30 Second Bottom Line: As a moviegoer, I don't like "one trick pony" actors who do the same thing from one movie to the next ¾ same type of character, same types of roles. That's why I was never really upset when Jim Carey branched out to do more serious roles & why watching a Steven Segal movie USED to be cool. That being said, I should dislike Martin Lawrence. I don't think he's ever done a serious role-not saying he should. His characters from one movie to the next are hard to tell apart. There's only one thing keeping me from not liking his apparent lack of range¾he is one FUNNY human being! Martin's talent shines yet again in this fairly enjoyable movie.

Story Line: National Security starts out with police officer Hank (played by Steve Zahn) helplessly watching his partner get gunned down while the two are attempting to break up a warehouse robbery. While back on the beat, he comes across Lawrence's Earl Montgomery who has his hand stuck in a slightly opened car window because he has locked his keys in his car (really, he did). You can guess what happens next. When a Martin Lawrence played character is even suspected by a white cop to be stealing a car that's actually his…Earl's mouth gets him a half step away from getting arrested.

While being detained, Earl notices a bee flying too close for comfort to him. Earl is deathly allergic to bee stings & as his terror becomes more apparent to officer Hank (we never do learn his last name), Hank uses the worst judgment possible in trying to protect & serve Earl. He whips out his nightstick & commences to swing at the bee. What ensues is a hilarious misunderstanding all caught on amateur videotape, filmed at the most incriminating of angles that make it appear that Hank is beating Earl when he isn't. (Personally, I swat at bees with my hand… why would you use a nightstick? That's like using a samurai sword to spread butter on toast!) Bottom line, if you're a white cop getting caught on tape even APPEARING to beat a black man in Los Angeles, you're going to jail. No crossing Go, no collecting 200 dollars a la Monopoly, straight to jail.

So after six months of being locked up, Hank gets a job as a security guard & attempts to solve the still unsolved crime of who killed his partner. Another warehouse hit makes partners out of Earl & Hank. Earl Montgomery, is a life long cop wannabe, who gets kicked out of the police academy for his abundance of zeal for the job (if you see the movie, you'll see that "abundance of zeal" is the understatement of the year so far) & Lawrence's trademark smart mouth of course. The closest thing to a police job Earl can muster is that of a security guard.

Tell Me More About It: This movie isn't great but then again I can't say that any of Martin Lawrence's movies are/were/or ever will be "great," but it's funny, as are all Martin Lawrence movies. You will laugh, and the action isn't bad either. This movie shouldn't be at the top of your "must see" movie list this weekend, but it can be on the list.

Martin Lawrence- "Blue Streak" "Big Mommas House", "What's The Worst That Could Happen"	Steve Zahn- "Riding in Cars with Boys" "Joy Ride", "Stuart Little 2" (voice)
Eric Roberts- `Endangered Species", "Sex & Violence"	Director - Dennis Dugan-"Saving Silverman", "Big Daddy" "Happy Gilmore"

Martin Lawrence: Earl Montgomery	Steve Zahn: Hank
Eric Roberts: Nash	Directed by Dennis Dugan