Paul (2011) - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

If E.T. ditched the suburbs, grabbed a six-pack, partook in the Devil's lettuce, and hit the open road with a couple of Comic-Con nerds, we basically end up with Paul in a nutshell. And to be honest, it's way more fun than it has any right to be. Granted, the silly sci-fi comedy traffics in juvenile gags and stoner humor, more likely to induce giggles than laughter. But beneath all the crude absurdity and stoner antics beats the heart of a genuinely heartwarming tale about two best mates bonding over their shared geekdom and finding their place in the universe, all while making new colorful friends along the way. 

Director Greg Mottola keeps things breezy as Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) stumble upon Paul, a foul-mouthed alien voiced by Seth Rogen, kicking off a cross-country adventure packed with sci-fi Easter eggs and loving allusions. The movie revels in its references and clever homages, from the cantina music playing in a backwoods bar to Paul casually revealing he served as advisor to Steven Spielberg, even inspiring the idea for E.T. to phone home. And just when the movie has blown its nerd-wad, Sigourney Weaver shows up as the Big Bad, delivering a cheeky wink to her Alien legacy that caps off this love letter to the genre.

But what ultimately sells it for me is the chemistry between the misfit ensemble. Real-life buds Pegg and Frost step into their sci-fi fanboy roles with effortless banter, playing off each other with a genuine shared enthusiasm for all things geek. Rogen delivers his usual slacker schtick as the titular alien, coming dangerously close to turning the whole fiasco into a one-note stoner alien bit. But surprisingly, he brings enough snark and warmth to hold his own, perfectly complementing Pegg and Frost's more earnest, slightly neurotic duo and making him a fitting addition rather than some annoying tagalong. 

Perhaps the biggest revelation is Kristen Wiig as Ruth Buggs, a devout but sheltered fundamentalist whose mind is blown (both literally and figuratively) by Paul's existence. Wiig brings an unexpected depth and fantastic comedic timing to the motley crew, transforming Ruth from repressed weirdo to foul-mouthed convert with a manic energy that practically steals every scene. Fifteen years later, Paul remains as funny, zany and touching as the first time watching it, reminding us that the best adventures are the ones we share with our people, even if one of them happens to be a gray-skinned, pot-smoking extraterrestrial.

For another take, check out Aaron Peck's review of the 2011 Blu-ray release HERE.

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Kino Lorber brings Paul to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as a three-disc combo pack. The triple-layered UHD100 disc and Region A locked, BD50 disc sit comfortably on opposing sides of a center spindle while a third BD50 disc sits on the last panel of a black, eco-elite keepcase, and the package comes with a slipcover and reversible cover art. At startup, the disc goes straight to a static menu screen of the cover art with the usual options along the bottom and music playing in the background.

Crash landing on Ultra HD, fueled by a fresh remaster of the original 35mm camera negatives, the sci-fi comedy arrives with a great-looking HEVC H.265 encode that offers a notable step-up over the 2011 Blu-ray. Although the native 4K transfer comes with improved clarity and cleaner details, a good chunk of the runtime looks softer than what we've come to expect of the format and from such a recent release. However, it is sharper with a more refined and natural-looking grain structure than its predecessor, looking much more film-like and visually appealing thanks to an excellent contrast and brightness balance. Whites are brilliant and clean while black levels are rich and true with fantastic shadow delineation. But specular highlights are not always the strongest, looking radiant and energetic in many scenes, particularly exterior moments, and somewhat average but passable in others, mainly interior scenes. The biggest and most significant jump in this Dolby Vision HDR presentation is the fuller and more richly saturated array of colors throughout, and facial complexions are not only revealing but also appear healthier and more accurate to the desert climate. 

Overall, the 2.39:1 image is a noteworthy improvement over its HD SDR counterpart. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 84/100)

The cult favorite also invades home theaters with the same DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack as its fifteen-year predecessor, but my impression aligns with Aaron Peck's original assessment. With that said, I'll simply repeat his thoughts here:

"For the most part, [the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix] plays it close to the chest with its intimate face-to-face dialogue, but there are times where the mix shines just as much as the video (and they're usually at the same moments).

"The first time you really get a feel of the punch this audio presentation is packing is when Paul violently wrecks his getaway car. It flips end over end with metal crunching and creaking under the weight. Surrounds light up with the havoc being wreaked by the rollover. LFE booms during the big explosion scene and rumbles the room.

"Dialogue is always intelligible. Directionality not only works perfectly for off-screen talkers, but [also for] subtle placement of special effects like a door closing slightly off to the left. Surrounds are constantly engaged in producing lifelike ambient sound whether it be the milling about of townsfolk or the whirring machinery of a spaceship. I was just as impressed with Paul's audio as I was its video." (Audio Rating: 88/100)

For this UHD edition, Kino Lorber ports over the same set of bonus features as the 2011 release, and they're spread across three discs.

UHD Disc

Audio Commentary with director Greg Mottola, producer Nira Park and stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Bill Hader

Blu-ray Disc 1

• Audio Commentary with filmmakers and cast
• Between the Lightning Strikes (HD, 40 min)
• The Evolution of Paul (HD, 15 min)
• Who the Hell is Adam Shadowchild? (HD, 2 min)
• Simon's Silly Faces (HD, 1 min)

Blu-ray Disc 2

• RV Doorway (HD, 20 min)
• Mexico Zero (HD, 13 min)
• The Many Pauls (HD, 9 min)
• Runaway Santa Fe: An Interview with Nancy Steiner (HD, 6 min)
• 5th Date Level Direction (HD, 5 min)
• The Traveler Beagle (HD, 4 min)
• Smithereens (HD, 2 min)
• Paul the Musical (HD, 2 min)
• Bloopers (HD, 11 min)
• Trailers (HD)

Repeating Aaron Peck's sentiments:

"Paul isn't the funniest movie you'll see, and it definitely isn't the best from Pegg and Frost, but it's a decently funny way to spend 100-plus minutes. I guess in the end I wished for more sarcastic, dry British wit coming from these two guys rather than a movie that felt a little too slapstick for its own good."

Courtesy of Kino Lorber, the sci-fi comedy crash lands on 4K Ultra HD with a great-looking Dolby Vision HDR presentation that delivers a notable step up from its Blu-ray counterpart. Porting over the same DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack and collection of bonuses as before, the UHD package comes Recommended.

All disc reviews at High-Def Digest are completed using the best consumer HD home theater products currently on the market. More about the gear used for this review.