Kevin James plays Paul Blart, a security guard whose hypoglycemia keeps him out of the police academy and locks him into a job at the West Orange Pavilion Mall. That setup should work. It doesn’t.
Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The Setup That Doesn’t Pay Off
Paul patrols the mall on a Segway and trains Veck Simms, who shows little interest in the job. He meets Amy Anderson, a vendor, and things go well until he drinks two glasses of margarita at a nacho-eating contest, falls through a window and embarrasses himself. Two days later, on Black Friday, a gang of thieves dressed as Santa’s Village employees take over the mall, take hostages in the bank and reveal Veck as the gang’s leader.
The problem is that Paul’s training never changes him. He remains the same clumsy, unprepared man throughout, and the movie expects us to laugh at him being vastly outnumbered during the final confrontation. There is no arc, no growth, no moment where the Segway patrol turns into a real skill. He just walks in and fights.
The Cast Around Him
Jayma Mays plays Amy, Keir O’Donnell plays Veck, Shirley Knight plays Mom and Stephen Rannazzisi plays Stuart. Bobby Cannavale plays Commander Kent, a former classmate and bully who takes command of the police units and tells Paul to stand down. The cast is fine, but none of them get room to matter.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop was released in the United States on January 16, 2009, by Sony Pictures Releasing. It grossed $186 million worldwide against a production budget of $26 million. Critics were not kind, though some praised James’ performance. A sequel, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, followed in 2015.
What Works, What Doesn’t
James carries the film. His timing holds up even when the jokes don’t. The mall setting gives the film a reason to exist, but the script never uses it to build a chase or a puzzle. It just sits there while Paul stumbles through it.
The hostage situation is the closest the film comes to tension, and even that goes nowhere. Paul refuses to let the SWAT team handle it, but the movie never explains why he can’t. He just walks in alone and fights the gang.
Key Facts
– Runtime: 91 minutes
– Directed by Steve Carr
– Written by Kevin James and Nick Bakay
– Released January 16, 2009
– Gross: $186 million
– Budget: $26 million
| Element | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| James’ performance | Carries the film | Saves nothing else |
| Plot | Simple enough to follow | No arc, no stakes |
| Setting | Useful | Never used well |
| Humor | Some moments land | Mostly misses |
Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a film about a man who cannot do his job, trapped in a mall full of people who want to steal from him. It never asks him to learn to do it. That is the whole picture, and it is not a flattering one. The movie wants you to think Paul is brave, but it never shows him learning anything. He just keeps doing what got him stuck in the first place.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
