I don’t mind that there are two mall cop movies out in the same year, but the similarities are there for “Observe and Report” and “Mall Cop“, and it’s one of the reasons why this movie had a bad case of déjà vu. Let’s list them:

-You have both security guards wanting to be a real cop.
-They both act retarded.
-Both have uncanny fight skills for being mall security.
-Both live with their moms.
-Both have fallen for a cute girl who sells women’s beauty products.
-Both give off creepy vibe towards the girl they’re after.
-Both take their jobs too seriously.
-There’s a lot more but mentioning them would be a spoiler.

This movie had some funny moments, but the fact that you had to sit down and watch Seth Rogan play an asshole security guard is torture in itself. The problem with that is I really don’t feel like rooting for his character since he is such a despicable guy. Don’t get me wrong, I love my assholes, like Jonah Hill in Superbad. In Superbad, he redeems himself by being such a sweetheart to the girl he likes and his best friend. He’s an asshole just enough to be able to redeem himself. Seth Rogan on the other hand is an asshole to the max. He beats up on cops, kids, store owners, store employees and he also shoots people in the mall, but yet somehow he’s able to keep his job in the end. I call BS on that! He does earn kudos for beating up drug dealers though.

He’s naive and delusional. He talks about how he sees himself as a higher being on a mission to save the masses with the help of a shotgun. His relationship with Anna Faris goes nowhere, and you have to suffer through their awkward dates and encounters. For example, they go on a date and Anna orders shots and takes some of Seth’s medication (he’s bipolar). They head home with Anna being intoxicated. Seth kisses her after she pukes and takes her to her bedroom where they have sex while she’s unconscious.

Observe and Report starts out as lighthearted fun; but in the end, it became too weird and serious for its own good. Please, no more mall cop movies. If Hollywood does decide to make another one, maybe a badass asshole who actually knows what he’s doing, like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino.

Grade: D

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