Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Directed by Steve Carr
Written by Kevin James & Nick Bakay

Kevin James ... Paul Blart
Keir O'Donnell ... Veck Sims
Jayma Mays ... Amy
Raini Rodriguez ... Maya Blart
Shirley Knight ... Mom

Rated PG
Runtime 1 hr. 31 mins.


"Are the funniest parts of the movie in the preview?"

"No."

And there you have it, my shortest review ever.

OK. I suppose that that hinges on whether you've seen the preview for Paul Blart: Mall Cop. If you have and you've found it entertaining, go see the movie. If the preview looks painful to you, don't go.

The rest of this review is for those who haven't seen the preview. Or who just want more information.

Do I have to? Oh all right, you greedy people.

So who is this Paul Blart fellow? Well, he's a mall cop. Oh, that's right, you want more. Well, he doesn't want to be a mall cop. Problem is, he's hypoglycemic, causing him to fall asleep at inopportune time. Say the just before the finish line to the obstacle course to qualify for the New Jersey State Troopers.

So he's a mall cop, taking his job far too seriously for both his supervisors and the new guy who's shadowing him. He flirts with Amy who works at a kiosk selling those hair clips that fool people into thinking you have enough hair to make a bun. And when the mall is taken over by bad men with guns and sketeboards and bicycles and the ability to leap really well, he-

Whoa. Getting ahead of myself. The mall is taken over. They take hostages including (gasp) Amy. So our hero, Blart, decides to stay and protect the mall because of the oath he swore. He also wrote it.

Paul Blart is a testment to creativity over money. Outside of Kevin James, there's hardly a recognizable actor here (though I was happy when Peter Gerety, an alum of The Wire, got a laugh from the entire audience). Star power's not needed in a movie like this. Only talent. So I was gald to see some lesser-known actors given a chance. And instead of hiring a bunch of actors to play what are essentially single-line roles as the crooks, they hire extreme sports athletes creating some really neat stunt work.

So why is this movie funny? Well, Kevin James for one. He's just got a loveable, funny presence. The movie also understands the importance of context in comedy. So often, we're simply shown something that we are to think of as "funny." Very few things are funny simply on sight. Context often makes things funny. For instance, when you see Paul Blart sneaking through one of those line corrals you see at the DMV, the ones comprised of those interlocking elastic bands, that's amusing. To know what the stakes are makes it funny.

The movie also consists of the best extended set-up joke since the biker dude attending the pageant at the end of Little Miss Sunshine. Through a contrived set of circumstance, Blart acquires the phone of a young lady whose Indian boyfriend is intent on winning her back with incessant calls. All this, and more, for a 2-second shot that's not only funny in and of itself but also makes a statement about minorities in big budget movies.

Oh course, if this is a little too much analysis, Kevin James bounces off a glass door.