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Craig Younkin
Movie Review
National Security
By Craig Younkin Published January 22, 2003
US Release: January 17, 2003
Directed by: Dennis Dugan
Starring: Martin Lawrence , Steve Zahn , Colm Feore , Eric Roberts
PG-13
Running Time: 88 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $35,976,000
Directed by: Dennis Dugan
Starring: Martin Lawrence , Steve Zahn , Colm Feore , Eric Roberts
PG-13
Running Time: 88 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $35,976,000
D
Loud, tiresome, and unfunny
Martin Lawrence has found a film that captures his personality in every way. National Security is a loud, tiresome, and unfunny film that also thinks it's being thought provoking whenever the subject of race is mentioned.
Lawrence tried this stuff before in movies like Nothing to Lose, but it wasn't funny then and it sure isn't funny now. The paper-thin plot of National Security goes like this: Lawrence is a cocky, racist, irresponsible police trainee named Earl just thrown out of the Academy for those same characteristics (We love him already). While trying to get back into his car, he is stopped by a police officer named Hank (Steve Zahn), who believes that Earl is trying to steal the car.
Through unbelievable circumstances involving a bee and a police baton, Earl manages to convince the entire police force that what was only a minor scuffle was actually a huge beating. Wanting to make good with the public, the police department buys Earl?s idiotic story and puts Hank in prison for six months. There is more. Hank has actually just lost his partner and after serving time, he tracks the men that killed him to an abandoned warehouse where Earl just happens to be a security guard. No surprise the two of them team-up, with many racial flops (oops, I mean gags) along the way.
The plot to National Security is clich?d as most buddy-cop flicks are, but what is really awful about this script is that the two lead characters have nothing going on other than the fact that the movie needs them together. And director Dennis Dugan appears to know that as he spends more time littering it with shoot-outs and background rap music than on a shred of character development, or for that matter, likable characters. The teaming of Hank and Earl isn't funny, it isn't engaging, and it isn't necessary. Hank is as stiff as a board and Earl's overall personality is just irritating.
No surprise that he is played by Martin Lawrence, possibly the king of irritation. He consists of screaming out most of his dialogue and over-working his physical performance to the point of exhaustion. Meanwhile, he has a very funny partner in Steve Zahn that the filmmakers don't even use. Zahn spends much of the movie looking like he has a foot up his ass, and if he's smart, he'll insert his into whichever agent decided to get him this part.
Lawrence has Bad Boys 2 coming out later this year. Hopefully he'll have more success with a big blockbuster action film because the guy shouldn't be doing comedy. He's gotta take most of the fall for this one, as the movie was bad from the beginning but his shtick just makes it all the more painful to sit through.
Lawrence tried this stuff before in movies like Nothing to Lose, but it wasn't funny then and it sure isn't funny now. The paper-thin plot of National Security goes like this: Lawrence is a cocky, racist, irresponsible police trainee named Earl just thrown out of the Academy for those same characteristics (We love him already). While trying to get back into his car, he is stopped by a police officer named Hank (Steve Zahn), who believes that Earl is trying to steal the car.
Through unbelievable circumstances involving a bee and a police baton, Earl manages to convince the entire police force that what was only a minor scuffle was actually a huge beating. Wanting to make good with the public, the police department buys Earl?s idiotic story and puts Hank in prison for six months. There is more. Hank has actually just lost his partner and after serving time, he tracks the men that killed him to an abandoned warehouse where Earl just happens to be a security guard. No surprise the two of them team-up, with many racial flops (oops, I mean gags) along the way.
The plot to National Security is clich?d as most buddy-cop flicks are, but what is really awful about this script is that the two lead characters have nothing going on other than the fact that the movie needs them together. And director Dennis Dugan appears to know that as he spends more time littering it with shoot-outs and background rap music than on a shred of character development, or for that matter, likable characters. The teaming of Hank and Earl isn't funny, it isn't engaging, and it isn't necessary. Hank is as stiff as a board and Earl's overall personality is just irritating.
No surprise that he is played by Martin Lawrence, possibly the king of irritation. He consists of screaming out most of his dialogue and over-working his physical performance to the point of exhaustion. Meanwhile, he has a very funny partner in Steve Zahn that the filmmakers don't even use. Zahn spends much of the movie looking like he has a foot up his ass, and if he's smart, he'll insert his into whichever agent decided to get him this part.
Lawrence has Bad Boys 2 coming out later this year. Hopefully he'll have more success with a big blockbuster action film because the guy shouldn't be doing comedy. He's gotta take most of the fall for this one, as the movie was bad from the beginning but his shtick just makes it all the more painful to sit through.
Craig's Grade: D
Craig's Overall Grading: 340 graded movies
| A | 10.9% | |
| B | 41.8% | |
| C | 31.8% | |
| D | 15.3% | |
| F | 0.3% |
