“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” Is About What You Thought It Was

There have been a lot of funny fat men in cinema over the years; for example, Jackie Gleason, John Belushi, Oliver Hardy, Dom DeLuise, Chris Farley and Roseanne Barr. I’ve always found the ability to meld social humor with physical comedy fascinating, which is why I’ve been a huge fan of Kevin James and “King of Queens.” So when James took his next step toward putting a sitcom career in the past in favor of a possible future on the silver screen, I gulped hard, tried to forget “Hitch” and “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” and threw in “Paul Blart: Mall Cop.” The results were predictable, but mildly entertaining.

Now, acceptance comes easier when you’re already a fan, so I had to laugh at Blart’s porn ‘stache and his hysterical usage of the Segway, which eventually became a secondary character as well as a tremendous constant, running joke. These attributes made Blart’s courting of the super-cute Amy (Jayma Mays) a bit funnier and less pathetic. There were some interesting casting choices (it’s always interesting to me to see how so many of these comedians run in little troupes, like if one signs on to a movie it’s a package deal), but the highlight of the movie is easily the scene where Blart involuntary gets drunk. Freaking priceless.

There were more than a few giggle-worthy moments (James and Nick Bakay, who teamed up on KOQ, co-wrote it, so obviously James is literally made for the role), but I’m more than a little surprised at how popular this flick became. Maybe the mad-cap capers and lighthearted tone combined to make it so you don’t need to think much when watching it, which is what people could be looking for in a disastrous economy. Perhaps it took advantage of an enormous lull in watchable movies coming out of Hollywood. Whatever the reason, James rode his physical humor—and Segway—all the way to the top spot for a while.

It’s hard to get too in-depth with a movie that has “Mall Cop” in the title, so I’ll wrap it up here. But if it’s mindless entertainment and easy laughs you’re after, Paul Blart is the guy you want. At least it’ll make you chuckle to yourself the next time you’re in the mall and a dude in a too-tight uniform who takes himself a bit too seriously is presiding over the food court.