It dawned upon me like a knife through the skull: He's a security guard and yet he can afford a segway? This is when I knew that watching "Paul Blart" wasn't going to be an enjoyable experience. Credited as the first blockbuster of 2009, "Paul Blart" has every indication that it will boast Adam Sandler's brand of crude irritating comedy because since when does a "Happy Madison" picture ever not? Because of this, "Paul Blart" constantly teeters from crude comedy to clever comedy taking every chance to be edgy and disgusting without disrupting the branded PG rating. This is why the movie often feels confused about its genre and who it's trying to appeal to. People looking for Adam Sandler in the seams of the "comedy" may be disappointed because this is strictly a family film and one that takes every turn in being risqué without becoming offensive.
 

That makes "Paul Blart" a rancid piece of filmmaking for the year that has everything but comedy that can induce laughter from its audience. This so called comedy that we do get revolves around the declaration that Kevin James sure is a fat guy. He's a fat guy with a knack for physical comedy that indicates his girth. Call me a snob but that's not the type of comedy I'm privy to liking, especially when the film postures itself as a new age "Die Hard" sans the everyman mold.

But then that's the baggage you get from Happy Madison most of the time. There was not a single raucous laugh to be had, instead I spent most of my time struggling to ignore the idiocy while goofing on most of the flat one-liners and physical comedy. Not a single person says anything really clever and when they attempt to, there's really just room for an awkward smirk. There are many, trust me. Not that Kevin James doesn't try, but his act is really one of the most outdated I've ever seen. The lovable fat oaf who becomes a hero has been covered billions of times over, and he never manages to break the mold with the material he's given. James has a natural charm to him that never manages to break free from all of the embarrassing gags he's given and we're left thinking how utterly pointless most of what occurs is.