Last weekend we had a night in and me and my mum decided to get a DVD to watch with some popcorn. I generally like comedy films so we decided with the film Mall Cop which looked pretty funny. The cover was quite eye catching with the face of Paul Blart. The main character looked familiar but I was not sure who it was. The interesting thing about this film is that it is released by Happy Madison’s Pictures owned by top comedian Adam Sandler. I thought it had to be good as I am a fan of Adam Sandler.
PLOT
Paul Blart is rejected from the Police Force again after failing the health exam. He has a problem of falling asleep whenever his sugar is low. Paul is a single man who lives with his daughter and his mum. He trains to be a security guard at the local Mall and tries his best to do his job but no one shows him respect. When a gang takes over the mall and takes hostages he is the only one who can try to stop them.
CAST
Paul Blart – Kevin James Veck Sims – Keir O’Donnell Amy - Jayma Mays Maya Blart – Raini Rodriguez Mom – Shirley Knight Stuart – Stephen Rannazzisi
Film Details
Director- Steve Carr Release Date- 20 March 2009 Runtime- 91 Mins Certificate- PG
MY OPINIONS
I was looking forward to having a chuckle to a film that night and I was not disappointed. Even though it is not the funniest film I have seen, there are plenty of moments that make you laugh. I thought that Paul was a brilliant character. He is always trying to do his best but seems to get little back. He is a very shy guy and he gets embarrassed in front of Amy who he falls for. The film shows how depressing his life can be and you do feel sorry for him. He is a likeable character. The story is pretty predictable but it is perfect if you need a heartless film that you do not want to really think about. It is sometimes a bit over the top but I found it quite entertaining. I think that children would appreciate this more as I have seen negative reviews of this from teens and adults. It is a PG after all.
In my opinion the acting is not top notch but it is ok and enough to make you giggle. The characters are good and there is a wide variation with the typical good guy and bad guy. It includes simple characters and a simple plot. The locations were not limited even though the bulk of the story happens in a mall this is an advantage. Here are a lot of shops and corridors to keep the action interesting.
The film has a moral of not judging people by the cover and Paul shows this well. This is good advice for a PG audience that you need to look deeper to see what people are like. There is a small twist in the film but I guessed it anyway. The film has more potential but I quite liked it being this way. I borrowed the DVD to my sister the other night and she said it was pretty funny but said it is not the best comedy in the world.
OVERALL
Even though the film mainly received critical reception I thought it was a good light hearted film which made me laugh throughout. It provides a relaxed time where you can just watch and not have to think too much about it. I think Paul was a brilliant protagonist and the story was ok. It is not a waste of time and if you want a light comedy this is a good choice.
DVD – released May 19 2009.
You can buy the DVD on Play.com for £10.99 although I found my copy in the local superstore for £8.99. The DVD has many special features including commentaries, stunts and on the set footage.
Rotten Tomatoes rating- 37% Tagline- Safety never takes a holiday!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Christopher Ettridge, Victor McGuire, Emma Amos, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Elizabeth Carling
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Sep 4th, 2009
exceptional by (3%):
very helpful by (97%):
