User reviews

If Paul Blart: Mall Cop had been made 20 years ago, it would have starred John Candy. That's a complement, by the way. Candy had a knack for playing bungling, yet good-hearted people who mainly wanted to please. He certainly specialized in playing people who tried too hard to be nice to cover up past pain. There's a lot of this in Kevin James' performance as the title character here. He's more than just a comic goofball. James turns him into a likable and surprisingly sympathetic hero that we find ourselves cheering for by the end.

Kevin James rose to fame on television starring on the sitcom, The King of Queens, and has been trying to break into movies for a while now. He's acted along side stars like Will Smith and Adam Sandler, but this is his first shot at a stand-alone starring role. Sandler is still there behind the scenes (His Happy Madison production company produced the film.), but this is James' film all the way, and he doesn't waste the opportunity. His Paul Blart is admirable in a way. He's overweight and he suffers from hypoglycemia, but he always tries to do the right thing. He's passionate about his job as a mall cop, but he'd really like to be a police officer on the street. He's taken the physical entrance exam many times, but his health problems have prevented him from finishing. He makes up for his shortcomings by being the best mall cop he can be, and by also being a good single father to his teen daughter (Raini Rodriguez), who respects him and wishes he could fall in love again. Paul has his eyes on a young woman named Amy (Jayma Mays), who also works at the mall. The first half hour or so of the film is devoted to Paul's life, and it certainly helps us get into his corner when the actual plot kicks in.

It's Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, and some high tech criminals stage a lock down and a hostage situation at the mall as they pull off their theft plan. They place motion sensors and small bombs at the entrances, so no one can get in or out. They think they've removed everyone from the building, but didn't notice Paul was in the back of the arcade playing Guitar Hero. When he emerges from the arcade, he quickly learns about the hostage situation, and discovers that both Amy and his daughter are amongst them. This kicks off the main action, where Paul must use his resources around him to out think and outrun the criminals while keeping everyone alive. I liked this aspect of the story, and how Paul Blart actually has to be clever in order to outsmart the captors. The movie is rated PG, so it's never too violent or scary for kids, which is the perfect target audience for the film. They'll like the film's gentle and goofy humor, and accompanying adults may find themselves charmed by Blart himself.

I never laughed out loud while watching this movie, but I did smile a lot, and I found myself caring more about the main character than I imagined. Let me tell you, that's more than I expected walking into a movie called Paul Blart: Mall Cop. There's plenty of sweetness during the early moments, establishing Paul's shy relationship with Amy, and the caring one he shares with his daughter. When the time comes for him to be a hero, we can cheer for him, because the movie makes him into a true underdog. He's constantly battling with his own shortcomings and health issues, and it's clever the way he keeps on finding ways to keep himself going, driven by saving the ones he loves. If I'm making the movie sound too serious, it's not. There's plenty of slapstick gags, surprisingly no bodily fluid or toilet humor to be found, and some pretty good physical comedy on display. If there's any major shortcoming to be found, it's that the movie is pretty inconsequential, and will probably be forgotten by me a few months from now.

Still, considering the kind of junk that usually clogs theaters in early January, Paul Blart certainly is not bad. I imagine the movie will make a good rental, since its somewhat small scale will make it perfect for watching on TV rather than the big screen. If anything, it's one step closer to making James the cross-over star he obviously wants to be. I wouldn't mind seeing the same kind of likability he gives here in a less juvenile script. He's on to something here, he's just gotta find the project where he really knocks one out of the park.

