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"PAUL BLART: MALL COP" (2009) (Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Minor Extreme *Mild Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Moderate Mild Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild None Mild Mild Heavy QUICK TAKE: Comedy: While hoping to get back in the good graces of a kiosk worker, a shopping mall security guard must contend with his various duties, as well the unexpected takeover of the mall by armed robbers. PLOT: Paul Blart (KEVIN JAMES) is a single dad who's always dreamed of being a New Jersey State Police officer, but is repeatedly undermined by his hypoglycemia that cuts short his obstacle course tests. Accordingly, he always returns to the West Orange Pavilion mall where he takes his job as a security guard quite seriously, and happily takes rookie security guard, Veck Sims (KEIR O'DONNELL), under his wing. Yet, his mom (SHIRLEY KNIGHT) and particularly his young daughter, Maya (RAINI RODRIGUEZ), realize he isn't happy, particularly with his love life or lack thereof. He does have his sights set, however, on mall kiosk worker Amy (JAYMA MAYS), but must contend with Stuart (STEPHEN RANNAZZISI), a condescending pen salesman who's also after her. But when Paul, who doesn't usually drink, ends up drunk at a mall outing, he not only makes a fool of himself, but also seemingly blows his chance with Amy. But he has bigger worries when a band of robbers take over the mall, intent on a big score. When Paul realizes that Amy is one of the handful of hostages the thieves have taken, he becomes the inside man for Chief Brooks (PETER GERETY) and Sgt. Howard (ADAM FERRARA). With the arrival of the local S.W.A.T. team led by Commander Kent (BOBBY CANNAVALE), things become more complicated for Paul, but he's determined to rescue the hostages and save the day. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? The comedy angle might draw in some, as might the presence of anyone in the cast for whom they're a big fan. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For some violence, mild crude and suggestive humor, and language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: KEVIN JAMES plays a single dad who's always dreamed of becoming a state trooper, but is constantly foiled by his bouts of hypoglycemia. Accordingly, he keeps his regular job as a security guard at the local mall, but is unhappy that he's had no luck in love, something his daughter and mother have noted. Things look up when he meets Amy, but an accidental night of drunkenness makes her have second thoughts about him. While trying to get a second chance with her, he must contend with armed robbers taking over the mall, and he does what he can to foil them and rescue their hostages. He uses some profanity. KEIR O'DONNELL plays the mall's rookie security guard who - SPOILER ALERT -- turns out to be the ringleader of the robbers, and he isn't pleased when Paul gets in his way of stealing lots of money. He uses profanity and wants Paul dead. JAYMA MAYS plays a mall kiosk employee who's attracted to Paul, but then dismayed over his drunken behavior one night (she drinks a little). She uses a little profanity and must contend with being one of the hostages. RAINI RODRIGUEZ plays Paul's young daughter who tries to help him, both in finding a girlfriend, and then in thwarting the robbers, but she also ends up as one of their hostages. SHIRLEY KNIGHT plays Paul's mom who's also concerned about his unhappiness. STEPHEN RANNAZZISI plays a pen salesman at the mall who thinks he's Amy's boyfriend and thus isn't happy when Paul shows interest in her, but his cocky attitude disappears when he's taken hostage. PETER GERETY plays Paul's boss at the mall who helps him deal with the robbery and hostage situation. BOBBY CANNAVALE plays the S.W.A.T. commander who looks down on Paul as he's done since they went to high school together. He uses some profanity. ADAM FERRARA plays a local cop who initially looks down on Paul, but is then impressed by his actions during the situation that arises. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-rated comedy. Profanity consists of at least 1 "s" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Some non-explicit, but sexually related dialogue and a few song lyrics are present, as is the sight of video game footage showing a somewhat sexily dressed and acting woman. Violence consists of various scenes of fighting and the hitting of others, some attempts at wounding or killing one man (via gunfire and other means), and some slapstick style material. While played fairly lightly for the most part (some of it's comedy-based, the rest is action-oriented), some of those scenes might be unsettling and/or suspenseful to some viewers, particularly since the villains aren't portrayed as buffoons as often occurs in PG-rated comedies. The main character gets drunk in one scene and makes a fool of himself, and there's a little bit of crude and gross-out humor, as well as some brief, tense family material. Various bad attitudes are present, and some of the behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that from flashing emergency lights. