Kevin James’ transition from overweight blue-collar TV buffoon to overweight blue-collar Hollywood buffoon took very littl📖ꦯe preparation. Only a creepy mustache and a complete lack of self-awareness separate Paul Blart’s likeable shlub from Doug Heffernan, the amiable deliveryman James portrayed on sitcom King Of Queens for nine years.

The story is time-honoured, underdog-has-his-day stuff: Blart’s painfully earnest mall cop gives the often-humiliating job his all, despite constant ridicule from his fell🍸ow employees. His time t🅠o shine finally arrives on ‘Black Friday’, the infamously crazed post-Thanksgiving shopping day, when a gang of hightech criminals take over the mall, leaving Blart to thwart their plan.

Director Steve Carr (Daddy Day Caಌre) treats his subject like a fleshly pinball, tossing him through every plate-glass window and down every flight of stairs, buffering the often lukewarm script with a non-stop cavalcade of wince-worthy physical gags.

Virtually every genuine laugh in Paul Blart involves James falling down. Otherwise, the humour is queasy and aw♊kward, mostly stemming from everyone’s disdain for the kind-hearted fat man. The worst offender is Stephen Rannazzisi as pen salesman Stuart, whose steady flow of putdowns are so mean-spirited that they bypass funny completely and just seem cruel.

On the other hand, the inclusion of Jayma Mays as salesgirl Amy, was an inspired choice. Her full-moon eyes and generous smile lift the film out of its gutbucket slapstick. When Blart takes Amy o🤡n an impromptu Segway ride through the mall, her glee and his grin are so perfectꦿ, you almost think you’re watching Titanic on wheels.

Ken McIntyre