Preview: The Fantastic Fear of Everything

As many of you know I have a few favorite actors/actresses and whenever there is a new movie coming out that they are in I have to share it. Recently I watched the preview for a new film starring the adorable Simon Pegg. Yep, he's one of my all-time favorites. However, after seeing the trailer for his new movie I think he may add more fans to his already growing list. I am not the only one who adores him - trust me.

The trailer is pretty good at not showing too much and this film looks really different. Odd, in fact. I think I read this is a comedy/horror - not a task easily pulled off but I have complete faith in Mr. Pegg's ability to give an outstanding performance. Enjoy!

The Fantastic Fear of Everything - due out this summer in the UK not sure of the American release.

Paul

Directed by Greg Mottola, Universal Pictures, 2011.

Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Bateman.

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Question: On a scale of 1 -10 where would you say you fall on as being a geek - with 10 being the highest? After growing up on watching reruns of Star Trek, the original Battlestar Gallactica and Buck Rogers, I would say I am right around the 3 mark, but after finishing the movie Paul I might have to bump it up.

I won't say it because if you know me, you know why I watched this movie, right? And it wasn't for the sci-fi story.

The movie began and I was almost immediately reminded of another movie: Close Encounters of the Third Kind but I brushed it aside because soon Simon Pegg came on the screen. YAY! He and his best friend and "business" partner, played by Nick Frost, were at Comic-Con - the geek mecca. That is not an insult. I was actually invited to go next year and am considering it. (Okay, maybe I'm, a little more of  a geek than I thought. Let's bumped it up to 4 now.) Anyway, the two friends come to America to fulfill a lifelong dream of attending Comic-Con and then travelling the path of UFO's or unexplained phenomenon that occurred in the Southwest - in an RV, no less.

By the time the British pair began their journey I will admit I was a bit bored with the film. And that was within the first fifteen minutes. Something was just off on the storytelling but a hint or reminder, or better yet, several references to other sci-fi movies would pop up from time to time. That kept my interest. (Okay, maybe need to add on one more notch on the geek rating - let's say 5 is where I am at.) Anyway...their adventure begins.

Soon thereafter, an alien named Paul and voiced by Seth Rogen arrives in the story, and it was hard for me to keep going. There would be an occasional funny line or two but the movie was trying too hard. I won't go into detail, as usual, but the storytelling was just flat by this point. I so wanted it to be better especially for my love of all things Simon Pegg - okay, I will give myself another point for that one - what are we up to now? 6?

About halfway through Kristen Wiig's character had me interested again - by merely vocalizing some of what I presume to be a lot of improvisational sayings. Honestly, I would giggle almost every time she spoke. Then the moment came - I suddenly was jealous of her character. I won't say why but I totally envy that woman.

Did I enjoy the movie by this point or had it gotten funnier? Somewhat. I read somewhere there weren't as many movie references in Paul as you might think but I saw them left and right especially towards the end: Star Wars, Aliens, ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark and that made me happy. (Alright, should I say 7 or 8 now? Geesh). The movie was very reminiscent of all things Steven Spielberg and George Lucas - two of the most influential movie-makers of the last 30 years and who may have helped me reach number 8 now on the geek scale since I am a huge fan of a lot of their movies. Unfortunately, this movie wasn't all that funny and usually Simon Pegg cracks me with whatever he does. Not this time.

All-in-all Paul was a mediocre movie that had the potential to be more. Something felt like either too much was missing or I would have made this movie a complete homage to the sci-fi movie gods. It fell somewhere in between. However, this movie made me realize I am a pretty huge sci-fi geek, but at least I never dressed up as Princess Leia for Halloween...oh wait, DAMN...as an adult, no less...Yep, I am a full-on geek!

My favorite thing: A line about a t-shirt towards the end.

My least favorite thing: That the movie wasn't better.

Rating: R
Length: 104 minutes

Review: 4 out of 10 

Click on film posters below to watch Simon Pegg's films:
 

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Directed by Brad Bird, Paramount Pictures, 2011

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton, Tom Wilkinson and Simon Pegg.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Question: Anyone sick and tired of sequels? Yeah, me too. However, I just saw Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol and may have to eat my words about this particular sequel. This one was pretty good!

I must confess I was actually planning on viewing this movie for one reason and one reason only - Simon Pegg. Yes, you heard that right. Although Tom Cruise makes pretty decent movies I really went to see Ghost Protocol for one of the supporting actors. This is the honest truth. Sure he was in Mission: Impossible 3 but not enough, I say, so I didn't think he would be in the next installment.

Indulge me for a moment....About six months ago I saw a preview for this one. Well, that's not true. I "heard" the preview as I was sitting in the theatre shielding my eyes as I normally do during previews. Immediately I thought I would skip the film until I heard Simon Pegg's voice and quickly looked at the screen. YAY! There is just something about him that cracks me up and pulls me to see everything he is in. It started with Shaun of the Dead (and I don't even like Zombie movies) and I never looked back. In fact, Simon Pegg was one of the first people I started following on Twitter; and even when I was sick of Twitter awhile back I couldn't cancel my account because his tweets give me the giggles....okay, enough...I will talk about the movie.

Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol was a thrill ride from beginning to end. I am not kidding. So for you adrenaline junkies out there - go to the theatre now. You don't even need to finish reading this review....really, go, go now...Oh wait, see it in IMAX. This is the type of film that requires the biggest and best screening available. There is one part that even made me a little queasy due to a certain death-defying act performed by Mr. Cruise because you feel like you are right there within the scene. (How did his "people" allow him to go through something like that?)  Now I suppose if you have a fear of heights, you might want to cover your eyes but try not to during this scene. It really was one of the most spectacular stunts I have EVER seen on film. This will not be the same on the TV screen, iPad or laptop, trust me.

Since this is a thriller I won't go into any detail about the story. However, I will say Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team were given a mission, that they chose to accept, and you are along for the thrill of a lifetime. Also, Simon Pegg (yes, I am mentioning him again) was the great comic relief in this movie, which was needed because your heart pounds so much that you'll require a break from the tension.

The fourth installment of this series got back to what I enjoyed from the first Mission: Impossible: action, adventure, thriller and no romance. Okay, ladies you might be mad at me for saying that, but there was not a romance story line connected to this one and I was relieved. Well, maybe there was a little one. The second and third installment went too much into a lovey-dovey tale for me with Thandie Newton's character in MI2 and Ethan Hunt's wife in MI3. Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE a good romance but these movies didn't need to cram in another genre to make it watchable for the female population.

I really don't want to say any more about Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol except to say that if you are gadget nut you will enjoy this movie - a lot. I believe even Q and James Bond would have a difficult time containing their excitement at the amount of cool electronics in this film. There that's it. No more. Now go enjoy this film.

My favorite thing: Simon Pegg - really! He was in this a lot more and he better be in the next one.

My least favorite thing: That I actually got a little teary-eyed at the very end. What? You will just have to see why.


Rating: PG-13
Length: 126 minutes

Review: 8 out of 10

Click of film posters below to watch instantly: