We’re all familiar with the Infinite Monkey Theorem, yes? Well, the Infinite Monkey Theorem states that a monkey hitting random keys over an infinite amount of time will at some point type out a famed work. Makes sense, right? Well, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 is what happens when the monkeys fail at typing Hamlet.
One of the many things that makes Paul Blart 2 so unceasingly cringe-worthy is its underlying mean-spiritedness.
Say what you will about the quality of the first Paul Blart film, or that a sequel six years after the original seems nothing less than a shameless cash grab, but it’s pretty impossible to deny how likable Kevin James is. Of all the Sandler cohorts, he is by far the most appealing and good-natured in terms of his comedy. Yeah he’s an idiot, but he’s a lovable idiot. He has a heart of gold, and the movie doesn’t punish him for it. At least not until the sequel.
One of the many things that makes Paul Blart 2 so unceasingly cringe-worthy is its underlying mean-spiritedness. This is a movie that opens with Blart’s wife leaving him after three days and his grandmother being run over by a truck. Now, I’m all for dark comedy, but it just doesn’t fit the tone of the movie here. Imagine if a Mario Kart movie opened up with someone dying in a fiery crash. It’s just not right.
I’m not going to criticize the film for it’s “stupid” humor since doing so would be like accusing a Seth Rogen movie for having too many penis jokes. I feel it’s safe to assume that if you’re shelling out money for a movie called Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, you know what you’re in for. You want a grown man sparring with a violent emu while a dude plays the piano like nothing’s wrong? You got it! You want the protagonist to have a love interest that looks at least half his age? Absolutely! Oh, of course we’ll give the fat guy a vibrating fork because he has to watch how fast he eats! Comedy!
Truth be told, the problem with Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 isn’t that it’s stupid funny. It’s that it’s not enough of either.
Truth be told, the problem with Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 isn’t that it’s stupid funny. It’s that it’s not enough of either. Yeah, it has its moments. You can’t put someone as richly talented as Kevin James in your movie and not have a few chuckles and one hearty. Neal McDonough’s villain is by far the highlight of the film. He easily steals every scene he’s in, hamming it up so beautifully it’s a shame there isn’t more of him in the movie.
About halfway into the movie, I realized that Kevin James had taken a page from his buddy Adam Sandler’s book. Movies are the perfect excuse for a vacation. It’s hard not to hide the fact that Paul Blart 2 is one giant commercial for Vegas, complete with a cameo by a Vegas hotel owner and an agonizing scene where Blart crashes a Cirque du Soleil show. Sure, there are a few laughs here and there, but more time will be spent staring blankly at the screen than enjoying what’s being projected onto it.
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