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Various mall workers have beer and drinks in a restaurant, with Stuart telling Amy to get one of her "girlie" drinks. When Paul participates in a nacho eating contest, he tries to temper the hotness by downing lots of margaritas (saying he doesn't drink), resulting in him being very intoxicated, having another drink, and making a fool of himself (including touching another man's nose and ear, grabbing and downing another woman's drink, etc.) while Amy has a beer in front of her. We see that Paul has several tattoos (discovered in different scenes) on his back from that night of drunkenness. BLOOD/GORE After an irate female shopper attacks Paul, we see paper or cloth stuffed up his nose, but don't see any blood. While running for safety, Paul keeps repeating to himself, "Don't pee." There's some intestinal rumbling from Paul as he tries to hide in an overhead vent shaft. About his nerves, Stuart states he's going to throw up, but doesn't. Paul has a tiny cut on his arm and a few red scrapes on his face. Needing sugar to combat his hypoglycemia and now prone on the floor, Paul must resort to sticking an old, lint and dirt-covered sucker into his mouth. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Some kids throw plastic balls at Paul in the mall. Paul pulls over an older man in the mall for going too fast on his motorized scooter, but that man won't stay stopped and ends up driving away, briefly dragging Paul across the floor. Stuart makes fun of Paul's weight by commenting on the tight shirt he's wearing. Two women argue over who's getting a lingerie store's last push-up bra (we see other lingerie hanging in the store, but nothing explicit). When one says she needs it because she has a date tonight, the other asks, "What, is he blind?" When Paul takes the first women aside, he comments on her having a weight issue like him (not trying to be mean) and that if she eats right, her skin will clear up. She then physically attacks him. Stuart mocks Paul by telling him, "I heard you got your ass handed to you by a fat chick." The robbers obviously have bad attitudes for their actions that include taking hostages. Spoiler Alert: Veck turns out to be the ringleader of the mall robbers. Some viewers might be offended by the comedy portrayal of a stereotypical Indian teen. Kent refers to Paul as the "loser" from his high school and that he bullied him. A police officer turns out to be in cahoots with the robbers. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" might be unsettling and/or suspenseful to younger viewers, but most of it's played fairly lightly. The robbers chase patrons out of the mall, causing a panic among the many people. Two robbers on bicycles chase after Paul in the mall. Veck holds his gun on Amy, Maya and Stuart, angry about them communicating with Paul. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Explosives: Carried and/or used to threaten, attempt to wound or kill, and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. Paul tells Veck that as security guards they should give the illusion of having a gun despite them obviously not possessing one. Various robbers hold handguns in various scenes. Cops arrive on the scene and aim their handguns, rifles and/or automatic weapons in the direction of the situation. The robbers set off some small explosives to scare away the police from entering the mall. Kent's S.W.A.T. unit arrives with their automatic weapons drawn. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "I'm not gonna sh*t you," "Peanut butter, it just fills the cracks of the heart," "Awesome," "What the hell /are you bothering me for/is he doing?" "What a moron," "What's the genesis?" "What, is he blind?" "This plain sucks," "I heard you got your ass handed to you by a fat chick," "So you can eat me," "Back off, bro,'" "It's time to pluck the grape from the vine," "Oh snap," "Crazy ass," "'Dem some heavy words," "Go to hell," "God, you're an idiot," "Dude," "Here come the love sweats," "Loser," "Screw it up," "Silence my ass," "Where the hell is..?" "Welcome to the show," "Screwing all of this up," "I'll meet you on the corner of 'ne' and 'ver,'" "Hey you, scuba-dooby-do," "Quite the bad ass," "Lonely loser dot com," "You're so pathetic," "What up, man?" "Suck on that" and "Jackass." Paul's various stunts on the Segway and general physical comedy (diving and crawling on the floor like a spy, doing funny walking, etc.), as well as the parkour, skateboard and bicycle stunts might be enticing for kids to try to imitate. We see that Paul has several tattoos (discovered in different scenes) on his back from a night of drunkenness. Many of the robbers have various tattoos. Paul squirts some hot sauce into Veck's eye, causing the latter some temporary pain. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful and action-oriented music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song has the lyrics "There's a story in my eyes. Turn the pages of desire. Now it's time to trade those dreams, for the rush of passion's fire" and "I can't hold back, I'm on the edge." A song has the lyrics "Heard it from a friend who, heard it from a friend who, heard it from another you been messing around" and "You're putting on your bedroom eyes." PROFANITY At least 1 "s" word (with another possible one), 3 asses, 3 hells, 2 uses each of "Dear God" and "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "God," "My God" and "Oh God." SEX/NUDITY Trying to make small talk with Amy, but nervous, Paul asks if she has a hair extension for him: "Do you do men...uh...men's hair?" Two women argue over who's getting a lingerie store's last push-up bra (we see other lingerie hanging in the store, but nothing explicit). When one of the women ends up attacking and fighting Paul, we see her shirt ride up and expose her bra. A song has the lyrics "There's a story in my eyes. Turn the pages of desire. Now it's time to trade those dreams, for the rush of passion's fire" and "I can't hold back, I'm on the edge." A song has the lyrics "Heard it from a friend who, heard it from a friend who, heard it from another you been messing around" and "You're putting on your bedroom eyes." A mall worker gives Paul some hot sauce that's called "The Devil's Crotch." A video game in an arcade features a sexy female referee in a short skirt and a top that shows cleavage (all video of a real woman). We see a shirtless teen who's on the phone with Paul, thinking the latter is with the former's girlfriend. He tells Paul, "You are probably sweating over her right now." He then states his girlfriend has sexy feet. Stuart lies about what he previously stated about Amy, saying she's into leather. While spying on the robbers' hostages, Paul spots Amy and says to himself (but heard by others), "Here come the love sweats." A ringtone has the repeated line, "I'm the type of girl you want to chew on my bubble gum" (or something close to that). SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Maya states that she hates her mom for marrying her dad just to get legal status in the U.S. and then left them. Paul worries about Maya while she's one of the robbers' hostages. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Hypoglycemia. Online dating. Security guards. Maya states that she hates her mom for marrying her dad just to get legal status in the U.S. and then left them. Paul's motto that safety never takes a holiday. VIOLENCE A little dog chases Paul on his Segway and he tries to get away, but we then hear a bump and hear the dog squeal (presumably him running over it by accident, played for comedy). Some kids throw plastic balls at Paul in the mall. While staring at Amy on his Segway, Paul accidentally runs into the back of a van parked inside the mall, denting the back hatch door. An irate female shopper attacks Paul when the latter tries to defuse a store situation but ends up infuriating her. She punches him in the face and then repeatedly to the body. They end up struggling, followed by her driving him backwards, and then knocking him to the floor with a stiff arm (played for comedy). While very intoxicated, Paul knocks stuff around, grabs and throws a singer off a stage, and then accidentally falls backwards through a closed window. A robber kicks an upside down bucket out from under a man who's seated on it. Some robbers kick a man in a chair out through a door. The robbers set off some small explosives to scare away the police from entering the mall. One robber smashes various security monitors with a skateboard. As Paul tries to hide in an overhead vent shaft, one robber repeatedly jabs a sharp rod or pole up through the metal at Paul. The vent shaft eventually collapses, landing on that robber's female accomplice, knocking her out. Paul then goes to lock her in a room, and picks her up, but ends up accidentally banging her body around before dropping her onto the floor, also by accident. Paul opens a spray-on tanning booth door into a robber, knocks him into a horizontal tanning bed, and repeatedly slams that lid down onto the man. During a chase through the mall, one robber repeatedly shoots his handgun at Paul and then hits him twice with a rod of some sort (while Paul whacks him with something soft, simply trying to drive him away). Paul then tries to escape in a mall elevator, but that robber races up and blasts through the glass windows and attacks him. They struggle, with another robber then grabbing Paul through the broken window, but Paul knocks him off (he falls, but we don't see the impact). Paul then exits the elevator and ends up on the roof where the first robber flies through the air and lands on Paul, knocking him down. After that man zips through the air over an alley of sorts, Paul does the same on his Segway, running into the robber and sending both crashing through a glass atrium. They end up falling several stories down into a play area of plastic balls that cushion their fall, with Paul then head-butting that robber. Paul tries to run and blast through some glass store doors, but simply bounces off them. He then returns on his Segway and uses that to blast through those doors, shattering them. Paul has another bout of hypoglycemia, passes out, and hits his head hard on a desk or counter top. Paul grabs one robber and hits him off camera (we hear the sounds). He then yanks a second away, while a third robber wildly shoots his handgun. Paul then sends a canister of compressed gas or air flying into that or another robber, knocking him down and out. He then turns on the gas in one area, with that then exploding, blasting through the wall into the parking lot with a fiery explosion, and it knocks aside several people inside. Paul trips a robber with a hockey stick and then uses the same to hit the man in the midsection in midair. Veck repeatedly shoots his handgun into a figure approaching on a Segway, but it turns out to be a mannequin. Paul tries to hoist various hostages up into the ceiling to escape, but they all end up falling through that and land hard on the floor (played for comedy). Paul squirts some hot sauce into Veck's eye, causing the latter some temporary pain. Paul drives a mall display minivan through glass windows out into the parking lot, with some cops briefly shooting at him until Kent tells them to stop. Paul climbs up onto a minivan's roof and attempts to jump on another van they're chasing, but he misses and lands hard on the ground (but is okay, played for comedy). Paul attacks and struggles with Veck who elbows him off him. After faking another hypoglycemic attack, he kicks Veck off his feet, but another man then holds his gun on Paul. Brooks then shoots the handgun from that man's hand, ending the situation. Reviewed January 12, 2009 / Posted January 16, 2009

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