Movie Review: Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

Synopsis: Overweight and mild-mannered mall cop Paul Blart has a hard time earning the respect of those he is trying to protect at a New Jersey shopping mall. However, when a team of criminals enter the mall and take hostages, he has an opportunity to be a hero.

Who's in it? The movie stars Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Jayma Mays, Raini Rodriguez and Bobby Cannavale.


Review: I've seen this movie before. But, the last time I actually watched it in its entirety was several years ago and, because of that, I didn't remember too much about it. So, when I came across it on one of our movie channels last night, I decided to watch it again. And, as it turns out, I enjoyed every minute of it.

To tell you the truth, from the description at least, this doesn't seem like a movie I would normally enjoy watching. This is mostly because, at least from first glance, it looked like a movie that would focus mostly on fat jokes and other crude humor. That, however, is not the case.

The thing that really won me over when watching this film was Blart (James) is actually a very likable guy. A lot of movies like this would make the lead character a total buffoon. That wasn't the case this time around. Sure, Blart has his flaws and seems to have the world working against him (especially when it comes to his hypoglycemia). But, he is a good (single parent) dad, gets along well with others and, while he might take his job a little too seriously at times, is a hard worker.

The fact he does have  a weight problem and a medical condition also makes the movie much more fun to watch because, at least at first, it puts him at a severe disadvantage. He ends up facing a gang of criminals who are more athletic than him and, unlike him, carry guns. On top of it, he has a gung-ho SWAT leader (Cannavale) who thinks of him as a nuisance, even as he manages to gain an advantage inside.

Another thing I remembered/realized as I was watching this movie again last night is it also has an excellent soundtrack with numerous catchy songs throughout. This normally isn't something that is too big of a deal to me. But, the songs did a great job setting the tone of several scenes.

Final Opinion: I'm not a big comedy watcher but, on occasion, come across a film that I enjoy watching every time I see it. This is one of those films. If you have never seen it, it's worth taking the time to watch it at least once.

My Grade: A

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