Film

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Name: Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family
Released: 2009
Cast: Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Jayma Mays, Raini Rodriguez, Shirley Knight

Slapstick
Crime
Action
Light-hearted

Kevin James stars as an overweight, underestimated mall security guard who becomes an unlikely action hero when criminals take over his shopping centre. It's broad comedy built on physical humour and bumbling heroism, aimed squarely at family audiences who enjoy their action films warm and silly rather than slick.

TMDb rating

2.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like slapstick built on a stubborn, well-meaning man who takes his tiny badge far too seriously, and you don't mind a plot that stays comfortably predictable so the gags can land.

Skip it if you want sharp satire or a tight thriller; the mall siege is played for broad, goofy set pieces, and the sentimental family threads can feel padded at ninety-one minutes.

What it asks of you: Little beyond patience: it runs short, moves at a sitcom clip, stays light throughout, and asks you to accept a silly premise and simply enjoy the pratfalls.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

National Security2003

Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn as mismatched cops stumbling through an action plot with genuine warmth. The chemistry between leads carries you past the contrived setup, and the jokes land more often than they miss.

But The plot is paper-thin and the action sequences are forgettable. If you need a story with stakes, this will frustrate you.

Ride Along2014

Kevin Hart rides shotgun with Ice Cube in a buddy cop film that knows exactly what it is. Fast, affectionate, and genuinely funny; the two leads have real rapport and the film never pretends to be smarter than it needs to be.

But The script is thin and the action is unmemorable. It's pure chemistry and comedy, so if you need a structured plot, you'll be disappointed.

Central Intelligence2016

Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart play a former nerd-turned-spy and his high school bully, now mismatched partners. Their banter is infectious, the action is colourful, and it finds genuine heart underneath the silliness.

But The plot twists are predictable and some of the comedy feels forced. The film occasionally trips over its own attempts at poignancy.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Paul Blart: Mall Cop

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Super2010

Both follow an underestimated average man who becomes an action hero through sheer will, but Super asks: what if this impulse came from a broken place? It's the same engine running on desperation instead of charm.

Rainn Wilson as a heartbroken everyman who becomes a homemade superhero in a film that starts as a joke and turns devastatingly serious. It's Paul Blart's plot DNA—the ordinary person saving the day—but filtered through genuine darkness and pathos. Brilliant and disturbing.

But It's a tonal whiplash from comedy to violence to tragedy. If you want escapist fun, this will ambush you with real grief and brutality. It's not a date-night film.

Tropic Thunder2008

Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. as incompetent actors making an incompetent war film. Razor-sharp satire of Hollywood ego, genuinely funny performances, and Robert Downey Jr. is absolutely brilliant.

But The satire can be mean-spirited, and some of the humour relies on shock value rather than substance. It's darker than Paul Blart, and that might not be what you want.

Norbit2007

Eddie Murphy plays three roles in a comedy that swings wildly between stupid and charming. When it lands, it's earnest about its underdog romance in a way that feels genuine beneath all the body-suit antics.

But The humour is extremely broad and sometimes cruel. The fat-suit comedy hasn't aged well, and the plot is predictable.

Big Momma's House2000

Martin Lawrence as an FBI agent in a dress, a premise that could be terrible but is carried by genuine charm and Lawrence's physical comedy gift. The mystery plot is there, but the heart is in the relationships.

But The drag humour is dated. The plot is thin, and if you don't find Martin Lawrence's specific brand of comedy funny, the whole film collapses.

Who's Your Caddy?2007

Cedric the Entertainer and Snoop Dogg infiltrate an exclusive golf club. It's frivolous, the chemistry between leads is easy, and there's something charming about a comedy that has no ambitions beyond being genial.

But The humour is very broad and relies entirely on celebrity charm. The plot is an afterthought, and the golf satire is shallow.

Are We Done Yet?2007

Ice Cube and Nia Long as a couple moving into a fixer-upper run by a chaotic contractor (John C. McGinley). It's gentle family comedy with genuine affection between the leads and some real laughs.

But The plot is predictable and the jokes don't always land. It's relentlessly earnest, which can feel saccharine if you're not in the mood.

Rent-a-Cop1987

Burt Reynolds as a cop-turned-security guard paired with a sex worker (Loni Anderson) in an action-comedy from an era when these were made on instinct rather than formula. There's real chemistry and a kind of ramshackle charm to it.

But The film is genuinely sloppy—the plot meanders, the pacing is slack, and some of the humour is cringe-inducing by any standard. It's a relic that requires patience.

Observe and Report2009

The same premise—mall security, crime, one man trying to be a hero—but Observe and Report asks uncomfortable questions about power, loneliness, and self-delusion that Paul Blart never touches.

Seth Rogen as a mall security guard who has a complete psychological breakdown, set in the same year as Paul Blart but operating in an entirely different register. It's comedy that corrodes as it goes, turning the mall-cop premise into something genuinely unsettling and darkly funny.

But This is *bleak*. It's about loneliness, mental illness, and delusion without sentimentality. If you go in expecting Paul Blart energy, you'll feel punched.

Drunken Master1978

Paul Blart is the spiritual heir of Jackie Chan's approach to action-comedy: finding humour in physical incompetence and bumbling, in the body doing ridiculous things. Drunken Master invented this language; Paul Blart speaks it fluently, thirty years later.

Jackie Chan as a young punk trained in drunken-style martial arts by an eccentric master. It's pure physical comedy disguised as action—every fight scene is a joke, and Chan's willingness to humiliate himself for a laugh is utterly infectious. The DNA of modern action-comedy.

But It's a 1978 Hong Kong film, so the dubbing is rough, the plot is threadbare, and the pacing is languid by modern standards. You have to meet it halfway.