Paul – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Paul

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2011

42%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Two British nerds meet a foul-mouthed alien—it's E.T. if E.T. chain-smoked and dropped F-bombs every thirty seconds.

6.9/10

70%

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Paul

movie

R, 2011

42%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Two British nerds meet a foul-mouthed alien—it's E.T. if E.T. chain-smoked and dropped F-bombs every thirty seconds.

6.9

70%

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Screenwise Verdict

Paul is a perfectly serviceable R-rated comedy for adults who love sci-fi and British humor. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are charming, Seth Rogen voices the alien well, and there are enough laughs to justify the runtime.

But let's be clear: this is NOT a family film. The cute alien on the poster is deeply misleading—Paul smokes, swears constantly, and makes crude jokes throughout. Parents looking for a fun sci-fi adventure for their kids should run far away.

For adults? It's fine. Middling reviews (70% on RT, 6.9 on IMDb) reflect that it's competent but not exceptional. The religious satire feels more mean than clever, and the constant profanity gets tiresome. If you loved Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, this will disappoint—it's Pegg and Frost's weakest collaboration.

Bottom line: A decent Friday night watch for grown-ups who want to turn their brains off, but absolutely nothing here for families or anyone looking for enrichment.

Age Fit

This is strictly for adults (18+). Despite the sci-fi road trip premise that could theoretically appeal to teens, the pervasive profanity, drug use, sexual content, and religious mockery make it inappropriate for anyone under 18. Even mature 16-17 year olds should probably skip this one.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Paul is a profanity-laden comedy with constant crude humor, sexual references, and mockery of religious faith. While the core friendship between the two nerds and the alien shows loyalty, the tone is irreverent and sarcastic throughout. The film includes recreational drug use played for laughs and generally models cynical rather than kind behavior.

Imaginative

The premise of two comic-con geeks meeting a wisecracking alien on a road trip across America has creative potential and taps into sci-fi nerd culture appealingly. However, the execution leans heavily on references to other films (E.T., Close Encounters) rather than building truly original world-building. It's more pastiche than groundbreaking.

Safe

This is an R-rated comedy (though MPAA rating not confirmed in data) with pervasive strong language, sexual references, drug use, and some violence. The film includes a character being shot, crude sexual humor throughout, marijuana use, and sustained mockery of Christian beliefs that could be genuinely offensive. Not remotely safe for younger viewers and contains plenty of surprise inappropriate content.

Enriching

Beyond celebrating geek culture and sci-fi fandom, Paul offers limited enrichment. The humor is mostly crude rather than clever. There's a shallow message about tolerance and being yourself, but it's buried under constant profanity and bathroom jokes. The religious satire is more mean-spirited than thoughtful. Entertaining for its target audience but not particularly growth-oriented.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Genuinely funny for adults who love sci-fi references and British humor—Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have great chemistry
Celebrates nerd culture and Comic-Con fandom without being too precious about it
The alien Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) is surprisingly charming despite being crude
Packed with references to classic sci-fi films that genre fans will appreciate

⚠

What to Watch For

This is absolutely NOT a family movie despite having a cute alien—it's R-rated for a reason with constant strong language
Contains sustained mockery of evangelical Christianity that goes beyond gentle ribbing into genuinely offensive territory for many
Drug use played for laughs, sexual references throughout, and some violence including a character being shot
The humor is very British and very crude—think Seth Rogen meets Simon Pegg, which is exactly what this is

Conversation Starters

"What sci-fi movies or shows do you think influenced this film?"
"Do you think the movie handles the religious satire fairly or does it cross a line?"
"How does Paul compare to other alien characters in movies—is he more realistic or just funnier?"
"Would you want to meet an alien if they were actually this sarcastic and rude?"

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