Paul Blart does not consider himself to be one of life's successes; and neither does anyone else. His wife married him for an American passport, then left him. He wants to become a state tropper, but isn't accepted because of a health problem and so is stuck in a dead end job as a mall security guard. And he can't find a woman, although he has strong feelings for Amy, who works on a stall in the mall. He tries to make the best of things though by doing his job by the book - much to the dismay of speeding pensioners. Then a team of criminals decide to take over the mall, in the hope of escaping with thousands of dollars of mall money. Blart, who is initially unaware that anything is wrong, doesn't manage to escape with everyone else. Can he do anything to stop the criminals? Will he ever become a state trooper? And will he finally have the opportunity to prove himself to Amy?

I have always liked Kevin James, ever since I first saw him in The King of Queens and Everybody Loves Raymond, so I didn't really expect him to disappoint me here. And he didn't. There is something incredibly adorable about the way he looks and acts, and although it can't be said that his roles vary all that much between performances, he always makes me smile. Paul Blart is one of life's bumblers and it seems that nothing will ever change that. However, Kevin James manages to get the audience behind him, or me at least, and it is this that carries the whole film. Of course, if you don't like him, then this is likely to make the film more than a little tedious. However, he is so likeable that I think the majority of people will find him entertaning.

Every other role in the film could have been taken on by more or less any actor in the right demographic. Keir O'Donnell is good as the leader of the gang of criminals, changing personality very convincingly during the course of the film. I am just not convinced that somebody else couldn't have done it just as well. Jayma Mays is cute as Amy, but she doesn't really have enough to do other than look pretty and try to repel Paul's attention. Raini Rodriguez is good as Paul's daughter, but she isn't given enough of a storyline - I would have liked to have seen more of her really. Her on-screen relationship with Kevin James is sweet to watch - perhaps an actress to watch out for.

The story is ludicrous and you could pick all sorts of holes in it. However, if you watch a comedy set in a shopping mall expecting it to be realistic, then there's probably something wrong with you. Much of the story revolves around Paul falling over and generally making a complete idiot of himself. Kevin James does this really well, and I did find myself laughing out loud many a time. Of course, if you don't like slapstick, then this won't be your cup of tea. Best of all, in my eyes, is that the comedy is very gentle - there is no sex or toilet humour, just good clean fun, which makes it perfect for family viewing. I watch a lot of films with my friend's ten year old daughter, and so often there are awkward questions to answer, even with seemingly harmless films - there is nothing of that sort here. There is some mild violence, but nothing that could really upset or offend.

The script, co-written by Kevin James, is not the best I've ever heard. I don't think I ever really laughed because of what was said; it was always the slapstick action that amused me. Perhaps a little more attention to detail would have made the film even funnier than it was. However, it didn't really make all that much difference to my enjoyment of the film, so this is just a minor criticism. Should there be a sequel though, I think the writers will need to concentrate on a snappier script - the slapstick humour was funny this time around, but I don't think it could support a second film. There's a reasonable soundtrack, which I enjoyed - there is some Bon Jovi, Kiss, Survivor and ELO. It is rather eighties though, so it may not be appreciated by everyone.

I've read a lot of negative reviews about this film and it only has a score of 5.5 out of 10 on imdb.com. I am really not entirely sure why. Some of it seems to suggest that the film is cliched - well, yes, it is, but so are many comedies. Then there is a certain amount of controversy around the fact that the film Observe and Report, starring Seth Rogen, was released around the same time - this is also a film about a security guard in a shopping mall, although it sounds more serious to me. Although Paul Blart was released first, there seems to be some suggestion that the idea was copied from Observe and Report. Then again, I have also read that the producers of both films liaised regularly to ensure that the stories were not too similar. I don't know the truth behind the rumours and I don't really care - I really enjoyed this film, but I also like Seth Rogen and will certainly make an effort to see Observe and Report as soon as possible. Sometimes I think people just need to accept things the way they are and get on with it.

I watched the film in a cinema and therefore cannot review any extras on the DVD, which, in any case, is not released in the UK until 19 May.

I really enjoyed this film. It made me laugh and I found Kevin James to be as entertaining as ever. I would recommend watching the film and making your own mind up, rather than writing it off because of negative reviews. Of course, it isn't going to be for anyone, but it is harmless fun and I think most people will find something to enjoy. Recommended.

The DVD, when released, will cost £11.99 on Amazon. It is currently available for pre-ordering.

Classification: PG

Running time: 91 minutes