Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015) - James returns with welcome low-brow shenanigans

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Star Kevin James seemingly runs atop the roof of a major Las Vegas hotel on this chuckle-worthy poster for Andy Fickman's Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2

Blart is regaining his footing after a very quick divorce, when he gets invited to a mall cop conference in Las Vegas, - and of course he elects to bring his daughter along.

 

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 is written by co-writer/co-producer/star Kevin James (Zookeeper (2011)) and Nick Bakay (Mom (2013-21)) and directed by Andy Fickman (She's the Man (2006)). It is the sequel to Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) by Steve Carr.

- Turns out there are some mean types in Vegas, who are after some art in the major hotel Wynn Las Vegas, - and it is all naturally enormously silly. At times the connections between events here are almost completely lost, but at the same time Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 is an irresistible low-brow comedy, and James' physical brand of comedy is particularly fun here. Gary Valentine (Jack and Jill (2011)) also amuses as a veteran mall cop, and Neal McDonough (Apex (2021)) deserves praise for an altogether ludicrous villain's performance here that's hysterical. Raini Rodriguez (Rekindling Christmas (2020)) as Blart's daughter is also cute. 

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 is intellectually low-ceilinged to be sure but damned charming and funnier than you think!

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: Reportedly 38 mil. $ (different accounts)

Box office: 107.5 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.82 times its cost)

[Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 was released 9 April (Germany) and runs 94 minutes. Shooting took place from April - June 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada and in Florida. The film was the first to attain Nevada's film tax rebate, reportedly netting it 4.3 mil. $ returned. James reportedly accepted a pay cut to reduce the budget size. The film opened #2, behind holdover hit Furious 7, to a 23.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed in the top 5 for another 3 weekends (#2-#4-#5), grossing 71 mil. $ (66 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 6.1 mil. $ (5.7 %) and Mexico with 5.6 mil. $ (5.2 %). The film additionally made an estimated 12.4 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. Talks of another sequel haven't yet come to fruition. Fickman returned with 7 TV credits prior to his theatrical return Playing with Fire (2019). James returned in Liv and Maddie (2015, TV-series) and theatrically in Pixels (2015). Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 is rotten at 6 % with a 3/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2?

Grown Ups (2010) - Sandler & Co. look turgid in film with solely commercial appeal

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Five middle-aged male comedians in a water slide screaming make up this poster for Dennis Dugan's Grown Ups

Five childhood friends meet again as adults, when their high school basketball coach 'the Buzzer' passes away, and they decide to have a weekend vacation around the 4th of July.

 

Grown Ups is written by co-writer/co-producer/co-star Adam Sandler (Reign over Me (2007)) and Fred Wolf (Joe Dirt (2001)) and directed by Dennis Dugan (Problem Child (1990)).

In spite of the prominent funny-men (minus David Spade (Entourage (2015))) and comedienne Maya Rudolph (Sisters (2015)), Grown Ups is surprisingly unfunny. Bad jokes are mixed with vulgar or simplistic slapstick. Everyone: Maria Bello (Abduction (2011)), Salma Hayek (Traffic (2000)), Tim Meadows (Aliens in the Attic (2009)) and Steve Buscemi (Rampart (2011)) included, - look a little bit dumber for appearing in this immature, - immature in the bad way, - strained low-brow burp.

Grown Ups is a dopey product, and it seems a blatantly cynical (or is it merely dumb?) paycheck job. The characters laugh more than plenty in Grown Ups, but as audiences there's not much to grin at concerning these non-characters' outing.

 

Related post:

 

Dennis Dugan: I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) - James and Sandler marry in Dugan's crude, wrongfully maligned buddy-comedy

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 80 mil. $

Box office: 271.4 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 3.39 times its cost)

[Grown Ups premiered 24 June (Australia, Iceland) and runs 102 minutes. Sandler earned 25 mil. $ from the film. Shooting took place in Los Angeles and Massachusetts, including Boston, from May - August 2009. The film opened #2, behind holdover hit Toy Story 3, to a 40.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#4-#4) and grossed 162 mil. $ (59.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 18.2 mil. $ (6.7 %) and the UK with 12.1 mil. $ (4.5 %). Sandler bought his four male co-stars new Maserati sports cars to celebrate the film's success. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Dugan returned to direct almost the entire cast for sequel Grown Ups 2 (2013), also a hit. Dugan returned first with Just Go With It (2011). Sandler also returned in Just Go With It (2011); Kevin James (Pixels (2015)) in The Dilemma (2011); and Chris Rock (Panther (1995)) in Two Days in New York (2012). Grown Ups is rotten at 11 % with a 3.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Grown Ups? 

