Kevin James takes the job of a single pop in this largely physical comedy
Coming off the culmination of television’s popular sitcom The King of Queens and 2007’s I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, comedian Kevin James takes the role of a single pop in this largely physical comedy, Paul Blart Blu-ray which the actor also co-wrote.
Paul Blart (James) is a tough worker, but has never landed his dream job of being New Jersey state trooper because of his excess weight. Anxious 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 bitchs, approaching the job with provoking diligence and pride, but does not get much respect for it.
It’s only when a bunch of misfits in Santa’s Assistant disguises take hold of the mall and many hostages that Blart’s would-be cop smarts come in useful and he is getting an opportunity to shine. With a deadly situation on hand, Blart may finally be ready to show everyone ( and his romantic interest, who just happens to be one of the hostages) what he is made of. Though the villains have many edges over him, Blart has a Segway scooter and a massive heart on his side.
While plenty of its jokes come at the cost of James’s additional pounds, like other blu ray movies eventually 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 change with the right attitude. Paul Blart : Mall Cop takes the prosaic out of the shopping mall, infusing a familiar setting with energy, smirks, and high-stakes drama.
Paul Blart Blu-ray is similar to the many variations on tuna surprise that show up at potlucks : common but with a small something added to differentiate it. The final product won’t win any Oscars, but the perimeters of this slapstick action film keep James’s blitzkrieg humorous character, making for a light comic adventure I’m positive children will flip for. Co-produced by Adam Sandler, Mall Cop has an innate sweetness that’s reminiscent of Sandler’s 1998 romantic comedy The Marriage Vocalist , though the giggles don’t quite reach those levels.
Kevin James is hard not to like in Paul Blart Blu-ray. He is a huge, nerdy, friendly doofus better suited for a half-an-hour Television show like The King of Queens than attempting to carry a 90-minute movie. James takes a Segway, a cheesy mustache and the comic concept of Die Hard in a mall and bumbles his way to a lightweight but frequently funny film for the whole family.
