Film: Paul

Okay, I'm going to admit it: I didn't really find Shaun of the Dead that funny. While everyone else was raving about how hilarious and fresh it was, I just didn't find Pegg and Frost's brand of obvious humour that funny. Forward a couple of years and I went to see Hot Fuzz, a film I found far more entertaining, and that on various levels.

And in the meantime I finally got around to watching the show where it all started, Spaced, which was pretty much a lesson in how to find things funny for me. This was exactly what I first assessed to to be: humour on a basic and very accessible level, but what changed in me was that there was nothing wrong with having an easy laugh. After all, why should being funny be hard or clever? That said, I'm not the only one who's changed - Hollywood too is full of this kind of stuff in the form of Rogen and co., and in fact Paul seems to be the first collaboration between members of this unique collective from both sides of the pond.

Paul is the latest flick from the Pegg and Frost and just like their previous projects decides to focus on a particular genre of classic film - in this case aliens. I won't dwell too much on the plot since a lot of the magic is in that, but I will say that, as always, nothing is sacrificed for the laughs.

But it's the humour which rules here and even if, like me, you didn't really get Pegg and Frost before I would give Paul a try anyway. Their genius is in actually knowing how to get a simple laugh - something that pretty much transcends clever scriptwriting and gag fests. Oh and it's totally worth watching just for Rogen's wisecracking alien.