Paul 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Paul 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 7, 2026

Greg Mottola's "Paul" (2011) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary by Greg Mottola, producer Nira Park, and Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Bill Hader; making of documentary; archival cast and crew interviews; publicity materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Some of the negativity that Greg Mottola’s Paul absorbed before and after its theatrical release was unavoidable. Almost immediately after credible information about the conception of Paul was leaked, various loyal fans of Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind instantly expressed disappointment and declared that they did not have to waste time viewing it to get visual confirmation that the entire project was a bad idea. The math was easy, and they knew that they were right. There was another bigger group of fans and casual filmgoers who went to the theater, saw Paul, and discovered that plenty or all of the initial disappointment expressed by the loyal fans was entirely justified. Shortly after, these two groups formed a larger and very vocal group of critics, who, over a fairly short period of time, did a lot to damage the reputation of Paul.

Then there was the mostly silent majority of filmgoers, who were willing to see Paul with an open mind. They had enjoyed Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and were prepared for Paul to be another roller-coaster ride with similar memorable laughs and goofy, over-the-top, deliciously splashy action. For these filmgoers, the relationship between Paul and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind was just a meaningless detail, not an instantly recognizable, possibly damning flaw. However, some of these filmgoers, while not severely disappointed, also weren’t thrilled with Paul.

I saw Paul when it was released theatrically. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. I revisited it the other day, and my take on it from 2011 remains unchanged. I think that too many people are overreacting in their criticism of Paul. Some of its most outspoken defenders are also describing a great film that does not exist.

That Paul tells a very silly story is entirely predictable, because this is what all films displaying the names Simon Pegg and Nick Frost together do. After enjoying Comic-Con, two British nerds (Pegg and Frost) rent an RV and go on a trip through the American Southwest to visit several famous UFO sites. Just hours later, somewhere in the desert, the nerds bump into Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), a visitor from another galaxy, who has been stuck on Earth for decades. The three quickly become buddies, convince a Christian girl (Kristen Wiig) with an eye patch to join them, and engage in a cat-and-mouse game with government agents (Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio) directed from afar by The Big Guy (Sigourney Weaver).

The all-British formula that made Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz hilarious and enjoyable films does not work well on American soil. It is almost exclusively because the alien visitor is not tuned in on the same wavelength as Pegg and Frost, who, unfortunately, frequently look out of their element as well. However, the single, big reason making these developments possible is the severe, unmissable lack of wit, which deflates Paul in a way that transforms it into a very, very average film. Indeed, there is nothing legitimately wrong with all the material that may or may not be emulating familiar material from Spielberg’s classic films. The trouble is that the mockery, humor, and fireworks in it are not of proper quality, and as a result, the end product is underwhelming.

Great nerd films can be placed into two categories. In the first are the ones that masterfully use wit to transform the awkward in them, including that of the most risqué variety, into irresistibly funny material. Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse has plenty of such material. In the second are those that unleash wild mayhem, producing massive, unforgettable fireworks. John Landis’ Animal House and Rafal Zielinski’s Screwballs have many such fireworks. Paul is not a disaster, but it wastes seemingly countless opportunities to impress with wit and unforgettable fireworks.

*Kino Lorber's combo pack release presents two versions of Paul: Theatrical Cut, which is approximately 104 minutes long, and Unrated Version, which is approximately 110 minutes long. Only the former is presented on 4K Blu-ray.

Paul 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Paul is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

The combo pack presents two versions of Paul: Theatrical Cut, which is approximately 104 minutes long, and Unrated Version, which is approximately 110 minutes long. Only the former is presented on 4K Blu-ray. In native 4K, it can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision and later sampled the Theatrical Cut and Unrated Version on Blu-ray.

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-27 are taken from the Theatrical Cut on the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #31-39 are taken from the 4K Blu-ray.

