Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Paul Blart: Mall Cop Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony secures a good transfer and audio presentation for this dimwitted Comedy.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 17, 2009

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.

A ten-year veteran of the mall security circuit, Paul Blart (Kevin James, Hitch) wants nothing more than to become a full-fledged New Jersey state police officer. Unfortunately, his hyperglycemia keeps him from meeting the physical requirements, and he is left roaming mall corridors on a Segway where he keeps an eye on not only the safety of the merchandise and patrons, but also on the beautiful Amy (Jayma Mays), a mall kiosk employee. At home, Paul lives with his mother and daughter, both of whom keep his belly full and their eyes out for a potential love interest that might interest him. With Black Friday -- the busiest shopping day of the year -- quickly approaching, the mall hires a new security guard trainee, Veck Sims (Keir O'Donnell), who finds himself under Blart's supervision. When the mall is later taken over by a group of thugs wielding Glocks and riding around on bicycles and skateboards, hoping to steal the credit card numbers from all the cash registers in the mall, only Paul Blart, mall cop, can stop them.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop features an opening act practically devoid of structure, the film playing as series of unfunny-at-best and painfully-ridiculous-at-worst vignettes that seem only to establish Blart's lack of authority and conflict resolution skills, not to mention the lack of respect shown to him by mall patrons and co-workers alike. Such material may be expected, and some, like Blart's attempt to ticket a "speeding motorist" inside the mall, work moderately well, while others, like a wrestling match with an overweight lady in Victoria's Secret, fail miserably. Segments of the film also seem to recall Die Hard, particularly once the mall is taken over by the thieves, though calling this film a parody would be a stretch, not to mention a disservice to Bruce Willis' classic Action flick. While they were at it, the scriptwriters tossed in the kitchen sink, attempting to inject drama, emotion, and romance into the script, all of it, however, playing as shallow, with no emotion and certainly no meaning behind it, unless one were to count "plot contrivance" as meaning enough.

As noted earlier, the film's biggest downfall lies in the utter ridiculousness of its plot contrivances. These seem to multiply once the primary action of the story begins with the credit card heist. Audiences are likely to throw their arms up in utter disgust at the absurdity of one gigantic plot hole after another, not to mention the startling ignorance of the players on both sides of the law. The Blart character may be forgiven his foolishness, for his ineptitude serves as the centerpiece of the film. Nevertheless, while the bad guys inside the mall wouldn't know how to change a light bulb without first sticking their nose in the socket, the police and SWAT officers outside as portrayed in the film go beyond the true measure of comedy in favor of outright degradation of the selfless public servants they are in real life. Police Academy-funny this is not, and no doubt any fifth grader off the street could have either successfully pulled off the heist or secured the mall and hostages with minimal effort against these buffoons. Kevin James does well enough with the material he's given (though one can only imagine what someone like Chris Farley could have done with the character), while the remainder of the cast meanders through the film with precious little emotion. Particularly unimpressive is Jayma Mays as Blart's love interest. She sleepwalks through the part, pounding out the clichés and puppy-dog eyes with startling regularity.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.