Project-Blu Paul Blart: Mall Cop, by M. Enois Duarte

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

By: M. Enois Duarte, 5.14.2009

The Movie Itself:
At one point in Paul Blart: Mall Cop, amidst all the action and mayhem, the title character, played by Kevin James, crawls around a corner in the mall he's sworn to protect. Clearly injured, he winces when touching his left arm and rolls up the sleeve to reveal a surface scratch no more than an inch long. Only thing that can heal this wound is a trusty "Hello Kitty" band-aid.

With that single scene, this goofy, slapstick comedy is easily summarized as the silly one-liner it really is. But despite being a long series of fat jokes, there's just something about the big lug - who dreams big in his heart and mind, as well as his gut - you gotta love. He's a genuinely nice guy and a hard-working father, not just another fumbling idiot with too much time on his hands. Coming from the likes of Happy Madison Productions, this is a nice, and smarter, pace of change in a PG-rated package, proving there is no need to drop the f-bomb every other second to be funny.

After making the successful transition from small-screen to big-screen as the silly chubby buddy next to Will Smith (Hitch) and Adam Sandler (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry), James is finally given the opportunity to shine on his own. Here, he not only stars as a security officer in a New Jersey mall with dreams of being a state trooper, but also takes producer and writer credit, along with "King of Queens" accomplice Nick Bakay. And he actually pulls it off in nice fashion, taking full advantage of his dexterity for such a large man.

But it's also a fun excuse for James to show off his skills with the two-wheeling Segway as if he were a motorcycle cop, blue siren lights and all. The only thing missing is the CHiPs theme song as Blart chases after a geriatric perp high-tailing it on his motorized scooter during mall traffic. Exploiting the little amount of authority these rent-a-cops actually have, it's even funnier when he's man-handled by a female customer roughly the same size as himself.

Living with his mother (Shirley Knight) and his daughter Maya (Raini Rodriguez), we discover a very lonely, pathetic sap, whose girth is not a hindrance. In fact, we see him earlier do exceptionally well in the obstacle course at the police department training facility. Only, he passes out, flat on his face, inches away from the finish line due to his hypoglycemia. He eats pie with peanut butter to make himself feel better: "It fills the cracks of the heart," he reasons.

It's all fun and games until a group of high-tech, 'X-games' athletes take over the mall to steal Black Friday revenue and hold Blart's love interest (Jayma Mays) hostage. Well, actually, it's still all fun and games, only there's a certain kind of excitement and action which now pervades the rest of the movie. Part of the humor is a slight awareness and reminiscence of action movies from the 80s and 90s, which is used to great effect without being an outright spoof. Think Die Hard meets man-boobs.

With Steve Carr at the helm, whose only other notable comedy is Next Friday, the movie remains light, breezy, and well-paced - there's really nary a moment of slowing down. Something both younger and older audiences will enjoy. Kevin James does a nice solo job in the physical as well as the verbal department, a cross between Jackie Gleason and John Candy, which is a fair enough compliment. Paul Blart: Mall Cop doesn't break any new ground or revolutionize the genre, but it's a surprisingly fun joyride that asks only to be loved for what it is: a big guy who loves what he does.
Rating: 7/10

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The Presentation:
Turns out, Paul Blart not only makes for a funny movie, but also a pretty good looking guy in high definition. As would be expected from a freshly minted AVC MPEG-4 encode, the movie is in immaculate shape with a wonderfully warm and inviting appeal to it, typical of most comedies. Framed in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the picture quality boasts some wonderful clarity and high level details that are quite revealing, without being overly sharp.

The movie takes place mostly at night and in the interior of the mall, accompanied by a barely noticeable grain structure that never becomes an issue. The color palette is surprisingly bright, lively and deeply saturated with no sight of blooming, generating an affable and inviting impression. Flesh tones are warm and realistic, while complexions possess a terrific lifelike texture, exposing pores and other facial details in the actors. Contrast is spot-on, yielding excellent dimensional visibility and vividly sharp whites that give the entire picture plenty of pop. Black levels are also richly intense with great gradations, providing the image with a pleasantly sustained depth of field. Delineation is far better than expected, as the fine lines of objects are cleanly distinguished and resolute in the background. Paul Blart makes an excellent entrance onto high definition media and is one worth checking out.
Rating: 9.0/10

Going above the call of duty, Sony Home Entertainment stamps a lossless track which provides more than initially expected for a comedy. Considering that the bulk of the movie takes place inside a mall, the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack delivers an entertainingly fun and active experience. Many a times, I found myself putting the pen down (for note taking) and simply enjoying all the clownish action demonstrated by this attractive audio presentation.

As with any picture of the same genre, Paul Blart comes with a front heavy sound design, occupying the screen with a wide and spacious soundstage that's very welcoming. Separation and pans between the channels are smooth and precise, adding some dimensionality to the mix, while dialogue is distinct and intelligible throughout, even in hushed exchanges. Interior acoustics and dynamics are engagingly surprising, as voices and action sequences realistically echo through the mall and surround the listening area for subtle ambiance. Discrete effects are not common, but employed from time to time with great clarity and movement. Overall, imaging is quite good, generating nice atmosphere and spatial presence. The collection of "hair-band" music, as well as the original music score, is the real showstopper as they often bleed into the rear speakers, enhancing the soundfield and well supported by a deep, weighty bass response. This is a fun, lively lossless mix for a comedy.
Rating: 8.6/10

Overall Presentation: 9/10

** 10 - 9 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
Sony Home Entertainment ups the ante by supplying their box office hit with a nicely done supplement package for fans to enjoy after the movie is over. With features all presented in high definition, this Blu-ray edition of Paul Blart: Mall Cop arrives with a couple of exclusives, is BD-Live Enabled and includes a standard def Digital Copy of the movie for portable devices.

Cinechat
The neat little feature allows viewers to instant message with friends while watching the movie.
Audio Commentary
Kevin James and producer Todd Garner provide this entertainingly goofy commentary discussing casting, production, and Adam Sandler's input to the movie.
Featurette (50 min)
Essentially a doc covering every aspect of the movie's production from stunts, location, and design. With interviews of the cast and crew, the whole presentation is broken down into several segments for quicker access and interlaced with behind-the-scenes footage.
Deleted Scenes (13 min)
This collection of scenes which were cut from the final product may have slowed things down a bit, but still enjoyable just for amusement's sake.
Theatrical Trailers
Previews includes Ghostbusters, Hancock, The House Bunny, amongst others.

Rating: 7/10

Final Thoughts:
Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a surprisingly funny and entertaining comedy, working as a subtle spoof of 80s and 90s action movies, while also standing on its own. It doesn't break any new ground in the genre, but it's fun and easy to enjoy. The Blu-ray edition of the movie comes with an excellent A/V presentation and a nice supplement package, making this worth the purchase for fans. Others can give it a rent.
Rating: 7/10