An Everyman can wind up in a horror movie or drama just as surely as he or she can wind up in a comedy. They can find themselves in funny situations, sure, but by and large, they’re blank slates. They’re not deluded nitwits like Will Ferrell’s characters, or schlemiels like Ben Stiller’s, or motormouths like Kevin Hart’s, or foulmouths like Melissa McCarthy’s. This may be part of his appeal, but it’s also part of his problem. There, but for the grace of an occasional salad, go we. James seems physically awkward, but likably ordinary. He’s been mentored by Adam Sandler (whose Happy Madison company produced several other James vehicles, including this latest), but we don’t expect from him Sandler’s sociopathic mischief, or Ben Stiller’s owlish klutziness. possesses a kind, Everyman-ish face that actually makes us not want to see him too hurt, or humiliated, or debased.
I even discussed it myself in my review of 2012’s Here Comes the Boom.
That persona - the aggrieved Everyman - has been well documented. Even though he himself, as a persona, continues to shine. It’s a dissonance that speaks to the boilerplate quality of the roles he’s been given. And yet, I find myself dreading the impending release of each new Kevin James movie, including this week’s Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.Īs I recently revisited James’s oeuvre - not just his movies, but also his TV and stand-up work - I was struck by the profound gap between his prodigious talents and his films’ meager humor. Which is all to say: I feel like I should like Kevin James. (I made my friends take me to Joe Dirt on my birthday many years ago.) Plus, I’ve spent countless hours defending Adam Sandler, whose Happy Madison company produces many of James’s films, and who co-starred with the latter in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007) and the two Grown Ups. Which perplexes and troubles me, because I’m a fan of dumb comedy. But, like most of my fellow pointy-head critics, I haven’t liked most of them.
I’ve been watching Kevin James movies for years.
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