Paul Blart, Mall Cop

I recently went to see the Paul Blart Mall Cop movie and came backed with some mixed feelings. The concept was sound in the fact not too many movies portray an overweight mall security guard with hypoglycemia as being a hero. However, the originality factors dissipated as the movie progressed revealing the stereotypical feel good movie elements. The movie contains such clichés as family support, a love interest, standing up for oneself, and the usual happy ending. For instance at the end of the movie Paul Blart becomes a hero, gets the girl, and walks away content with his world. Despite the clichés the movie is exactly what it sets out to be, a feel good movie. The way humor and good moral ethics is integrated creates a delightfully funny movie that is sure to leave you smiling. My favorite moments include the scenes where Paul single handily and not always intentionally takes out criminals with obvious training in Parkour, the art of movement.

How the main protagonist is portrayed is key for overall emersion and is a crucial filmmaking technique. In the movie, Paul Blart is portrayed as the underdog through various scenes of failure and ill treatment from peers. These relationships are an important part of his projected image. If he had been portrayed as being successful and well liked then the audience would have formulated an entirely different opinion. Just like in our writings depending on how a writer portrays a character through imagery can adversely effect how the audience will relate to he or she. If he’s downtrodden people may be able to sympathize more, if he’s pompous or condescending the opposite can be true. Ultimately a character’s relationships can make or break a works appeal to a reader and is something that both filmmakers and writers should be conscious of.