Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Cast: Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Raini Rodriguez, Adhir Kalyan, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell, Shirley Knight, Stephen Rannazzisi, Adam Ferrara
Language: English
Banner: Happy Madison Productions, Relativity Media
Director: Steve Carr
Producer: Jeff Sussman, Kevin James, Adam Sandler
Camera: Russ T. Alsobrook
Story: Kevin James, Nick Bakay
Screenplay: Kevin James, Nick Bakay
Dialogue: Kevin James, Nick Bakay
Music: Waddy Wachtel
Distribution: Sony Pictures Releasing
Year: 2009

'Paul Blart: Mall Cop,' directed by Steve Carr, stars Kevin James as Paul Blart, a super serious, conscientious, but fat and bumbling New Jersey mall security guard with visions of becoming a New Jersey State Trooper and finding the love of his life (or, really, just a girlfriend that's really into him). But after failing the Trooper test eight times due to hypoglycemia (no matter how many times he tries he never has enough sugar in his system to finish the obstacle course) and being an shy, sweaty fool when it comes to love and the opposite sex (his illegal immigrant wife left him after she became a legal resident, leaving Blart alone with his daughter Maya, played by Raini Rodriguez, and his mother, played by Shirley Knight), he's stuck being a lonely family man and dedicated mall security officer. That dedication is put to the test when, on Black Friday (the busiest shopping day of the year), the mall is taken over by a band of hip and edgy hoodlum thug criminals who want the credit card receipts from each store, and it's up to Blart to thwart the criminal plot and rescue the hostages the criminals have in the mall bank, one of them being Amy the hair extension kiosk girl (Jayma Mays), a woman Blart has the hots for but can't ask out because, well, he's a shy, sweaty fool when it comes to women.

Now, what transpires throughout 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' is pretty much what you'd expect to happen in a pseudo generic family comedy. Lots of slap stick physical comedy, some mean spirited but not that mean spirited fat guy jokes, some generally heart warming family scenes where we find out just how much the main family in question loves itself, and a less than serious, incredibly goofy tone throughout that doesn't involve much in the way of cussing or swearing (I may be wrong but I don't think there's one risque word uttered throughout the flick's 87 minute running time). And your likely enjoyment of the movie will rest solely on your opinion going in of pseudo generic family comedies and star Kevin James, who up until this point has been a TV star (he was the star of the great CBS sticom 'King of Queens') and, at best, a supporting actor in various movies ('Hitch,' 'I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry'). 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' is James' first theatrical comedy star vehicle where he himself has to carry the movie. Speaking as a total 'King of Queens' nerd, I can say that I was excited by the prospect of a movie starring Doug Heffernan (that was the name of his character on 'King of Queens') going in, and that by the end of 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' I wasn't disappointed at all. The flick is a blast.

James puts in a fine performance as Blart. He nails the various physical comedy bits (James is surprisngly agile for a big man), and brings forth a generally likeable presence even when he's the only one who takes the job of mall security guard seriously. While various supporting characters treat Blart with as little respect as possible (from Stuart the douchebag pen salesman, played by Stephen Rannazzisi, to the old guy on the scooter who doesn't wait for Blart to give him a ticket for speeding in the mall to the disgruntled fat woman in 'Victoria's Secret' who actually fights Blart, not to mention his fellow mall security guards), the movie itself never treats Blart like an idiot nor does it ever encourage you to dislike him. The movie wants you to root for Blart to succeed. I'm going to assume that James, who also shares a co-writer credit with Nick Backay, was the driving force behind that idea, even moreso than director Carr, simply because James doesn't seem like the kind of comedian that would thrive in a meanspirited environment. It's kind of surprising that James is such good buddies with Adam Sandler, who produced the movie, since Sandler is known for a slightly more hard hitting brand of comedy. In other words, and I mean this with respect, James doesn't seem to be all that interested in being an asshole like Sandler seems to be. James is also excellent in the various sad moments where Blart doesn't succeed with women (check out the scene where he checks an internet personals site to see if the profile he has there got any hits. It's heartbreaking). I also want to say that only Kevin James could make a fat guy riding a Segway look incredibly goofy and stupid one moment but necessary and not as funny the next.

