Mild-mannered Paul Blart has always had huge dreams of becoming a State Trooper. Until then, he patrols the local mall as a security guard. With his closely cropped moustache, personal transporter and gung-ho attitude, only Blart seems to take his job seriously. All that changes when a team of thugs raids the mall and takes hostages. Untrained, unarmed and a super-size target, Blart has to become a real cop to save the day.
Kevin James
Paul Blart
Keir O'Donnell
Veck Sims
Jayma Mays
Amy
Raini Rodriguez
Maya Blart
Shirley Knight
Mom
Stephen Rannazzisi
Stuart
Peter Gerety
Chief Brooks
Bobby Cannavale
Cmdr. James Kent
Adam Ferrara
Sergeant Howard
Jamal Mixon
Leon
Adhir Kalyan
Pahud
Erick Avari
Vijay
Gary Valentine
Karaoke Singer
Allen Covert
Jerky Security Guy
Mike Vallely
Rudolph
Mike Escamilla
Blitzen
Jason Ellis
Prancer
Jason Packham
Comet
Rick Thorne
Cupid
Victor T. Lopez
Donner
Natascha Hopkins
Vixen
Jackie Sandler
Victoria's Secret Sales Associate
Mookie Barker
Mr. Ferguson
Jackie Flynn
Officer
Richie Minervini
Bank Manager
Brie Hill Arbaugh
Bank Teller
Bernie McInerney
Old Man on Scooter
Steffiana De La Cruz
Shopper with Kids
Dylan Clark Marshall
Jacob
Tyler Spindel
SWAT Tech
Bas Rutten
Drill Instructor
Teresa Zantua
Shopper
Dahlia Salem
Mother
Zele Avradopoulos
Victoria's Secret Customer
Maria Arcé
Victoria's Secret Customer
Robert Harvey
SWAT Officer
Billy Concha
Joe's Patron
Michael Burton
Joe's Patron
Carl Randall
Father Carl
Carla Antonino
Joe's Waitress
Ruby Wendell
Ruby the Waitress
Lindsay MacDonald
Girl at Mall (uncredited)
Donna Glee Reim
Mall Patron (uncredited)
Dale F. Appel
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Joel Arsenault
Mall Cop (uncredited)
Stephanie Atkinson
Shopper (uncredited)
Amber Baldinelli
Girl in Mall Throwing Play Balls (uncredited)
William Bornkessel
Shopper (uncredited)
Mike Burton
Joe (uncredited)
Katelyn Cahill
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Patrick Canty
New Jersey Police Academy Trainee (uncredited)
Gio Castellano
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Jeffrey Corazzini
Security Guard (uncredited)
D.W. Cormier
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Benjamin Crocker
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Nicholas Davis
Kid in Ball Pit (uncredited)
Kevin DeCoste
Shopper (uncredited)
Michael DeMello
Shopper (uncredited)
Hannah Depew
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Vincent J. Earnshaw
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Suzanne England
Amy's Friend at Joe's (uncredited)
Susan Farese
Upscale Shopper (uncredited)
Keith Fluker
New Jersey State Trooper (uncredited)
Andy Forgit
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Victor Franko
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Sari Gagnon
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
David J. Garfield
Surveillence Officer (uncredited)
Suzanne Gillies
Upscale Shopper (uncredited)
Albert Gornie
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Rob W. Gray
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Dane Grigas
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Teresa Haney
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Cody Harter
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Matt Heron-Duranti
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Mark Hetherington
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Louis Holmes
Police Recruit (uncredited)
Ren Knopf
Shopper (uncredited)
Lynn L'Heureux
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Dan Marshall
Mall Shopper / Dancing Bistro Waiter at Wedding (uncredited)
Andrew J McGuinness
Shopper (uncredited)
Todd Mello
New Jersey State Trooper (uncredited)
Jason Mulcahy
Police Recruit (uncredited)
Ron Murphy
Pedestrian (uncredited)
Scott Neufville
Bartender (uncredited)
Chris Palermo
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Aaron J. Patton
Police Recruit (uncredited)
Alan Resnic
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Brieann Rich
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Michael Rich
Mall Game Shopper (uncredited)
Nicholas Rich
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Bradley Robinson
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Jessica Rockwood
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Gary Roscoe
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Jonathan Sawicki
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Cate Smit
William Sonoma Employee (uncredited)
Gustin Smith
Video Game Hurdler (uncredited)
Ylian Alfaro Snyder
Upscale Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Jon Robert Stafford
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
George J. Vezina
Bar Patron / Shopper (uncredited)
Donald Warnock
Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Jon Warnock
Late-Night Mall Denizen (uncredited)
Mike Wendt
Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Kent R. Williams
Shopper (uncredited)
Director
Steve Carr
Screenplay
Kevin James
Screenplay
Nick Bakay
August 22, 2018
7
Blundering, but well-meaning mall cop tries to be John McClane (“Die Hard”)
An affable mall officer in New Jersey (Kevin James) takes his job seriously while taking care of his daughter and pursuing a cute kiosk attendant (Jayma Mays). When the mall is taken over by a gang of organized thugs, can Paul Blart rise to the challenge?
Whether or not you’ll like “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (2009) will depend on if you appreciate Kevin James and his goofy, unprofane brand of humor, as depicted in The King of Queens, “Zookeeper” (2011) and “True Memoirs of an International Assassin” (2016). While it’s not as good as “Zookeeper,” it’s not far off. After the first 25 minutes or so you’ll find yourself engrossed in Paul’s life; you understand him and like him. You feel for the man as he gazes longingly at a receipt with the handwritten name of his romantic interest. And you’ll root for him and laugh when a serious threat engulfs the mall.
Keir O'Donnell plays Paul’s greenhorn partner, Veck. He’s reminiscent of a young Tim Roth. In other news, Mays has the cutest wide-eyed face.
The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes and was shot entirely in Massachusetts (Burlington, Braintree, Peabody, West Roxbury and Bedford).
GRADE: B