Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Widescreen)

Los Angeles Times - 01/16/2009
"A high-concept mash-up of DIE HARD and KUNG FU PANDA, BLART gives sitcom star Kevin James a showcase for broad-comedy pratfalls....The targeted tween audience will lap up James' antics..."

Entertainment Weekly - 01/16/2009
"PAUL BLART: MALL COP has few surprises in store. The biggest is James, an unexpectedly nimble master of the face-plant..." -- Grade: B

Chicago Sun-Times - 01/21/2009
"[A] slapstick comedy with a hero who is a nice guy...Everything is a sitcom until Officer Blart goes into action, in an astonishingly inventive cat-and-mouse chase..."

Total Film - 10/01/2009
3 stars out of 5 -- "[With] Kevin James proving himself a nimble physical comedian....[An] endearing homage to Average Joe."

IN THEATRES JANUARY 16, 2009: Coming off the finale of television's popular sitcom THE KING OF QUEENS and 2007's I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY, funnyman Kevin James takes the role of a single dad in this largely physical comedy, which the actor also co-wrote. Paul Blart (James) is a hard worker, but has never landed his dream job of being New Jersey state trooper due to his excess weight. Determined to support his mother and his daughter, Blart takes the slightly less glamorous post as the security guard at his local shopping mall. He never complains, approaching the job with impressive diligence and pride, but doesn't get much respect for it. It's only when a group of misfits in Santa's Helper disguises take hold of the mall and several hostages that Blart's would-be cop smarts come in handy and he gets a chance to shine. With a deadly situation on hand, Blart may finally be able to show the world (and his romantic interest, who just happens to be one of the hostages) what he's made of. Though the villains have several advantages over him, Blart has a Segway scooter and a big heart on his side.

While many of its jokes come at the expense of James's extra pounds, the film ultimately makes its star out to be a hero. With his everyman appeal, James is well-suited to play Blart, showing that even average Joes can make a difference with the right attitude. PAUL BLART: MALL COP takes the banal out of the shopping mall, infusing a familiar setting with energy, laughs, and high-stakes drama.

In Columbia Pictures' comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Kevin James stars as the title character, a single, suburban dad, trying to make ends meet as a security officer at a New Jersey mall. Though no one else takes his job seriously, Paul considers himself on the front lines of safety. When a heist shuts down the megaplex, Jersey's most formidable mall cop will have to become a real cop to save the day.

Hostages | Santa Claus | Theatrical Release