Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a decent movie. It is certainly a movie that is better than the trailers and advertisement campaign made it out to be. I have watched it more times than I would care to admit. It does not need a sequel. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 raises the stakes and takes Paul Blart on an adventure in Las Vegas. It is not the Ocean’s Eleven spoof that I thought it would be, however.
Instead of protecting money, Paul gets to protect pieces of art. This is slightly better than it sounds. I guess it does not really matter what a mall cop is guarding as the humor comes from the premise of a man taking a job that no one takes seriously, too seriously. This type of humor is more unrealistic this time around. Instead of seeing a man passionate about his job, we are shown an ensemble of equipment and weapons that have no practical use. I suppose that is the joke, to further push along the notion that mall cops are useless.
In fact, the entire movie seems unrealistic. The first movie was absurd, but it is entirely believable that thieves would try robbing a mall on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. This time around, there are thieves that want art from a hotel. Their motives are not really clear and their plan is sloppily constructed. These thieves seem to get around the security sensors on art pieces by using what appear to be flash drives. I would have thought security in Vegas is a bit more complicated than that.
Looking past how unrealistic Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 can get, the movie still has problems. Paul Blart as a character is less likable and acts as a showoff throughout the entire movie. The relationship with his daughter is a major plot point, but making it important does not make it any more interesting to watch.
There are still some laughs to be had with this movie. A highlight of the movie is the inclusion of Vic Dibitetto, the guy from that popular “Bread and Milk” video that was popular on YouTube a few years ago.
The first movie is better. If you liked the first movie, give Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 a watch. If not, this movie will not change your mind about Paul Blart.
P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for a Cherry brand mechanical keyboard. I thought I had just imagined seeing one, but the folks over at /r/MechanicalKeyboards confirmed it.
Laneous Missile 