization (America). They capture the gentle geek personality and made them charming without sacrificing their penultimate oddness.  

I wish I could be happy with Seth Rogen voicing Paul. Paul is Seth Rogen; as crude as he always is and that makes part of the film a tad tiresome. As soon as Paul speaks, we know all about him. I just wish they had used a voice that would have been less obvious.

This film is a bit like American Dad (the “adult” cartoon on Fox) with a touch of another TV series, Alf. It is good for laughs but there are no brilliant surprises or hints of cleverness; just blunt force, juvenile comedy.

Paul earns three bow ties out of five.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Rated R for some violence, sexual content and language.

The Lincoln Lawyer is the typical, complicated, courtroom drama; a who-done-it? and a how’s-he-gonna-do-it? type tale. Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) practices law out of his vintage Lincoln, occasionally chauffeured around due to a recent revocation of his driver’s license.

Haller is your stereotypical criminal defense lawyer defending killers and drug dealers without a hint of guilt, remorse, or concern for their victims. One day, he finds himself defending a rich young man for raping and assaulting a prostitute. Soon, the “shark” lawyer discovers he is in the middle of something far more dangerous than being an amoral defense lawyer.

His helplessness doesn’t last too long. He eventually figures a way out and part of the fun is watching the tide turn…and it turns back and forth more than a few times.

Like Paul, The Lincoln Lawyer, is a pleasant way to pass the time. However, we have not only seen this before, we see it umpteen times on TV. McConaughey delivers a rather limp performance, at least to me (and probably only to me). In this movie, his talents are simply not apparent, even when he appears two or three times (in the movie) in his “wife-beaters.” Luckily the cast is jam-packed with three-dimensional talent: William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei, and John Leguizamo. Incidentally, Ryan Phillippe plays the accused rapist and he does so chillingly.

It is entertaining although not stellar. The Lincoln Lawyer is well-crafted, solid, and muscular not unlike the vintage Lincoln in the title.

The Lincoln Lawyer earns three and a half bow ties out of five.