Probably the most talented Segway user ever

chrisblogger8g

★★ 1/2 out of ★★★★ (👍)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

Runtime: 91 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG for some violence, mild crude and suggestive humor, and language.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop would be what I can describe as a guilty pleasure. It's utterly ridiculous and dumb but it does what it's supposed to do, by means entertaining us and successfully functioning as a 'slapstick comedy'. It also has at least a script to hold it together, and the worst moments, which feel punishingly unfunny, only last for several minutes.

Paul Blart is by no means a hero. He has been working as a security guard in a New Jersey mall for over 10 years. Back home, he has a daughter and mother to support, and they intend to help him find a partner. Blart has applied to become a cop, but fails not because of his well-built size but because of hypoglycemia - he passes out when his blood sugar is low. On Black Friday, a gang of criminals threaten shoppers to leave the mall and take a few hostages. However, Blart gets trapped in a mall due to running an errand, that is helping his friend to shut down an arcade. After being safely guided out of the mall, Blart decides that it's his responsibility and duty to protect the mall, thus returns and attempts to take matters into his own hands.

It's easy to hate this movie if you walked in expecting an artistic film with in-depth characters, impactful messages and universal resonance. I found it entertaining when I decided to turn off my brain and retreat from serious films for a while. Kevin James' character is no doubt very likeable - he goes from a nobody who is untrained, unskilled, only has the ability to report events to becoming a hero by saving an entire mall from a group on bandits. We also have to praise his ability to maneuver the Segway: he drives forwards, goes in reverse mode and jumps from building to building like a pro.

Besides, it's also amusing how a slapstick can show the chaotic and idiosyncratic antics of a character while still respecting the average human intelligence. This was something Jim Carrey's slapsticks were unable to do. In Paul Blart, we have villains that are totally hilarious; they do goofy stuff like riding on bicycles, skateboards and front flipping several times off the second floor. However, they are no match for Paul Blart, whose weight can instantly obliterate them, though he chooses more ingenious methods like using a gas tank to knock the villains out. In the end, he also fakes hypoglycemia to trick the villain. It's definitely unexpected but uplifting. We root for him throughout the movie and feel a little concerned about his loved ones.

Good points aside, I also want to discuss about other points. In particular, the police and S.W.A.T. teams mostly stay outside the mall and witness Paul Blart do his heroic acts. They decided to stay outside just because they got scared of some small bombs. However, this can't explain how Paul Blart and his daughter could exit and enter the mall with only a change in motion sensor detectors. I might also have been a little unfocused, because it took time for me to realize that Veck, the mastermind, was the trainee in the first act.

The last five minutes before the credits roll also felt unsatisfying. Of course, we already know that Paul will win the villain and save the day. However, the build-up towards the climax felt very unnecessary. Apparently, the S.W.A.T. leader James Kent was also part of the mission and is seconds from killing Paul, his love interest Amy, and his daughter before Kent gets shot. I don't know whether they added this to make it over 90 minutes or not. Speaking of Blart's love interest, it plays out as a humorous cliché love story. Blart experiences love at first night, talks very nervously, has his heart broken then decides to save the day after Amy becomes a hostage. In the end, Blart becomes the hero and gets a kiss.

Don't take Paul Blart: Mall Cop too seriously. It does well in its genre most of the time. We have to appreciate how at least some effort was made to write the characters, so they don't feel like they just exist in the movie.