Paul Blart: Mall CopMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Paul Blart: Mall Cop."

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Avg. Critic Score: 39 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
12 OK for kids 12+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    Entertainment Weekly |

    Has a few surprises in store. The biggest is James, an unexpectedly nimble master of the face-plant, the failed jump, and the lopsided tumble. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    It's as slam-bang preposterous as any R-rated comedy you can name. It's just that Paul Blart and the film's other characters don't feel the need to use the f-word as the building block of every sentence. Read full review

  • 50
    Washington Post |

    Mediocre, unmemorable comedy. Read full review

  • 50
    Los Angeles Times |

    Underneath all the cartoonish mall mayhem and silly slapstick lies a comedy that aspires to be the sort of gentle crowd-pleaser John Hughes used to make. Read full review

  • 40
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt

    Great comics from Jerry Lewis to Peter Sellers have turned pathetic into comedic. But James never seems to able to get beyond pathetic. Read full review

  • 40
    Variety | Brian Lowry

    An almost shockingly amateurish one-note-joke comedy. Read full review

  • 40
    The New York Times | Nathan Lee

    A tossed-off comedy from Adam Sandler's production company that makes one long for the comparative genius of "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry." Read full review

  • 38
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    The last name Blart may be the funniest thing in the movie, so that's a hint as to just how bad this shopping-center saga can be. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Peter Hartlaub

    The action sequences are just as ridiculous as the romance parts, but at least James seems comfortable with the pratfalls and gross-out scenarios. Read full review

  • 12
    Boston Globe | Wesley Morris

    Looks like something stubbed out in an ashtray. Read full review

View more reviews for Paul Blart: Mall Cop on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 12+ Kevin James' slapstick comedy will amuse older tweens.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that since this slapstick comedy is set in a mall, it features a tremendous amount of consumer/product integration. As a result, almost every scene includes a real mall store or restaurant. There are lots of humorous pratfalls -- but the criminals also threaten to kill people and use guns, and there are a few explosions. Several jokes target the obese (including the main character). The language is mostly confined to insults (though there's at least one use of "s--t," as well as a couple uses of "hell," "ass," and "oh my God"), and the sexuality is limited to flirting, a kiss ... and an extended scene set in Victoria's Secret.
  • Families can talk about whether the movie's mall setting makes its brand/product placement more or less obvious. Are all of the stores and brands distracting, or are they just part of the scenery? Do you think that has more or less impact than other kinds of product placement?
  • Families can also discuss the appeal of "underdog" heroes. What makes Paul an underdog? How does he overcome the odds?
  • The movie makes several references to his weight, as well as featuring sight gags about obese women. Is it OK to poke fun at some groups but not others? Why or why not?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: Positive themes of heroism and the importance of doing one's job well, no matter the task. But lots of fat jokes too.
  • rolemodels true2 Positive role models: An overweight security guard is bound by honor and devotion to the mall he protects. Unlikely people show extraordinary bravery. A young girl wants to help her father find a wife. On the other hand, many jokes are made at the expense of the obese.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence: Criminals take hostages at gunpoint and attempt to kill Paul Blart. He's beaten up but also bests various thieves. Most of the violence is humorous, but occasionally one of the criminals says something about threatening to "off" a hostage (including a child) or blow cops up, etc., and there are a few explosions. But there's no blood -- just bruises from all of the physical comedy.
  • sex false2 Sex: There are discussions about romantic relationships, dating, online dating, and hooking up. Two characters kiss. During an altercation with a woman, her blouse is pulled up, and viewers can see her bra for most of the scene. Also, an extended scene takes place in Victoria's Secret.
  • language false3 Language: A couple of stronger words (including one "s--t," as well as "ass," "hell," and "oh my God"), but mostly insults about Paul Blart: "fat," "stupid," "loser," etc.
  • consumerism false5 Consumerism: Since the film is set in a mall, tons of chain stores are featured, shown, or at the very least mentioned -- including Victoria's Secret, Hallmark, Sharper Image, Kay's, Lord & Taylor, Orange Julius, Dunkin Donuts, Williams Sonoma, Teavana, Legal Seafood, Hello Kitty, Zale's, McDonald's, and more. Also visible: Rock Band, PlayStation 3, Rainforest Café, and Paul's ubiquitous Segway.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Paul and his co-workers go out for happy hour, and he drinks so much that he gets very drunk.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Paul Blart: Mall Cop Movie Ratings + Reviews

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