Paul Blart is a mild-mannered, dutiful family man who works as a security guard in a New Jersey mall. He has applied to become a cop for years, but he always fails the physical exam because he is overweight and has hyperglycemia. One day a gang of organized criminals put the mall under siege and takes hostages. Blart becomes trapped inside and because he feels it is duty as a security guard, he refuses to leave. He becomes the police department's eyes on the inside and attempts to stop the criminals on his own.