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) - James and Sandler marry in Dugan's crude, wrongfully maligned buddy-comedy

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+ Best Crude Comedy of the Year + Best Buddy Movie of the Year + Best LGBT Movie of the Year

Kevin James wears a fireman's helmet and screams the silliness of Dennis Dugan's I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry out on this delightfully game poster

A widower firefighter wants to secure his inheritance in case of his own death, and as that is easiest done with him being in a new marriage, he persuades his best friend to marry him pro forma. But then ...

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry is written by Jim Taylor (Jurassic Park III (2001)), Alexander Payne (The Passion of Martin (1991) and Barry Fanaro (Men in Black II (2002)), based on a treatment by Lew Gallo (Handle with Care (1977, TV movie), producer) and directed by Dennis Dugan (Brain Donors (1992)).
There may well be a whiff (or a major stank, depending on your outlook) of bad taste or perhaps rather of tastelessness about this buddy comedy, which seems to scream out crude comedy about prostate problems, farts, gay stereotypes and so on, - but the fun is well-intentioned at the same time.
It also features a stellar ensemble, who rake in many laughs, at least from this gay critic: Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)) and Adam Sandler (The King of Queens (2007), TV-series) are partially affable and funny; Ving Rhames (Back in the Day (2005)) surprises in a funny closeted role; Steve Buscemi (ER (2008), TV-series) is good as the stickler villain, and Rob Schneider (The Benchwarmers (2006)), Dan Aykroyd (Nothing But Trouble (1991)) and others keep the comedic propeller going.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry just needs you to lower your guards and enjoy it.

Related posts:

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 85 mil. $
Box office: 186 mil. $
= Flop (returned 2.18 times the cost)
[I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry premiered 12 July (Universal City, California) and runs 115 minutes. Tom Shadyac was developing the film as I Now Pronounce You Joe and Benny in 1999 with Nicolas Cage and Will Smith starring. Shooting took place in New York, Los Angeles, California and in Ontario, Canada from September 2006 - ?. Payne was unhappy with the liberties taken with his version of the script, at one point reportedly wanted his name stripped from the film, criticizing the "Sandler-izing" of his work. The film opened #1 to a 34.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent two more weeks in the top 5 (#2-#4) and grossed 120 mil. $ (64.5 % of the total gross). The massive budget for the film, which seems extremely oversized, worked against it ever breaking even. Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 13.3 mil. $ (7.2 %) and the UK with 8.3 mil. $ (4.5 %). Most critics at the release seemed to be competing in being insulted by the film and lambasting it. Dugan returned with You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), Sandler's next movie. James returned in Elmo's Christmas Countdown (2007, TV movie), in an uncredited part in You Don't Mess with the Zohan and then as the lead in Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009). I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry is rotten at 14 % with a 3.6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry?

Here Comes the Boom (2012) - Laugh a few times and feel good with this idealistic MMA-dramedy

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Kevin James as the good-natured teacher Scott Voss on the poster for Frank Coraci's Here Comes the Boom

QUICK REVIEW:

An apathetic biology teacher is outraged, when he learns that the school's music program is being axed due to budgeting. He decides to spearhead turning the development around by fighting in the UFC.

Kevin James carries Frank Coraci's Here Comes the Boom well

Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)) and Gary Valentine, - former colleagues on The King of Queens (1998-2007)), - are fun in Boom, with a sympathetic character for Henry Winkler (Night Shift (1982)) in a story with a lot of heart and a refreshing reality to it. - The money problems that so many have felt the world over especially since the financial crisis came upon us in 2008 aren't dusted under the rug in Boom.
James develops into a kind of life coach during the movie, and there are some scenes that just don't work, like the cake-throwing scene in Las Vegas or the stadium singing scene with the You-tube girl phenomenon.
Still, Here Comes the Boom is a good (MMA) martial arts dramedy, - a clearly well-meant and very happy film.
It is directed by Frank Coraci (The Waterboy (1998)), whose latest, Blended (2014) with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore is struggling to get off the ground right now.

Watch the trailer here

Budget: 42 mil. $
Box office: 73.1 mil. $
= Modest return

What do you think of Here Comes the Boom?
Are you looking forward to seeing James as Blart again in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015)?