Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
Not recommended under 6; parental guidance recommended 6 to 12 (Violence and themes)
details of classification and consumer advice lines for Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
a review of Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 20 April 2015.
Children under 6 Not recommended due to violence and themes which may not be understood..
Children 6-12 Parental guidance recommended due to violence and themes.
Name of movie: Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
Consumer advice lines: Mild violence
Length 94 minutes
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 is an action comedy that continues the story of Paul Blart (Kevin James), a security guard who has been struggling after the end of his marriage and the death of his mother. Paul travels with his daughter Maya (Raini Rodriguez) to Las Vegas for a security convention held at a very up-market casino. He has high hopes that he will finally receive some recognition for work he did at a New Jersey mall six years previously (the story told in the first film of the series).
Paul finds himself increasingly disappointed as he realises that that the convention is in fact not about celebrating his small-time victory in Jersey. While dealing with this blow to his ego, he also finds himself becoming entangled in a heist. A group of international art thieves intend to steal invaluable items from the casino, including one of Van Gogh's most famous works.
Although the general manager and head of security at the casino initially look down on him, Paul hopes that his accidental involvement with the thieves will enable him to redeem himself.
Crime; divorce; family relationships
There is limited violence within the film, including:
There are a number of fights between characters, involving manhandling as well as the use of weapons including guns and stun-guns
An elderly female character is accidentally hit
Two characters in the film are hit by a car
A man is attacked by a bird
Children this age are likely to find the thieves, and the violence described above, scary.
Some children in this age group may also find the violence and thieves scary.
There is some product placement in the film, including:
Steve Wynne's Hotel is heavily advertised, as this is where the convention takes place
Sony products are seen frequently.
There are mild sexual references in the film, including:
Brief instances where characters flirt and to make references to sex.
Possible under-age drinking at a high school party
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, the second film in this series, is a comedy about a hard-working underdog looking for the recognition he deserves. The movie makes the point that awards and accolades are insignificant in comparison to genuinely loving what you do, but also demonstrates the very human desire to want validation and respect from one's peers. The film also displays a compassionate relationship between Paul and his teenage daughter, highlighting the difficulties parents may face in regard to balancing care with overprotection.
There is some violence in the film and the themes are more likely to be understood by children aged 12 and over. Parental guidance is recommended for younger viewers.
This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:
how the opinions of other people can impact on a person's self-esteem and self-confidence.
how the life choices made by parents can affect their children.
body image and the results of criticising people for being overweight.