5.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
A single, suburban dad tries to make ends meet as a security officer at a New Jersey mall. It's a job he takes very seriously, though no one else does. When Santa's helpers at the mall stage a coup, shutting down the megaplex and taking hostages (Paul's daughter and sweetheart among them), Jersey's most formidable mall cop will have to become a real cop to save the day.
Starring: Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Jayma Mays, Raini Rodriguez, Shirley Knight (I)Comedy | 100% |
Family | 61% |
Action | 21% |
Crime | 5% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy (on disc)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Safety never takes a holiday.
Nothing says "Hollywood" quite like Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Here's a film that, in the
traditions
of Red Planet and Mission to Mars, Deep Impact and
Armageddon, The Truman Show and
Ed TV, and A Bug's Life and
Antz, sees its release only months before another film with an incredibly similar story line
also
hit
theaters. In this case, Paul Blart: Mall Cop directly competes with the Seth Rogen
Comedy
Observe and Report. Perhaps most egregiously, though certainly not unexpected,
Tinsletown has taken a decent-to-good idea and morphed it into a final product that may be
classified as mediocre-to-poor. Paul Blart: Mall Cop might have worked well in a parallel
universe where the script saw some further edits and rewrites to tie up some glaring plot holes
and ridiculous circumstances, the film's primary downfall certainly stemming from its sloppy,
rushed feel that gives made-for-TV Comedies a good name. Perhaps the film would have worked
better had the Blart character strapped on some trauma plates and cruised the hallowed halls of
commerce in a modified electric vehicle, but as it is, it fails miserably from Abercrombie & Fitch to
Zales.
Paul Blart definitely knows what a TV dinner feels like.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop scoots onto Blu-ray with a fine looking 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. The film features good colors, though a bit on the warm side, due in part to the lighting and color schemes found throughout the mall. Detail is well rendered across the board, and the background details in the mall -- tile on the floor, trees and foliage, benches, and storefronts -- look rather realistic. Also, the objects that make up Blart's uniform -- the flag patch, the communications handset, and gold badge, all laid across a clean, bright white shirt -- look great. Blacks, particularly as seen during a few nighttime exterior shots, appear solid and without much of a gray push. However, the majority of the film takes place inside the well-lit and bright mall, and the transfer never flinches no matter the store or corridor it wanders into. Flesh tones appear normal in color. Paul Blart: Mall Cop doesn't stand above the crowd of "good" high definition Blu-ray transfers, but it's also nothing to sneeze at. Another job-well-done by Sony.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop arrives on Blu-ray with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This mix offers a fulfilling sonic experience, particularly through its use of popular music that nicely fills the soundstage with lifelike clarity; just the right volume at reference level; and crisp, clear notes across the entire dynamic range. The track doesn't deliver much in the way of ambience; a sequence in chapter five inside a crowded mall restaurant features music, patron chatter, and the clanking of dishes across the front half of the soundstage, but it offers next to nothing in the rear. The rear channels do enjoy limited activity in a few scenes that manage to liven the experience nicely. Bass checks in occasionally, primarily in support of various pieces from the score. The few gunshots heard in the film fall rather flat, providing sufficient volume but not much of a thump in support. Dialogue reproduction offers no discernible problems. Paul Blart: Mall Cop offers up a clean and clear soundtrack that gets the job done but never distinguishes itself from its peers.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop serves the public trust, protects the innocent, and upholds the law
through the few bonus materials included with this two-disc set. First up are eleven
1080i featurettes. Kevin James: Not
Your
Average Mall Cop (4:58) features a closer look at the film's main character. Action
Sports
Junkies (6:20) examines the personalities and athleticism of the film's antagonists and their
real-life extreme sports skills. Stunts (10:32) showcases the many physical stunts
performed in the film. The Mall (4:22) looks at the challenges of shooting inside a real
mall
and in front of live audiences. On Set With Mike "Rooftop" Escamilla (1080i, 5:44) again
examines
the work of the extreme sports athletes who lent their talents to the film. Fun On Set
(6:04) takes a few behind-the-scenes looks at some of the lighter moments from the making of
the
film. Mike V. Vs. Mall Cop (2:35) features a brief confrontation between the characters;
this plays like a deleted scene from the film. Mall Cop Response (1:47) features Kevin
James as Paul Blart discussing the events as depicted in the previous supplement. Free
Running vs. Parkour (3:11) looks at the differences between these two urban athletic skills.
Thoughts With
Kevin James (2:14) features the actor discussing various aspects of the mall. Finally,
Sugar (1:53) features a man running through the mall to give sugar to Kevin James.
Next is a
commentary
track with Actor Kevin James and Producer Todd Garner. Sometimes cut-and-dry and sometimes
humorous, the duo speak about the set, anecdotes from the set, the music of the film, scenes
cut
and
retained, the actors, and more. Disc one also features ten deleted scenes (1080p, 12:30),
Cinechat and BD-Live (Blu-ray
profile 2.0) compatibility, and 1080p trailers for Click, The House Bunny,
You Don't Mess With the
Zohan, Ghostbusters, 50 First Dates,
Hitch, RV, and Hancock. Disc two
features a digital copy of the film. Replayed on a second generation iPod Touch, the quality is well
above average, with strong colors, detail, and clearly noticeable blocking in only the darker
outdoor sequences. Sonically, the track delivers a good deal of ambience inside the mall, strong
sound effects and music, and clear dialogue reproduction.
Every time it should excel, Paul Blart: Mall Cop stumbles badly. The film features an endless string of bad jokes, lame and stereotyped characters, absurdly large plot holes, and mediocre-at-best acting. While not every movie can be a masterpiece, one might reasonably expect more out of a film with an idea as interesting as this, particularly with Kevin James in the lead role. James represents the only bright spot in the film, and while his performance rarely inspires, it's surprisingly solid given the lackluster material he has to work with. Sony's Blu-ray release of Paul Blart: Mall Cop should satisfy fans. Featuring good video and audio and a few bonus materials, the disc itself is fine. Paul Blart: Mall Cop is worth renting for those curious about the film, and those who enjoy it should have no reservations about making a purchase.
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