As if the first movie wasn’t ridiculous enough, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” was even worse. The sequel starring Kevin James as Blart hit theaters Friday, April 17, with a plot almost identical to the first.
This time, Blart is headed to a security officer convention with his daughter Maya (Raini Rodriguez), but it turns out to be much more than a vacation to Las Vegas.
However, the film relies too heavily on the hope that Blart’s weight will be funny. Viewers still see him making a fool of himself by falling, attempting to slide gracefully behind planters to hide from the bad guys, zipping around on his Segway and embarrassing his daughter, but these ploys for laughs weren't effective.
Blart discovers that a man named Vincent (Neal McDonough) is staying in the presidential suite. Vincent and his team of thieves are stealing art from the hotel, and Blart teams up with other security officers to take him down.
The only shimmer of light in this film is the acting by Rodriguez, David Henrie and McDonough. Henrie plays a hotel staff member named Lane who befriends Maya and becomes mixed up in the chaos that ensues. Henrie is somewhat of a heartthrob in the film and takes the time to talk to Maya when she feels overprotected by her father.
McDonough also makes for a perfect villain with his stoic humor, cunning wit, white hair and crisp suits. Rodriguez does an incredible job of representing a doting and caring daughter who still wants a life of her own.
One positive aspect of the movie was the way filmmakers incorporated how hard it was for Blart to let go of his daughter. This sequel focuses a lot on Blart’s difficulty to see Maya as an adult and Maya’s attempts to reason with him.
While Kevin James is usually funny, this character just doesn’t do his comedic talents any justice. He isn’t nearly as entertaining as he was in “Grown Ups” or “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.”
It’s surprising that a movie directed by Adam Sandler wouldn’t be a little more comical. Unfortunately, this film is probably only funny to the giggly 12-year-olds who sat behind me and kicked my seat.
Although the movie did have a few high points, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” is a film that never should have been made.
Reach the reporter at bridget.dowd@asu.edu or follow @bridgetbernice on Twitter.
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