Never watched King of Queens, never have been a Kevin James fan but always liked him better than his pal Ray Romano. I was coerced into seeing this Mall Cop movie. I give it a 6 out of 10. Now some may say that is a low rating, some may say better than mediocre.....for me who normally does not like this guys type of humor, this is a great rating!!! It was mildly entertaining...for me it gets the extra star to put it at 6 because it's refreshing to see some humor that's not overly sarcastic, deeply degrading to someone else (except the title character), or just downright cruel. This relied on what I call "Bill Cosby" sense of humor. Funny but overall clean. A bit cheesy, but I think that's what Kevin and the screenwriters were going for. Normally I don't get why people think he's funny but in this case, I did get it....and you can't help but like the guy. Without giving any detail, the bar scene for me was one of the most Laugh Out Loud moments in the movie. The way KJ zips around on the Segway is pretty hilarious although because of it's consistency throughout the movie it wears off a bit. I agree with previous reviews of how the villains kind of downgraded the movie a bit. If that was smarter, or those parts were rewritten, it could have been a lot funnier. Another surprising aspect is Kevin's agility, and athleticism. In this particular movie he is very physical (or at least stunt doubles allow him to appear that way) Overall my 6 out of 10 rating should be perceived as a great rating for this movie. I previously never liked this actor, I thought the title was dumb as dirt, and although I always keep an open mind I would be lying if I didn't say that my expectations were very, very low for this. Certainly not as bad as I thought it would be, and not as great as I thought it could have been. Kevin and cast made this a little better than average...and it changed my mind about my hesitation with this guy....I hope someone puts him in a good movie with a great script in the future (better than Chuck and Larry, Hitch). I believe it will do well on cable. One last thing that I must mention was great, at 82 mins...it was just long enough to not overdue what should be viewed as a kinda silly concept.

When I saw the premise of this movie, I had a chuckle. It had the potential to be a decently funny movie, something perhaps with heart, something that delivered a good deal of laughs and you walked out feeling good. I wasn't expecting an Academy Award winning movie. Its definitely not Oscar-worthy. The real disappointment lies in the lack of humor in it.

Paul Blart (Kevin James) is a mall cop that seems to have no direction in his life. They go to good lengths to show how truly depressing his life is. Paul sees a woman in his mall, Amy (Jayma Mays), running a stand for hair extensions. He realizes that he needs to be with her and tries to woo her, even though he has no self-esteem. Just as the story is falling apart, the mall where they both work is robbed in a supposedly sophisticated scheme. Suddenly our slovenly friend is thrust into a role where he can try to impress the love of his life and excel at his job at the same time. Easy to guess where this story is going, no?

The acting was okay, the direction was tolerable. The problem is the script. As I said, the story itself had potential. It just felt as if the writers could decide where this was a character they loved or hated. It really could have used another re-write or two to develop the script a little more. The movie is tolerable, but realize that not only are you not seeing an Oscar-worthy movie, but you'll be a little disappointed in the laughs as well. 3/10

I wasn't too sure about this movie when I saw the trailers. It looked like it might be a total waste of time, along the lines of "Delta Farce" or "Meet the Spartans". However, after reading some of the reviews, and being a fan of "King of Queens", I decided to check it out and was pleasantly surprised to have enjoyed it. The casting was excellent, the screenplay was very good, and Kevin James fit the bill perfectly. I can't imagine anyone other than him playing the role of Paul Blart, Mall Cop.

Paul Blart is an overweight, hypo-glycemic (prone to fainting spells), shopping mall security guard who lives with him Mom and teenage daughter somewhere in North Jersey. Paul aspires to be a NJ State Police officer but cannot pass the required physical, and thus is consigned to his present job at a West Orange, NJ shopping mall. While Paul is on duty, a group of armed robbers attempt to steal the credit card receipts. The remainder of the film is Paul doing battle with this group of robbers. This sounds more serious than it is. Rest assured, it's a fun comedy with many funny gags / bits.

I'd recommend this movie to anyone who liked "King of Queens" or has an affinity for light-hearted comedies.

This film is kinda silly, kinda dumb, and kinda fun. It is the type of film I would take my 12 year old daughter to see. It seems to be made for preteens and teens. The film was slow to start so have some patience at the beginning. It was a cute movie. Very fun, kid friendly and gives you warm fuzzy feelings at the end. The hero is very likable and you always cheering him to come out on top. I wouldn't say it's a hilarious movie or keep you on the edge of your seat, it had its moments. I would consider the movie a good waste of time. It's nice to have a film out there that is light and avoid bathroom jokes and video-game type violence. I enjoyed it and my daughter liked it even more. It is recommended for young people but not fully recommended for adults.

"Paul Blart: Mall Cop" from 2009 stars Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Shirley Knight, Bobby Cannavale, and Keir O'Donnell.

Paul Blart works for mall security after not making it to the police academy. He acts as if he's guarding the White House, stopping people in motorized carts for infractions, reporting in even though his boss asks who it is, and going a little overboard in his handling of a new trainee.

He hasn't dated since his green card marriage blew up, but he sees a young woman at one of the kiosks, Amy (Jayma Mays) and falls head over heels. After he makes a complete fool of himself at a bar, she seems less friendly.

When a gang announces the mall is closing early and starts an organized takeover and captures hostages, including Amy, Paul is fooling around with a guitar and singing in one of the stores. Therefore when the mall is locked, he's stuck in the mall. And it falls to him to do something about the robbery and the danger to the hostages.

Normally the last thing I watch is films like this. These past two weeks I've seen two. It's since the election. I have needed films to numb my mind. Kevin James makes me laugh with his slapstick and cluelessness, so it was fine.

It's predictable, it's funny in spots, it seems to go on longer than necessary, but by far it is not the worst thing I've ever seen. And for a change with today's comedy, it didn't have vulgar jokes.

This last week I watched Netflix's True Memoirs of an International Assassin, also with Kevin James, to give you an idea of what all the divisiveness and hate of this election has done to me.

I saw the trailers, enjoyed King of Queens, and thought I'd enjoy this Kevin James jaunt as a Saturday afternoon film. A film which should be quietly enjoyable and give a few laughs.

What I watched was mind-numbing garbage. Whilst I didn't expect anything too original, I didn't think I'd get such unoriginal, factory fodder. There was nothing to be enjoyed, and almost everything was too expected. The little that was marginally original was creepy. I felt like screaming to the love interest, don't go any near that stalker as he zoomed in on CTV then offered a lift on his mop-mobile. Would anyone say yes if a creepy guy offered to put his arms around you on his Segway when you just met the guy; especially one with stalker tendencies? The scene in the bar that followed was just as painful to watch, and even more reason for the love interest to run a mile.

The writers seemed to forget that if you're going to create formula movies, with a loser you need the audience to like, that there has to be something positive and likable about the character. I can't think about anything redeeming during the first twenty minutes. The writers took too many liberties with the audience and just presumed, 'Hey, this is an actor everyone likes, we don't need to make any effort in the script to support this.' This is not Kevin James greatest moment. The box office receipts merely show how successful good advertising can be, no matter how bad the product is.

Is it stupid? Yes. Is it unrealistic? Yes. What I wildly entertained? YES! While I can see the flaws in logic and absurdity in Paul Blart: Mall Cop, I also feel that the film has a lot of heart. I enjoyed the time that I spent watching Blart ride is Segway around the mall, fail at his social interactions and ultimately come out the hero in the end. It is not my favorite comedy of all time, but I think that it is pretty dang funny.

When I saw the trailer for this movie, I was more than anxious to see it. Then I saw another one and it made me see it even more. Then I saw the movie and guess what, all the good scenes were those that I've already seen and nothing more. The idea itself is a very interesting one at very least, but it's the realization is where the movie fails. The story begins to borderline on being boring halfway through, and it all begins to be more than predictable. Once or twice the story takes an engaging turn, but it's really not enough. The funny parts are to be counted on the fingers of one hand, and the ending is -again- so predictable, it hurts. Which is a shame, because the acting is really good, Kevin James is truly shining through and proving that he's a really good actor; again, not nearly enough to salvage the shortcomings of the plot and the lack of jokes. Which is a shame. Movie starts really promising, but the further we go into the movie, the more painful it becomes to watch it. As if the makers gave up on it after shooting the first 30 minutes. I'm giving it 5 stars only because the first half an hour is really decent. And I gotta admire James doing all his stunts. So do yourself a favor. Don't watch the movie. Watch the trailers. That's all you need to see.

Never did I think a movie about a Mall Cop could change my life. I walked in laughing at the idea. However once inside the theater pure emotion segwayed from the screen to my heart. Sadness, joy, terror, all at once. This movie revolutionized the movie industry for me. I recently re watched it to see if it stood the test of time. I Was more than surprised to see the themes relating to us now more than ever. Themes of bravery, the kindness of a good mans heart, and not succumbing to the fear within you in the face of danger. That is why this movie gets ten whole stars. Kevin James brings phenomenal acting as always to his role as the titular Paul Blart. His performance is on the same level as Emma Stone's in La La Land. Kevin James is a prime example of someone who deserves an Oscar and for this movie that particularly shows. He plays the tough and emotional role of a single father trying to provide for his elderly mother and child. He is a failure to the world and needs to bring himself up to a higher standard. Masterful writing and acting compliment this piece well.

Thank you Kevin James for this creation.

To those who gave this a three stars or less, what did you expect??? The movie is stupid alright but it is funny. Like a stupid but funny Die Hard. Many funny little stupid things. The air vent scene was funny. The squeaking shoes in the bank were funny. My only real complaint was the guy who they cast in the Hans Gruber role. He wasn't right. Maybe not a bad actor, just grossly miscast. Nimble Kevin was fine and so were most of everyone else. Above average musical score, which was a pleasant surprise.

This movie had potential, or so I thought. Kevin James is a pretty funny guy and the premise seemed like a good one, if well written.

James plays a Mall cop who's a bit of a loser but has a good heart. The first half hour or so is pretty funny. Not hilariously funny mind you, but a chuckle here and there. It looked like it could shape up to be a goofy comedy with a goofy but lovable character. But the movie peaks about 20 minutes into the film when Kevin James "accidentally" gets drunk at a bar and makes a fool of himself. And then it's all down hill from there.

Next thing you know, his mall is overrun by terrorists on bicycles and skateboards who are flipping through the air, jumping off balcony's, flying through glass. It's absurd...and not in a funny way, it's just bizarre. Well maybe I did chuckle once or twice at how absurd it was...once or twice...literally.

Don't waste your time.

Just like all of the latest Happy Madison productions, it's crap. I'm convinced that Satan exists and Adam Sandler did indeed sell his soul...cause somehow his pieces of crap continue to consistently make money.

Seriously, this was the worst movie I've seen in years.

I didn't laugh once.

I shook my head a lot and asked myself over and over again, "This was the number one movie in America the week it came out? What is wrong with the USA?!"

Truly, the film is *horrible*. It is start to end horrible.

Seriously, if the best thing about your movie is music by Survivor, what does that say about your acting, directing, screenplay?

This film is an embarrassment.

America, you deserve the sequel you'll no doubt get.

Lame-but-charming with some laugh-out-loud moments is the best way I can sum up this comedy. Overall, it's pretty innocent, especially considering most comedies today. There is very little material that could be offensive.

It's a cliché these days in films, made popular by guys like the late John Candy - fat guys picked up and proving to be heroes and getting back at the thinner-and-nasty folks who torment them. Here, it is a few co-workers at the mall and the bad guys who want to rob it.

Meanwhile, our plump policeman, a security cop at a New Jersey mall, has his eyes on a pretty girl who runs a kiosk.....and you just know he'll win her - "Amy" (Jayma Mays) - in the end. (Hey, it's not real life, but we fat guys can dream, too!) Kevin James plays the Candy-esquire "Paul Blart," a state policeman-wannabe who winds up on his scooter being the ultra-straight cop/nerd for the mall. He, of course, is unlikeliest of heroes, but turns into Rambo when needed. Along the way are a bunch of sight gags and some insults, most of which produce laughs. Some are very funny.

In fact, overall the individual sight gags are funnier than the overall story but it want some nice humor and corny story that doesn't offend much, you could do a lot worse. It's got charm.

I was set for a goofy and silly comedy, but wound up being disappointed. This movie had a very good cast--- all of the actors are competent and likable. The film's big problem was that it simply was not funny. It wasn't even interesting. Do note the film was not bad. It was not a disgrace or anything like that. The basic idea is a good one, and could have resulted in a great night out. Don't know what happened, or why, but the jokes didn't work. The set-ups fell flat. The otherwise likable people and potentially interesting scenarios never went anywhere.

A few of the running gags were OK--- such as the motorized wheel things being used as the quasi-cop chase vehicles. But having the portly fellow try to pull a crippled man in a motorized wheelchair over (for what? He was going 1/2 mile an hour) on one of those "copped-out" wheely things simply did not fly. No spark. Flat. Zilch. Nada.

An affable mall officer in New Jersey (Kevin James) takes his job seriously while taking care of his daughter and pursuing a cute kiosk attendant (Jayma Mays). When the mall is taken over by a gang of organized thugs, can Paul Blart rise to the challenge?

Whether or not you'll like "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" (2009) will depend on if you appreciate Kevin James and his goofy, unprofane brand of humor, as depicted in The King of Queens, "Zookeeper" (2011) and "True Memoirs of an International Assassin" (2016). While it's not as good as "Zookeeper," it's not far off. After the first 25 minutes or so you'll find yourself engrossed in Paul's life; you understand him and like him. You feel for the man as he gazes longingly at a receipt with the handwritten name of his romantic interest. And you'll root for him and laugh when a serious threat engulfs the mall.

Keir O'Donnell plays Paul's greenhorn partner, Veck. He's reminiscent of a young Tim Roth. In other news, Mays has the cutest wide-eyed face.

The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes and was shot entirely in Massachusetts (Burlington, Braintree, Peabody, West Roxbury and Bedford).

GRADE: B

I watched this film ignoring my original resistance to such a concept for for a film, I hoped that I would be proved wrong that a potentially great concept for a film would be ruined by unthoughtful sub-plots... Paul Blart although a seeming lovable character falls prey to being a typical bumbling underdog character and the overall acting of the majority of the actors falls short of convincing. The "bad guys" of seemingly unexplained origins felt like they were cast not as actors but as stunt performers/free runners and as of such were just used as some form of "dramatic effect" to make Blart seem like he was overcoming more than their poor acting. The final plot twist was ABSOLUTELY senseless as we were given no proper background to any of the characters involved. This film may have improved upon its shortcomings if it was humorous but it was not with only a few jokes making me raise the corner of my mouth, although the style of humour starts to make sense when you realize that the directors previous films are the such of 'Dr. Dolittle 2' and 'Daddy Day Care'.

Perhaps I did not enjoy this movie because I watched it expecting more than it could offer, Perhaps it does not fit my sense of humour, or even my annoyance at the script getting through Hollywood whilst so many more well thought out scripts lay unnoticed.

Kevin James always makes me laugh! And with this movie, he did not fail. The characters and actors are great along side him. And the story is so entertaining! The action goes well with the comedy. Give it a chance!

I am a man that enjoys a bad film. I have endured such films as Monster Man, Man-Squito, and all three Maniac Cops. Paul Blart: Mall Cop had zero redeeming qualities, and the part where he squirts hot sauce in the eye of the main bad guy from 30 feet away is the single worst scene in movie history...it actually made me angry. My roommate and I, who can sit thru any and all Charles Bronson and Chuck Norris movie with pleasure, feel the need to burn the Mall Cop DVD in order to cleanse ourselves of the shame inflicted by Paul Blart. I think Lucifer himself forces the likes of Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, and Ted Bundy to watch this film confined in the gates of hell. If you are thinking about watching this movie, do yourself a favor, and punch yourself in the groin for an hour and a half instead.

This is a simple question, with a simple answer. Kevin James riding a segway while making hilarious but also thoughtful political comments on modern socioeconomic issues.

In fact this movie does not suck,i found my self laughing out loud at this movie,it actually manages to be stupid without using dirty,lowbrow jokes and gags.some of the scenes are so stupid like him trying to slide across the floor and getting stuck,hilarious... or there is this one scene where he is on his segway and tries to out minouver the guys by dodging side to side,which obviously doesn't work on a segaway.understand that this movie is not a rogan movie or a ferrel movie this is a family friendly comedy which is quite rare these days.

Kevin James...not a fan but he does a great job in this movie,he does the great stupid guy and his faces and actions are great,i hope to see him again but i also hope he doesn't get stereotyped because i hear hes doing a movie where hes a zoo keeper which i presume is identical to this. Now of course the premise is quite stupid,with the villains riding skateboards and such,but kids will love that i guess AND i guess its hard to believe a smoking hot young girl would fall for a dumb fat smelly single father who lives with his mum but you never know.

You know what...give this movie a chance because it is pretty funny and adults will enjoy countless references to 80s early 90s movie such as die hard and beverly hills cop...

