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Movies / On DVD / Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Paul Blart: Mall Cop

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Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

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Reviews Counted:105

Fresh:36

Rotten:69

Average Rating:4.6/10

Consensus: Paul Blart: Mall Cop has some laughs, but its plot is flimsy and lacking in any sustained comic momentum.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some violence, mild crude and suggestive humor, and language.

Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:20-03-2009

Synopsis: : Coming off the finale of television's popular sitcom THE KING OF QUEENS and 2007's I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY, funnyman Kevin James takes the role of a single dad in this largely... : Coming off the finale of television's popular sitcom THE KING OF QUEENS and 2007's I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY, funnyman Kevin James takes the role of a single dad in this largely physical comedy, which the actor also co-wrote. Paul Blart (James) is a hard worker, but has never landed his dream job of being New Jersey state trooper due to his excess weight. Determined to support his mother and his daughter, Blart takes the slightly less glamorous post as the security guard at his local shopping mall. He never complains, approaching the job with impressive diligence and pride, but doesn't get much respect for it. It's only when a group of misfits in Santa's Helper disguises take hold of the mall and several hostages that Blart's would-be cop smarts come in handy and he gets a chance to shine. With a deadly situation on hand, Blart may finally be able to show the world (and his romantic interest, who just happens to be one of the hostages) what he's made of. Though the villains have several advantages over him, Blart has a Segway scooter and a big heart on his side. While many of its jokes come at the expense of James's extra pounds, the film ultimately makes its star out to be a hero. With his everyman appeal, James is well-suited to play Blart, showing that even average Joes can make a difference with the right attitude. PAUL BLART: MALL COP takes the banal out of the shopping mall, infusing a familiar setting with energy, laughs, and high-stakes drama. [More]

Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell, Bobby Cannavale

Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell, Bobby Cannavale, Stephen Rannazzisi, Shirley Knight

Director: Steve Carr

Director: Steve Carr
Screenwriter: Kevin James, Nick Bakay
Producer: Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, Todd Garner, Kevin James, Barry Bernardi
Composer: Waddy Wachtel
Studio: Columbia Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Paul Blart: Mall Cop

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
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Just as James struggles to make unfunny material tolerable, so too does the supporting cast fall flat.

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
01/16/09
Tim Grierson
Tim Grierson
Screen International

Men of a certain size will love Paul Blart - and his pursuit through the centre is remarkably inventive. Truly for all the family.

Full Review Source: Teletext | comment Comment
03/19/09
Victor Olliver
Victor Olliver
Teletext

Mall cops everywhere should sue. The movie is trash.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment 9 Comments
01/16/09
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

"I just love this guy," James says of Paul Blart in the movie's production notes. For the sake of humanity I hope and pray that barely anyone else shares his affection.

Full Review Source: Watertown Daily Times | comment 7 Comments
01/16/09
Adam Tobias
Adam Tobias
Watertown Daily Times

The last name Blart may be the funniest thing in the movie, so that's a hint as to just how bad this shopping-center saga can be.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment 7 Comments
01/16/09
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today

Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a slapstick comedy with a hero who is a nice guy. I thought that wasn't allowed anymore.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 6 Comments
01/15/09
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The hero is named for a disgusting bodily function that's hardly PG material, but the movie itself seems to be aimed at grade schoolers.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment 5 Comments
01/18/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

Like a mall, has long stretches where you see nothing of interest and a generally stale air to it. Unlike a mall, you can't just browse and then move on to a better section.

Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada) | comment 4 Comments
01/22/09
Brian Gibson
Brian Gibson
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a tongue-planted-firmly-in-cheek force to be reckoned with.

Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment 4 Comments
02/19/09
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

About ten times funnier than the similarly-themed Observe & Report, though this silly, slapstick adventure is aimed more at kids than adults.

Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | comment 4 Comments
05/21/09
Kam Williams
Kam Williams
NewsBlaze

There's nothing quite like the words 'Happy Madison Productions' appearing on the screen to diminish my expectations concerning the movie about to unfold.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment 3 Comments
01/21/09
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Oh my goodness, it's a ripoff of Die Hard. A shameless ripoff that gets more and more shameless the longer it goes on...

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment 3 Comments
01/16/09
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

[Kevin James] proves to be a warm leading man who grounds the movie as it morphs into a loopy heist thriller after a promising start as something entirely different: a gentle comedy of suburban underachievement.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment 2 Comments
01/14/09
Adam Markovitz
Adam Markovitz
Entertainment Weekly

Who could have imagined that, mere days into 2009, we'd already have a formidable contender for the worst film of the year!?

Full Review Source: Colorado Springs Gazette | comment 2 Comments
01/16/09
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
Colorado Springs Gazette

A senseless Hollywood comedy.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment 2 Comments
01/15/09
Daniel Getahun
Daniel Getahun
Minneapolis Star Tribune

The Black Friday setting suggests that this was meant to be a holiday release, but it’s not hard to see why the studio dumped this suckfest in January.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment 2 Comments
01/21/09
Hank Sartin
Hank Sartin
Time Out New York

You can't be too hard on a film that blows up a Rainforest Cafe, can you?

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment 2 Comments
02/02/09
James Plath
James Plath
DVDTown.com

It's just not particularly funny. That Segway, alas, only goes so far.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment 2 Comments
01/16/09
Moira MacDonald
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times

Boring and predictable in both its narrative and its aesthetics, Paul Blart: Mall Cop is dumbed-down, low-rent slapstick with stereotypes galore and a violent undercurrent that doesn't sit well.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment 1 Comment
01/15/09
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

a good-natured, but awkward and often unfunny comedy that bounces from sad-sack pathos to slapstick action parody

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment 1 Comment
02/04/09
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by comments; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Paul Blart: Mall Cop

May 21, 2009: A babysitter's delight! Opens in new window
More...

May 18, 2009: RT on DVD: Paul Blart and Valkyrie Storm Store Shelves
This week we ask if a certain January box office hit about a portly security guard in a shopping mall will continue its reign of success on home video (Paul Blart: Mall Cop),... More...

February 02, 2009: Hollywood's Biggest January Ever Opens in new window
Thanks in part to "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," last month provided Hollywood with its first billion-dollar January. More...

January 25, 2009: Box Office Wrapup: Paul Blart Triumphs Again
THIS WEEKEND Sony became the first studio in over a year to seize control of the top two spots at the box office as its Kevin James comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop remained at... More...

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