▁stuff , ▁the ▁plot ▁similar ▁to ▁count less ▁sci - fi ▁f lick s ▁of ▁the ▁past ; ▁pay ing ▁hom age ▁to ▁the ▁good ▁and ▁g ently ▁rib bing ▁the ▁bad ." ▁Less ▁excited ▁was ▁their ▁review ▁for ▁the ▁British ▁Bl u - ray ▁version , ▁which ▁said , ▁" But ▁unlike ▁previous ▁Peg g ▁and ▁F rost ▁collabor ations   – ▁Sh a un ▁of ▁the ▁Dead ▁and ▁Hot ▁F uzz   – ▁Paul ▁does ▁not ▁gener ously ▁reward ▁repeat ▁view ing . ▁That ' s ▁not ▁to ▁say ▁it ' s ▁a ▁bad ▁film ▁at ▁all ; ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁strong ▁central ▁prem ise , ▁which ▁car ries ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁film , ▁love able ▁central ▁characters , ▁the ▁odd ▁neat ▁idea ▁( it ▁turns ▁out ▁that ▁Paul ▁inspired ▁all ▁major ▁works ▁of ▁SF ▁post - 1 9 5 0 , ▁from ▁Close ▁Enc oun ters ▁to ▁The ▁X - Files , ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁direct ▁line ▁to ▁Steven ▁Spiel berg ), ▁and ▁a ▁couple ▁of ▁genu ine ▁laugh s , ▁but ▁it ▁never ▁feels ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁rough ▁sketch ▁of ▁a ▁bigger , ▁much ▁fun nier ▁movie ." ▁In ▁a ▁second ▁review ▁for ▁the ▁American ▁Bl u - ray ▁version , ▁I GN ▁compared ▁the ▁movie ▁with ▁Gal axy ▁Qu est ▁and ▁wrote ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁" rich ly ▁layer ed ▁with ▁clever ▁hom age , ▁a ▁ref res hing ly ▁original ▁al ien ▁hero , ▁delight fully ▁entertain ing ▁characters ▁and ▁great ▁performances ▁from ▁our ▁leads ▁and ▁their