Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

Weekend Movie Forecast: <em>Paul</em> Vs. <em>Limitless</em>

By

Robert Horan

Published Mar 18, 2011

Modified Mar 18, 2011

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Nerds of America get psyched, because today the newest Nick Frost and Simon Pegg comedy Paul hits theaters, and if those names sound familiar to you (which they should), you know what all the excitement's about. The two star as a pair of nerdy slackers (that's a stretch) who visit Area 51 (remember, they're nerds) and stumble upon an alien slacker named Paul, voiced by Seth Rogen. The two haven't always starred in the best movies, but whenever they're the writers behind it, it tends to be pretty great. This is the first big movie they've written that didn't have Edgar Wright at the helm, having instead been directed by Greg Motolla (director of Superbad and the underrated and underappreciated Adventureland). Although most fans are waiting for part three of the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy; The Worlds End (following Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), we're sure they'd love something to hold them over other than reruns of Spaced.Reviews have been very mixed (we don't really see that stopping anyone already planning to see it), with Nathan Rabin from The A.V. Club saying: "With Paul, Pegg, Frost, and director Greg Mottola (Superbad) play it both ways, lightly spoofing messianic cinematic extraterrestrials like E.T. through its title character—a pot-smoking, party-hearty space alien in a hurry to return home—while still gleaning wide-eyed wonder from everyday guys bonding with a visitor from another world."Paul is more slapdash than Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, but it shares many of those film’s virtues and underlying sweetness, though the alien sometimes comes off as a Poochie-like exemplar of in-your-face attitude. Yet by the time it reaches an appropriately epic conclusion, the film has earned its laughs as well as its big dramatic moments. Paul is a little sloppy and a little sappy, but the filmmakers’ passion for their subject matter carries it over the occasional rough spot."

 

Gothamist

View all 10

By

Robert Horan

Published Mar 18, 2011

Modified Mar 18, 2011

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Click on the film stills for more details and reviews of this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include: Paul, Limitless, The Lincoln Lawyer, Win Win, Bill Cunningham New York, The Music Never Stopped, Cracks, Auto-Remakes, Taxi Driver, and The Goonies.

Tagged

gallery

movies

new

nyc

Previews

Robert Horan

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE arts-entertainment

Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain

Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.

By

Sonia Rao

Published Oct 23, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET

In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff

We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."

By

James Ramsay

Arts & Entertainment

In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff

We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."

By

James Ramsay

A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings

By

Hannah Frishberg

A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history

By

Sonia Rao

The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.

By

Sonia Rao

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .