On the plus side, Paul Blart: Mall Cop tries, it tries really hard. Kevin James as the star gives it everything he has, fully throwing himself into the role. It’s too bad though that Kevin James the co-writer didn’t construct a better script with better baddies and more funny jokes. If he had, the film would be more than the dime-a-dozen bland comedy that it is. It’s not a film that you’ll want to watch over and over again, but if you’re bored and see it for free you won’t actually believe that you wasted your time either.
The Blu-ray release of the film sports good black levels and decent sound. Like the film itself, there’s really nothing there to wow you in the presentation, but you won’t feel as though you
were cheated either – there’s no need to adjust the color or sit holding the remote to continually play with the audio levels. And the soundtrack, which might be the best (though cheesy) part of the film comes through loud, clear, and beautifully.
As for special features, like the film itself, the release takes the “more is more” approach, giving deleted scenes and a plethora of standard behind-the-scenes featurettes. It also comes with a digital copy of the film so that you can take the mall cop with you everywhere you go – just in case you ever get caught by skateboarding and BMX thieves in a mall on Black Friday. I wouldn’t use the movie for pointers at that time, except if you use it to learn that a Segway probably isn’t your fastest means of transportation.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop will in no way change your life. Like its main character it’s a sedentary affair that just sort of plods along doing the minimum necessary to hold your interest and desperately wanting to be loved. Is that enough for you? If it is, who am I to tell you you’re wrong.
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