Film Review: Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Posted in Film, Reviews
By Sam Bathe on 20 Mar 2009

Already a contender for sleeper hit of the year, from a $26m budget Paul Blart: Mall Cop made over $135m in the American box office. Starring former TV star Kevin James as mall cop Paul Blart, the security guard’s life was once destined for a career in the force. Powering through police training before passing out on the finishing line due to his hypoglycaemia, Blart missed out on his dream job by whisker.

As security officer at his local mall, however, Blart still finds his calling. Taking great pride in ensuring the staff and customers’ safety, when a bunch of thieves target the mall Blart takes it upon himself to singlehandedly round-up the criminals and save the day, but can one man really stop the high-tech thieves?

Pleasingly devoid of the endless expletives that usually accompany similar comedies, the likeable hero instead drives the film forward, proving to be a big step up for director Steve Carr. With echoes of a Die Hard parody, James’ adaptation to the action sequences, in between racing around on his Segway, keeps the plot moving forward amid the crashes and bands of the thieves’ confrontations.

While Paul Blart: Mall Cop doesn’t offer anything new it is an ample addition to the comedy genre and after a mostly rip-roaring 91 minutes, you’ll understand how the film did so well in America.

★★★★★

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