I thought that the native 4K presentation of the Theatrical Cut was terrific. Obviously, Paul is a very recent film, shot and graded in ways to make its visuals as impressive as possible. However, I still think that the overall quality of the native 4K presentation is deserving of some praise. For example, the daylight panoramic footage and the darker footage with the most special effects both look equally strong, and after a while, this consistency becomes quite difficult to ignore. Some of the stylization work can appear a tad overwhelming, but this is how the film was graded, and it is what the type of appearance the 4K presentation reproduces very well. The Dolby Vision grade gives the visuals a rich, often strikingly vibrant appearance. (The most impressive material is in the final act, where the spaceship appears). I did several comparisons with the corresponding 1080p visuals. In some areas, the native 4K visuals are slightly more attractive, but I do not find the 1080p visuals inferior in any meaningful way. Image stability is outstanding. While viewing the native 4K presentation of the Theatrical Cut, I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Paul 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the entire Theatrical Cut of Paul with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. This lossless track has all the strengths you would expect from a contemporary 5.1 track. For example, it is aggressive and packed with surround effects, and while it will not be one of the greatest contemporary 5.1 tracks you would encounter on a disc, its solid performance is outstanding. Also, all exchanges are crystal clear, very sharp, and easy to follow. In several areas, the music also sounds wonderful.

Paul 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Greg Mottola, producer Nira Park, and Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Bill Hader. The commentators share plenty of information about their collaboration on Paul, how and where various parts of it were shot, some of the things they intended to do and managed to include in the film and some things that did not materialize for various reasons, the quality of the humor, etc. Also, later in the commentary, there are good comments about the special effects in Paul.

BLU-RAY DISC ONE - THEATRICAL CUT

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Greg Mottola, producer Nira Park, and Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Bill Hader. The commentators share plenty of information about their collaboration on Paul, how and where various parts of it were shot, some of the things they intended to do and managed to include in the film and some things that did not materialize for various reasons, the quality of the humor, etc. Also, later in the commentary, there are good comments about the special effects in Paul.

• Between the Lighting Strikes - this archival documentary chronicles the production of Paul. Included in it are clips from interviews with Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, and producer Nira Park, among others, as well as raw footage from the shooting process. In English, not subtitled. (41 min).

• The Evolution of Paul - this archival program takes a closer look at the special effects in Paul. Included in it are clips from interviews with Greg Mottola, animator David Lowry, visual effects supervisor Jody Johnson, animation supervisor Anders J.I. Beer, and lead animator Scott Holmes, among others. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Simon's Silly Face - presented here is a small collection of random visuals with various Simon Pegg facial expressions. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Who the Hell Is Adam Shadowchild? - a collection of hilarious bits featuring the character of Adam Shadowchild. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO - UNRATED CUT

• Behind the Scenes - presented here are several featurettes with behind the scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew members discussing their work on the film. In English, not subtitled. (62 min).
  
  1. RV Doorway: The Cast of Paul on Location
  2. Runway Santa Fe: An Interview with Nancy Steiner
  3. Smithereens
  4. 5th Level Direction: The Cast on Greg Mottola
  5. Mexico Zero: The Locations of Paul
  6. The Many Pauls
  7. Paul the Musical
  8. The Traveler Beagle

• Bloopers - a collection of hilarious bloopers. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Publicity Materials - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Theatrical Trailers
  2. U.S. TV Spots
  3. UK TV Spots

• Cover - reversible cover with alternate poster art for Paul.

Paul 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The all-British formula that made Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz hilarious and enjoyable films does not work well on American soil. I disagree that Paul is the disaster some of its biggest critics have described, but there is an obvious lack of wit in it, and ultimately, this is what makes it look very average. However, some of the special effects that the VFX house Double Negative created for Paul are quite wonderful. Kino Lorber's combo pack brings an excellent presentation of the Theatrical Cut of Paul on 4K Blu-ray. The Unrated Version of the film is available only on Blu-ray. RECOMMENDED only to the fans.