Paul Blart (Kevin James,Hitch and King of Queens) longs to make it as a state trooper and despite his physique he has what it takes - that is, if he can keep his hypoglycemia under control. An affliction that means that if he doesn't get regular doses of sugar, he falls asleep.

So he takes the next best job he can think of, security in a local shopping centre and unlike his colleagues, he takes his security role very seriously - pity that nobody else does.

It's the busiest shopping day before Christmas, otherwise known as "Black Friday" - the shops are about to take in more money than on any other shopping day and its this day that a gang of highly organised thieves decide to rob the mall, taking a few workers hostage. One of them just happens to be Amy, the girl Paul has a crush on.

So Paul, who was busy playing computer games while the mall was siezed, has to take on a group of highly organised skateboarding thugs and save the girl.

In many ways this, for me, was somewhere between Die Hard and Home Alone. It was a lone cop (albeit a Mall Cop) taking out the bad guys one by one while the real cops mulled about outside. It was like Home Alone in the way that some of the traps he lays to catch them are rather funny.

This is a feel good movie, with quite a few comedic action scenes which include more than a couple of stunts. Kevin James is his funny self and given room to shine. If you're looking for a deep philosophical movie, then this isn't it. This is a lighthearted family comedy - and its here that I feel right at home.

One to see!

see also:
Elf, The Simpsons Movie, Around the world in 80 days, Marley and Me

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photo © Columbia Pictures.