James also has great chemistry with the rest of the cast. Jayma Mays is perfect as Amy, Blart's love interest. Sure, on the outside there's a sitcom like feeling to their budding relationship (fat guy, hot, thin woman who isn't disgusted by being with a fat guy), but Mays makes you believe Amy could actually really like Blart. As contrived as the situation seems, there isn't one false note between the two. Raini Rodriguez is amazing as Blart's daughter Maya. You can really sense they have a viable father-daughter bond. And, again, there isn't one false moment between herself and James. Shirley Knight is good as Blart's mother. She likes to make Sloppy Joes for her son. That, to me, is just hilarious.

Keir O'Donnell, who plays the 'surprise' villain Veck Sims, is pretty decent, eventhough his character isn't as big a threat as he should be because the movie never really makes it clear what it is he's actually doing. He wants to steal credit card numbers to do what exactly? Commit a giant identity theft scheme? His big scheme to take over the mall seems a little too elaborate for it to end up being all about credit card numbers. Even when it's obvious how he intends to escape I still don't understand what it is he's doing. This bit is the flick's only real flaw. But O'Donnell does what he can and makes Veck a memorable scumbag. Veck's hip and edgy hoodlum henchmen are memorable for what they do (skateboard and BMX bike around the mall, jump around like kung fu gymnasts) but I have no idea what any of their names are. The scariest one of the bunch is the long haired guy on the skateboard. He looks like a reject from a Rob Zombie movie.

Bobby Cannavale, who you may know from his stints on 'Third Watch' and most recently 'Cold Case,' shows up as Commander Kent, the SWAT team leader. He's good for what he gets to do. Peter Gerety, of 'Homicide: Life on the Street' and 'Law and Order' fame, among other things, is hilarious as the dimwitted mall security guard leader Chief Brooks (he spends most of the movie coming up with comeback lines for local cop Sergeant Howard, played by Adam Ferrara, who has some kind of ongoing man rivalry with Commander Kent). Adhir Kalyan does a good job as Pahud, the loveable stalker boyfriend with a foot fetish of the daughter of the cell phone kiosk manager Vijay (Erick Avari), who helps Blart out by telling him that he put a tracking chip in the cell phone, a cell phone that actually belongs to Vijay's daughter (Vijay got pissed because his daughter went over her minutes and gave the phone to Blart out of pity because Blart didn't have a cell phone and not having a cell phone made Blart look lame in front of Amy. Trust me, it all makes sense in the context of the movie. It really does). And Stephen Rannazzissi is just fabulous, in a total douchebag kind of way, as Stuart the pen salesman. And let's not forget Jamal Mixon as Leon, the nacho eating contest champion who ends up being held hostage in the bank. He gets one great line about Happy Meals that will have you howling with laughter. Well, it had me howling with laughter.

Now, eagle eyed 'King of Queens' fans will notice the presence of a few of that show's regulars, like Adam Ferrara as the local cop Sergeant Howard (he's also been on several episodes of 'Rescue Me'), Gary Valentine (Danny Heffernan hisself) as a long haired but balding anyway weirdoe karaoke singer, and the immortal Mookie Barker as Mr. Ferguson the arcade owner. I would have loved to see Sam McMurray (Doug's boss at IPS, O'Boyle) and maybe Jerry Stiller (Arthur Spooner, inventer of the Arthur's Head screwdriver) and Patton Oswalt (Spence Olchin) make appearances in some way, but, hey, maybe those appearances are being saved for the sequel.

And I hope there is a sequel. I have no idea what a sequel could or would be about, but 'Paul Blart' could easily be a franchise of some kind.

Now, as I said above, 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' isn't exactly the world's most original comedy. It isn't breaking any new ground. But then it isn't interested in doing that anyway. It's only interested in making the audience laugh. I laughed. I thought it was funny. If you're thinking about going, ask yourself if you think a fat guy attempting to slide across a mall floor to eventually hide behind a mall map but only making it about half way there is funny. If you think it is potentially funny, go see 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop.' If you don't think it's funny, don't bother. You're obviously just too cool to enjoy it.

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