No matter the scathing remarks or single star allocations, some films remain critic proof. Such is the case with this stateside till-ringer from the Happy Madison stable of mediocrity that has taken just under $150 million domestically, which is all the more amazing given the current climate of frugal spending.
US “funny-man” Kevin James (Hitch) plays sad sack security guard, Paul Blart. Unable to pass the rigorous police force inductions due to hypoglycaemia, he is forced to throw himself all-too-seriously into his role at the local mall. Derided by colleagues, living at home with his mother and daughter, his wife having left him after gaining citizenship, and ignored by the female of the species, Paul Blart buzzes around on a scooter comfortably coping with his mundane existence. Then before you can say “Die Hard parody a decade too late”, a gang of parkour capable criminals take over the mall, forcing our rotund rent-a-cop to save the day.
It’s hard to see James finding an audience receptive to his individual talents this side of the pond. His unjustifiably successful US sitcom King of Queens, as with many low-grade imports, failed to translate to a UK audience. He seems to work better as a foil to another actor; Will Smith in Hitch, and Adam Sandler in the lamentable Chuck and Larry. Here he struggles beyond being the loveable fat guy, and that’s not an attack on his appearance but a reliance on the script to make the most of his size. Compare him to the late great John Candy who created rounded characters to match his rounded appearance and he falls short on everything but being round.
The plot is simple slapstick mechanisms – Blart scoots into a stationary vehicle, Blart gets beaten up by a female shopper – until the “action” kicks in way too late to save proceedings. The odd John McClane riff is mildly amusing, with Blart’s shirt becoming increasingly splattered with fake tan instead of blood, but the finale is Home Alone lite and tediously drawn out despite the presence of a fantastic 80s soundtrack.
Maybe the younger members of the audience will appreciate James’s attempted comedy, which is silly rather than funny. And it’s quite refreshing to find a film accessible to kids due to the absence of any form of foul language. But that’s hardly a recommendation.
[etRating value=“ 1”]
US “funny-man” Kevin James (Hitch) plays sad sack security guard, Paul Blart. Unable to pass the rigorous police force inductions due to hypoglycaemia, he is forced to throw himself all-too-seriously into his role at the local mall. Derided by colleagues, living at home with his mother and daughter, his wife having left him after gaining citizenship, and ignored by the female of the species, Paul Blart buzzes around on a scooter comfortably coping with his mundane existence. Then before you can say “Die Hard parody a decade too late”, a gang of parkour capable criminals take over the mall, forcing our rotund rent-a-cop to save the day.
It’s hard to see James finding an audience receptive to his individual talents this side of the pond. His unjustifiably successful US sitcom King of Queens, as with many low-grade imports, failed to translate to a UK audience. He seems to work better as a foil to another actor; Will Smith in Hitch, and Adam Sandler in the lamentable Chuck and Larry. Here he struggles beyond being the loveable fat guy, and that’s not an attack on his appearance but a reliance on the script to make the most of his size. Compare him to the late great John Candy who created rounded characters to match his rounded appearance and he falls short on everything but being round.
The plot is simple slapstick mechanisms – Blart scoots into a stationary vehicle, Blart gets beaten up by a female shopper – until the “action” kicks in way too late to save proceedings. The odd John McClane riff is mildly amusing, with Blart’s shirt becoming increasingly splattered with fake tan instead of blood, but the finale is Home Alone lite and tediously drawn out despite the presence of a fantastic 80s soundtrack.
Maybe the younger members of the audience will appreciate James’s attempted comedy, which is silly rather than funny. And it’s quite refreshing to find a film accessible to kids due to the absence of any form of foul language. But that’s hardly a recommendation.
[etRating value=“ 1”]
Friends Read Free