National Security (2003)

Hank (Steve Zahn) is a dedicated police officer while Earl (Martin Lawrence) is a security guard who longs to join the force. One day, Hank pulls Earl over for a minor infraction but things get out of hand quickly. Earl is full of lip and Hank has a breaking point. But, there's more. A bee starts buzzing nearby and Earl screams that he is highly allergic. As Hank tries to swat the bee, a citizen films the encounter, which looks like he is beating Earl. Plus, Earl does get stung. Sensing a financial opportunity, Earl allows his swollen face to be photographed, too. Thus, the situation looks like the second coming of Rodney King and Hanks is fired. Poor guy, he is also send to prison for six months AND loses his gal in the process. When he gets out, the only thing open to him is a security guard position. In this capacity, he runs into Earl, again, on the job, where a beautiful lady is distracting Earl's attentions and a crime is going on in the background. Hank tries his best and Earl jumps into the game. From then on, although they don't catch the bad guys the first time around, this unlikely duo teams up to take down the criminals. Along the way, they fight, they laugh, they get into sticky situations. Will they become unlikely heroes? Hey, there's nothing wrong with watching two very funny men, Zahn and Lawrence, do their thing, along with a nice supporting cast. Chuckles come forth again and again. In addition, there is some great action scenes and stunts that will also please the right crowd. All right, the script is not Oscar stuff but no one really cares. To secure an evening of laughs, get National Security soon!

Having seen the black star in films like Blue Streak and Big Momma's House I was definitely up for seeing him in another law and crime based and easy to digest comedy, so I watched this one, from director Dennis Dugan (Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, Grown Ups). Basically Earl Montgomery (Martin Lawrence) is a brash loud-mouthed police academy cadet who gets into trouble, and Hank Rafferty (Steve Zahn) is a typical LAPD patrol police officer who has recently suffered the death of his partner Charlie (Timothy Busfield). These two character cross paths when Earl has been kicked out of the academy and is caught by Hank trying to steal a car, and a bee comes along, Earl is allergic, and Hank trying to swat it is filmed by someone on a camcorder, and the incident is mistaken for a racist beating. Six months go by, Hank served this time in prison, and the only job he can find after is becoming a security guard, much lower on the police enforcement ladder, and he comes across Earl again, who is also a security guard now, when the warehouse he guards is broken into. They may not like each other very much because of the incident and their bad luck since, but they join forces because they are both looking for the same man, Nash (Eric Roberts), Hank recognises his tattoo as he shot his partner, and Earl owes Hank for saving his life. After a cellphone is left behind by one of the criminals the two security guards have a lead to help them catch the villain, and they follow all the clues to trace and capture Nash and his gang. Earl and Hank often come into contact with Lieutenant Washington (Predator's Bill Duke) and some other higher authority figures who tell them that they are not the right rank to be carrying out the investigation they are, but they carry on despite the ranking issues and the danger. Slowly as they search for the guilty party and try to bring them to justice, the two originally hateful men become unlikely friends, there is however the obvious part when there is tension between them and an argument. In the end Earl and Hank come together, defeat Nash and his gang, and they are happy to get their rightful jobs, Hank having got his revenge is a cop again, and Earl convincing the authorities he has good tactics and can become an official cop. Also starring Colm Feore as Detective Frank McDuff, Timothy Busfield as Charlie Reed, Robinne Lee as Denise, Matt McCoy as Robert Barton, Brett Cullen as Heston and Stephen Tobolowsky as Billy Narthax. Lawrence does his usual talking himself in and trying to talk himself out of trouble character, Zahn is likable as his easily angered unlikely friend, together they make a fun opposites duo, I personally thought it wasn't too bad, it has some amusing moments, not hilarious admittedly, and there was plenty of explosions and gun play, an easy buddy movie and action comedy. Okay!

This movie was so awful I couldn't even finish it. It's a bad buddy cop comedy that relies on unfunny race jokes for the whole film and doesn't attempt to do anything else. It's unfunny, boring, and racist to both whites and blacks, and i'm not one who is easily offended. I actually like Martin Lawrence and I will admit that he had one funny scene a few minutes into the film, but his character quickly becomes obnoxious, bigoted, and annoying that I couldn't stand him. Whats even worse is that the film trys to portray him as a good guy and ask us to root for him despite making his character look look like a total bigot. Steve Zahn does an awful job here and is neither funny or likable. It's no wonder the only work he gets now is starring in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films. This is a cheap looking awful action comedy that shouldn't be viewed by any means.

The movie's plot line is pretty funny and the action and comedy are good - not laugh out loud good but more like humorous :) I do think that you can watch it more than once. Steve Zahn and martin Lawrence do portray a good but unstable team in the film but thats all part of the humour. Personally I love most action comedies due to the fact that they are uplifting... Honestly though, this is a great comedy and the acting does seem cheap but in a way it does fit in with the whole comedy genre so there are'nt any major problems. Anyway, thanks for reading my review and if you watch the movie.. enjoy it and grab a bowl of popcorn!