I went to a preview screening today at the Mall of America, where Kevin James was doing a signing to promote his new movie. I didn't get an autograph, but I was able to go to the preview screening of the movie, and although we got into it a couple minutes late, I was still able to see the bulk of the movie.

It definitely isn't bad, but I wouldn't put it up there as a top comedy either. It's decent at best. There are actually a few genuinely funny moments, but there aren't many. The rest of the jokes throughout the movie aren't bad in the sense that you cringe at them, but they aren't really what I'd call funny either. Really though, the movie is highly tolerable, and doesn't overstay it's welcome, ending at a good time. I didn't have to pay for it, so maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much, but as long as you aren't looking for the next great comedy, at the very least, you won't be disappointed.

The main weakness of the movie is the main villains in the movie, the "X-TREME T33M!", turn what is a pretty good movie into a pretty mediocre movie. You just can't take them seriously, as usually bad guys in movies don't jump around as if they believe they are the evil twins of Spider- man, and to make it worse, they also equip themselves with skateboards and BMX bikes, because apparently free running around the wall wasn't XTREEEEEEEM enough for them. They really make the movie seem more like a kid's movie than it already did, which I guess it is more of a kid's movie, but still.

Kevin James himself isn't bad, and he has most of the best jokes of the movie come from him, but he isn't really at the top of his game either. Really no complaints; the only thing holding him back is the somewhat sloppy script. If you liked him in "King of Queens", you'll probably like him in this, yet he is a little underwhelming to be honest.

The plot is very simplistic, Hollywood routine stuff here, no surprises, except one last minute twist that is actually unexpected, mostly because it was so unnecessary to move the plot forward. It was just so unneeded that it really made no sense, and was almost shocking. It's like someone who says they are going to count to 100 and then they count to 105. What was the point of that? They already accomplished their goal when they got to 100. Kind of a bad analogy, but you get the idea.

Overall, it's nothing to write home about, but it definitely isn't bad. If you are a huge Kevin James fan, then go ahead and see it, and if you have kids, then they will most likely like it. I was going to give it a 6/10, but seeing as how it is more of a kid's movie, I decided to give it a 7, also because it is very tolerable, and there are some actually pretty funny parts, so it is an enjoyable movie (although again, I could be a little more accepting because I got to see it for free). You might enjoy it, you might not. Really, just watch the trailer. It pretty much captures the spirit of the movie.

If you are over 12 expect to need a lot of your friends present to make fun of it for Mall Cop to be anything near funny. The film's plot is in two parts really. Part 1 is seeing how much of a fat loser he is with his old mom and fat daughter, trying to get the girl and what not,. Part 2 is seeing how much a fat loser he is and him fighting the bad guys. The film is peculiar because it is somewhere between being a stupid PG comedy for the kids and a very bad homage to Die Hard. The funniest lines are those that aren't intended to be humorous. Seeing the bad guys jump around the mall (and I mean literally jump) spitting out their terrible lines was the best part of the movie. Some parts of it just don't make any sense. Overall if you are going to be close minded it is a terrible film. If you have an open mind, it will still be a terrible film.

I was introduced to Paul Blart: Mall Cop by my older brother when he got it on DVD in 2012 or 2011 (don't remember exactly when). I'm quite amazed that this movie came out during my final year of preschool. And I'm gonna be honest, I've always enjoyed it, but it definitely doesn't hold up in places.

Set in West Orange, New Jersey around the holidays of 2009, Mall Cop focuses on Paul Blart (played by Kevin James), a middle-aged single man who lives with his mother Margaret (Shirley Knight) and teenage daughter Maya (Raini Rodriguez). Paul dreams of becoming a state trooper and has tried out several times, but his hypoglycemia constantly holds him back. In the meantime, he works as a security officer at the local West Orange Pavilion Mall, a job that he's held for a decade, and takes great pride in, though his colleagues and customers couldn't care less. On Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, Paul seizes the chance to shine when seven hooligans, led by Veck Simms (Kier O'Donnell), who has been posing as a security trainee, invade and shut down the mall, and take hostages inside the bank, including Maya and Amy (Jayma Mays), a weave and wig saleslady who Paul has become infatuated with recently. Determined to protect his cherished mall and save his loved ones, Paul mounts his trusty Segway and revs into action to stop Veck.

