Review of National Security (2003) by Mickey M — 27 Jul 2008
"Earl Montgomery" (Martin Lawrence) accuses LAPD officer "Hank Rafferty" (Steve Zahn) of police brutality. Even though his alleged injuries actually resulted in a bee sting.
"Rafferty" spends six months for the crime he did not commit and accidentally bumps into "Montgomery" while investigating the murder of his partner -- even though he has been kicked off the force. And to make things worse, he works as a security guard for the same security company as "Montgomery".
The two reluctantly team-up to chase what turns out to be smugglers, lead by a man simply known as "Kane" (Eric Roberts).
This movie only produces a few chuckles, and even fewer laughs. The majority of the jokes are racially motivated, and may be offensive by some. I found the physical humor more funny in fact.
I did not find Lawrence and Zahn a perfect on-screen duo. Their chemistry appeared a bit forced at times. They also didn't seem too believable when doing the dialogue.
Personally, I did not think either Zahn or Lawrence were all that funny. I was really annoyed by Lawrence's catchphrase for this movie, mostly because it butchers the English language.
Another problem with this film was the lack of character development on many key supporting characters. I especially did not like the way the villains were developed. Roberts will never get out of his sister's shadow if he continues to accept roles like this.
The music were mostly current hip hop. Because I do not listen to that particular genre, I couldn't tell you many of the performers even if I saw their name in the closing credits.
There is some pretty good action in this movie. However, the action is pretty much typical, and nothing stands out as something spectacular and memorable.
If you like Lawrence (I don't believe I've seen Zahn before), then you would like this. But, if you are easily offended by racially motivated jokes, then this one is one to skip over. I would not suggest this for any "Must See" list, nor would I see this for a second time.
This review of National Security (2003) was written by Mickey M on 27 Jul 2008.
National Security has generally received mixed reviews.
Was this review helpful?
