Reviewed by Doug Cooper
Stars Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell, Bobby Cannavale, Shirley Knight,
Stephen Rannazzisi, Raini Rodriguez, Peter Gerety | Written by Kevin James & Nick Bakay
UK certification PG | UK RRP £24.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 91 minutes | Directed by Steve Carr
Let's be honest – Adam Sandler's movies are complete crap, aren't they? As a performer, he simply doesn't know how to enjoy himself and his opuses are wretchedly unfunny with a total lack of comic timing, devoid of any genuine wit. Thankfully, he doesn't appear in this new effort, but it comes from his stable and he's one of the co-producers. His co-star James, from the truly godawful I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, takes the lead here.
The portly performer James is an OK leading man but for the first 20 minutes or so the same vulgar, sub-standard attempt at comedy is abundant. He plays an insecure mall attendant who lives with his mother and young daughter. They suggest dating websites for him to try so he can get out and meet a potential romantic partner. But he's actually smitten with a pretty worker at the mall (the lovely Mays, very attractive and with BIG eyes). He tries to summon up the courage to ask her out but is thwarted by the smarmy and over confident pen salesmen Rannazzisi.
So far, so predictable. But then the plot changes tack and becomes a low-rent Die Hard knock-off, with laboured comic moments. The mall is taken over by a group of athletic villains intent on robbing the stores with elaborate hi-tech gizmos. At the time the place is evacuated, James's clumsy guard is rocking out to loud music and doesn't notice that everyone has left. The villains take some hostages, including Mays, and it's up to the fat, sugar deficient doofus to play hero and rescue them. The SWAT team and police surround the shopping centre but cannot penetrate it due to the baddies' sophisticated bombing devices. Only James can save the day single-handedly. Yippee-ki-ay ...
It's formulaic stuff, but capably done – never exciting or funny enough but watchable if you're in a lazy and undemanding frame of mind. The fact that it did huge business in the US shows that any old tat will keep 'em entertained in the midst of a major recession
EXTRAS *** There's an audio commentary with star James and Producer Todd Garner; some deleted scenes and a gag reel; and a bunch of featurettes – Kevin James: Not Your Average Mall Cop, Stunts, The Mall, On Set with Mike ‘Rooftop’ Escamilla, Action Sports Junkies, Mall Cop Response, Mike V vs Mall Cop, Free Running vs Parkour, Thoughts with Kevin James, and Sugar.