Review of Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) by Josh P — 18 Apr 2016

Mall Cop is exactly what I expected. A screwball, brainless, but funny comedy. There is no deep, dark theme or message in this film and that's fine. I wasn't expecting one. What's disappointing, however, is that the comedy is unoriginal and boring, despite the interesting premise of a supermarket security man. Particularly with the talent of Kevin James (well known from the show, King of Queens), Mall Cop could have been an excellent film. Unfortunately, it's only average and thus quite forgettable.

However, James himself gives a committed and exciting performance. He does his best to squeeze whatever entertainment value he can out of the materials given to him and he thus a relatively good job for most of the film. Kevin James is one of those actors one can't help but like, regardless of what role he's in. Paul Blart certainly isn't the most interesting or fulfilling role he could have taken, but James makes this film a watchable, if not groundbreaking, picture.