The acting in this movie, while nothing spectacular, is good enough. Kevin James brings his A game to the role of Paul. Raini Rodriguez is fine as Maya. Jayma Mays is sweet and kind as Amy. Shirley Knight is good as Margaret, even if she has only two scenes. Although, Kier O'Donnell does fall a little short as Veck. Everybody else isn't too bad.

The writing is a little more hit-or-miss. Mall Cop is definitely packed with some really exciting action, especially all the scenes of Paul taking out Veck's thugs. There's also some really great comedy in here that manages to make me laugh. Examples include Paul getting drunk at American Joe's ("I BELIEVE IN MAGIC!!!!" *SMASH*), and his one-liner before using a scuba tank to take out one of Veck's thugs: "Hey, you. SCUBA-dooby-doo." HA! The movie is even heartwarming in places, especially the scene of Maya comforting a despondent Paul after he finds no online dating matches, and of course, the ending. But here's where the shortcomings arise. Some of the movie's comedy comes across as less funny and more cringeworthy. One key example is the scene of Paul getting in a physical tussle with an angry fat lady at Victoria's Secret. I'm not gonna lie, I hid from that when I was younger. While I've grown more tolerant of it, it's still cringeworthy, and it basically stops the whole movie dead. And the fact that it's only addressed by one passing reference just a little later in the movie just adds to how pointless it is. Another issue is how incredibly dated this movie is, because the mall is filled with stores that are no longer in business, namely KB Toys (appearing in a deleted scene, but only listed on the store lists that Veck gives his thugs in the finished film), which I loved to visit all the time as a kid before it went out of business (just around the time this movie was released), Sharper Image, where Paul grabs a camera from (which ended its retail stores before the movie was even released!), and Sears, which, as of today, only has a few stores that are still in business. It's especially harsh to see Lord & Taylor, now that thanks to COVID, that store saw its end just two years ago.

Mall Cop is also filmed quite nicely, but there are problems. Throughout the movie, the Massachusetts filming locations are all too detectable. As someone from Pennsylvania who's been to New Jersey millions of times over the years, I can tell that this movie wasn't filmed in New Jersey. And when calling Paul over a borrowed cellphone, his friend's daughter's ex-boyfriend Pahud (Adhir Kalyan) pulls up a cell-tracking map that shows the mall's located in Trenton, New Jersey, right near Cadwalader Park. West Orange is in northern Jersey, nowhere near the Delaware River. Added to which, the mall's inside constantly fluctuates between scenes (store front arrangements change, architecture changes, etc.). That's because the movie was filmed at two different Massachusetts malls: Burlington Mall in Burlington, and South Shore Plaza in Braintree, and I visited both these malls with my family during Spring Break back in 2018.

Okay, finally, music! Composer and record producer Waddy Wachtel's score for this movie is pretty darn good, I must say, especially his exhilarating main theme, and his music for the opening credits. It also sounds energetic and suspenseful when it needs to. And the movie chooses some great songs that fit well, especially "I Can't Hold Back" by Survivor. But that's not all; the end credits use "Think I'm In Love" by Eddie Money, and it works extremely well! Also, I'm not a particularly big fan of Barry Manilow, but his song, "Weekend in New England", is perfectly used for the aforementioned scene of Maya comforting Paul.

All things considered, Paul Blart: Mall Cop has flaws, some minor, some severe, it's dumb at times, and it's certainly dated, but, ultimately, I love it. In my opinion, I think it's Happy Madison's best effort. If you like to see movies that are centered around mall chases, watch this movie!

After watching all those commercials for about five weeks, I was somewhat excited to see this movie. I came with low expectations, but left the theater throughly disappointed.

Basically, the movie is about Paul Blart (Kevin James), an awkward, hypoglycemic mall cop who takes his job a little too seriously. He meets a wonderfully nice and pretty hair extension saleswoman, Amy (Jayma Mays), whom he instantly falls for. Things take a turn for the worse however, as a group of thieves take over the mall. Anyways, I thought it would be A lot funnier than it actually was, not to mention there were a few scenes where I couldn't even bear to watch.

Bottom line, save your money and go see something else. You won't regret it. (sorry if my review sucked, this is my first).