National Security

Plot

Two mismatched security guards are thrown together to bust a smuggling operation.

Release Year: 2003

Rating: 5.1/10 (18,941 voted)

Critic's Score: 31/100

Director:
Dennis Dugan

Stars: Martin Lawrence, Steve Zahn, Colm Feore

Storyline
Earl and Hank have only one thing in common: they're both L.A.P.D. rejects. One just got kicked out, the other can't even get in. After confronting each other on opposite sides of the law during a traffic stop that escalates out of control, these two luckless individuals end up partnered as lowly security guards. Despite being damned to the lowest rung of the law enforcement ladder, Earl and Hank uncover a sophisticated smuggling operation led by Nash and his band of thugs. When Earl and Hank get their hands on some hot property, they go on the run from, first the bad guys, then the L.A.P.D.–led by Lt. Washington and Detective McDuff. What these two unlikely partners do to law enforcement is a crime, but they just might save the day. That is, if they don't kill each other first.

Writers: Jay Scherick, David Ronn

Cast:

Martin Lawrence
–

Earl Montgomery

Steve Zahn
–

Hank Rafferty

Colm Feore
–

Detective Frank McDuff

Bill Duke
–

Lieutenant Washington

Eric Roberts
–

Nash

Timothy Busfield
–

Charlie Reed

Robinne Lee
–

Denise

Matt McCoy
–

Robert Barton

Brett Cullen
–

Heston

Cleo King
–

Woman in Car

Gerry Del Sol
–

Booking Clerk

Ken Lerner
–

Hank's Lawyer

Mari Morrow
–

Lola

Stephen Tobolowsky
–

Billy Narthax

Joe Flaherty
–

Owen Fergus

Taglines:
They only look like cops.

Details

Official Website:
Columbia Tristar [France] |
Sony [United States] |

Release Date: 17 January 2003

Filming Locations: Blue Cloud Movie Ranch – 20000 Blue Cloud Road, Santa Clarita, California, USA

Opening Weekend: $16,813,517
(USA)
(19 January 2003)
(2729 Screens)

Gross: $35,764,982
(USA)
(2 March 2003)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

DVD has alternate ending.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes:
When Earl is behind the wheel of the driving-instruction car, he constantly moves the steering wheel from side to side, yet the car always drives straight.

Quotes:

Hank:
Get out of the damn car!

Woman in car:
[Slapping Hank]
Didn't your mama teach you any manners? The least you could do is ask me nice!

User Review

It's lighthearted, fun and goofy — I like it!

Rating: 6/10

Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn star in this funny comedy as two ill-fated
security guards who team up to bring down a dangerous criminal organisation
and a crooked cop. It may not be an excellent film, but it is a
lighthearted, fairly fresh take on the classic "buddy cop" formula that's
been used over and over again (Shanghai Noon, I Spy, etc…) This time, most
of the laughs come from Lawrence, who does a good job of being the
wise-assed, smart-mouthed partner as Steve Zahn does his stuff as the
impatient lead character.

The plot of the film seems a bit rushed, and not developped to its extent,
but that's no matter. What DOES matter are the laughs; and though "National
Security" isn't the funniest film in the world, the comedy is sharp —
although, at times, it does seem a bit recycled. Come on, we've seen this
sort of stuff WAY too many times before…

The point is, "National Security" provides some laughs and is an all-around
good film, though not great. For those of you lookin' for a familiar,
smile-inducing cop film, you can't go wrong with "National Security". I'm a
bit put off, though — a 4.3 rating for this flick is just way too low, and
I don't think the film deserves the bad reviews it's been getting. The same
thing seems to have happened to "I Spy" as well…

Come on, you guys need to lighten up. Of course these films aren't
Shakespeare — and they don't want to be! Sooner or later, you'll learn
that a movie doesn't have to be perfect in order for it to be an enjoyable
experience. Most movies don't aim to be Oscar-material, so they opt to bring
to the general public the things we want from this sort of film: comedy,
action, wise-cracks, and, if at all possible, a decent plot. We can't
compare movies like these to, say, "Star Wars" or "Casablanca" or "Titanic",
because they're in totally different leagues. I try to review each film
while considering the different intentions of the producers. If a film is a
clear Oscar contender, I may be a bit more harsh in my review — but with
most comedies and action pics, I give credit where credit is
due.

And that's the moral of this story: GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!
"National Security" is a decent flick and is well worth the price of
admission, at least in the eyes of this reviewer.