MOVIE REVIEW - Paul Blart Mall Cop

Kevin James is back in a new movie, this one is Paul Blart Mall Cop. You more than likely have seen the 400,000 TV commercials for this movie which did open with a bang over the weekend. James of King Of Queens fame, does make profitable movies, and this one will only add to his huge financial coffers. If you choose to slap the green down to make sure he stays rich.

James can be a funny guy not doubt. But I feel in the movies, less of him is more. I really loved him in Hitch as a side dish to Will Smith. But here, there are only two jokes. He's a loser and he's fat.

Paul Blart is a mall cop at a huge mall in New Jersey. He finds himself in a situation he is not prepared for. A group of bad guys take over the mall at closing time, and are trying to get the credit card receipts for the day, and then jet off to the Cayman Islands. When local cops and even SWAT isn't up for the job, Paul Blart is.

The packed theater today howled with delight at this 90 minute comedy. But to be square with you, the average age was about 12, most of them there with their parents. And that's going to be the target here. Although I'm not convinced that that was the intent. It's juvenile and aims low at times, and the kids loved it. For a movie that really seemed to connect with kids, and mildly amuse the adults at times, I could have done without the following. Lines like this, "Next time I see you Blart, I'm going to put a bullet in your head." or "Good, I'll just shoot your girlfriend first." Or the numerous gunpoint lines referencing that they were going to kidnap Blarts 10 year old daughter and take her to the Caymans with her. A touch harsh for a kids movie, but by today's standards, maybe not.

Mall Cop is loaded with old and tired sight gags that have been used a million times before, and nothing that is spoken is going to crack anybody up. But in it's defense, language is fine, and somehow they managed to make a movie like this that doesn't reference bodily noises and bathroom humor.

Paul Blart Mall Cop. Nothing new here. Just a couple of hour getaway at the local theater that will make you forget that it's freezing outside. Not great, not horrible......right in the middle. Kids will roar, and that's okay. You'll get a kick out of their laughter. I did.