Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

When a shopping mall is taken over by a gang of organized crooks, it's up to a mild-mannered security guard to save the day.

Director:

Steve Carr

Writers:

Kevin James, Nick Bakay

Stars:

Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Jayma Mays

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin James	...	Paul Blart
Keir O'Donnell	...	Veck Simms
Jayma Mays	...	Amy
Raini Rodriguez	...	Maya
Shirley Knight	...	Mom
Stephen Rannazzisi	...	Stuart
Peter Gerety	...	Chief Brooks
Bobby Cannavale	...	Cmdr. James Kent
Adam Ferrara	...	Sergeant Howard
Jamal Mixon	...	Leon
Adhir Kalyan	...	Pahud
Erick Avari	...	Vijay
Gary Valentine	...	Karaoke Singer
Allen Covert	...	Jerky Security Guy
Mike Vallely	...	Rudolph

Storyline

Paul Blart is a mild-mannered man who works as a security guard in a New Jersey mall. For years, he has applied to become a cop, but he always fails the physical exam because he has hypogmycemia and tends to pass out when his blood sugar is low. One day, a gang of organized criminals put the mall under siege and take hostages. Blart becomes trapped inside, and because of his sense of duty, refuses to leave. He thus becomes the police department's eyes on the inside and attempts to stop the criminals on his own.

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Plot Keywords:

mall cop | mall | shopping mall | fat woman | tattoo | 

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Taglines:

Don't Mess With His Mall!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Sony

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 January 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mall Cop

Filming Locations:

Hanscom Field Airport, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,832,636, 18 January 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$20,819,129, 17 July 2015

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$183,293,131, 25 May 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Relativity Media, Happy Madison Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The road where Blart chases Veck in the minivan towards "McGuire Airfield" (apparently corresponding to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey), is actually the road toward Hanscom Airfield, adjacent to Hanscom Air Force Base, in Massachusetts.

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Goofs

All of the police vehicles in the movie are shown with all blue emergency lights. In New Jersey the display of blue lights exclusively is reserved for volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMS personal vehicles. A New Jersey driver would recognize the minivan with the blue throw light Paul and Jimmy were driving as a volunteer responding to a call, not a police vehicle.

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Quotes

[Last Line]
Paul Blart: Thank you sir, but I think I'm going to stick with what I do best. That's protecting the people of the West Orange Pavilion Mall.

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Crazy Credits

Two additional scenes play during the closing credits.

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Alternate Versions

The film was originally shown to the UK censors, the BBFC, in an unfinished version. The BBFC advised the company that the film was likely to receive a '12A' classification but that the requested 'PG' certificate could be achieved by making changes in two scenes. In particular, the BBFC suggested that the lid of a sun bed slammed onto a character several times be reduced; and that an extended fight sequence also be reduced to remove some of the strongest blows. In this scene specifically, it was suggested that a blow to the face with a skateboard and dialogue which introduces and emphasises a headbutt be removed. When the finished version of the film was submitted for formal classification, these reductions had been made and the film was classified 'PG'.

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Connections

Referenced in Austin & Ally: Scary Spirits & Spooky Stories (2015)

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Soundtracks

The Twelve Days of Christmas
(uncredited)
Traditional, arranged by Frederic Austin

User Reviews

It's not but, but it isn't anything to write home about.

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.