Paul (15) *****

Paul (15) ***** Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen. Dir: Greg Mottola

Despite what everyone was thinking about Paul when it was announced, it is not the long awaited 3rd film in the Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, blood-and-cornetto trilogy, but an altogether different movie.

The film starts off following two British nerds Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost) as they go to comic-con and then a tour of the UFO highway in America. Whilst slow to start, the pace is picked up when, in the middle of the night, they witness a car crash. The only survivor being, an alien (Rogen) who calls himself Paul - after the girls dog he squashed when he crashed his spaceship.

Now harbouring a fugitive from a secret government faction, the trio set off on a road trip to get Paul home, not knowing they are being followed by Special Agent Zoil (Jason Bateman) under the command of a character known only as 'The Big Guy' (Sigourney Weaver).

After the slow start, the introduction of Paul - the hilarious smoking, swearing alien - breathes new life into the film, telling Clive and Graeme about life after he crashed on Earth, and why he's trying to escape.

Pegg and Frost, who wrote the film together, have made a great comedy which is drawn from their love of sci-fi, comics, and all around geeky-ness. The pair hailed to many classic films, including Indiana Jones and Close Encounters.

The special effects are brilliant, with the CG Paul interacting with the characters and the set in a believable way, in one scene, he lifts Clive's leg, and helps Graeme carry him to their rented RV.

A brilliantly funny film, showcasing the talents of Pegg and Frost, and being tied together by the hilarious Rogen, this film is a definite must see.