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National Security (2003)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 3.3/10
Reviews Counted: 88
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 78

The action in National Security is mindless, while the humor says nothing insightful about racial issues.

Average Rating: 4/10
Critic Reviews: 26
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 20

The action in National Security is mindless, while the humor says nothing insightful about racial issues.

audience

liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 66,136

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Movie Info

Adversaries become wary allies in this free-wheeling action comedy. Hank Rafferty (Steve Zahn) is a Los Angeles Police Department officer who finds himself out of a job after he becomes involved in a violent altercation with police academy flunk-out Earl Montgomery (Martin Lawrence), escalating into a media event which brings the LAPD a wealth of bad publicity. Unable to find work, Hank finally takes a job as a "rent-a-cop" with a private security firm -- and discovers to his annoyance that his

PG-13, 1 hr. 28 min.

Action & Adventure, Comedy

Directed By: Dennis Dugan

Written By: David Ronn, Jay Scherick

In Theaters: Jan 17, 2003 Wide

On DVD: May 27, 2003

Box Office:$35.8M

Sony Pictures

National Security Trailer & Photos

More Photos (10)

Cast

Martin Lawrence
Earl Montgomery
Steve Zahn
Hank Rafferty
Colm Feore
Det. McDuff
Bill Duke
Lt. Washington
Eric Roberts
Nash
Timothy Busfield
Charlie Reed
Robinne Lee
Denise
Matt McCoy
Robert Barton
Brett Cullen
Heston
Cleo King
Woman in Car
Stephen Tobolowsky
Billy Narthax
Joe Flaherty
Owen Fergus
Amy Aquino
Councilwoman
Mike Brady
Smith
Carl Ciarfalio
Stanton
Keith Cooke
Ang
Maia Danziger
Jaguar Lady
Hal Fishman
Himself
Troy M. Gilbert
Cain
Robert Harvey
Cop at Impound Yard
Benjamin Hernandez
Detective
Ken Lerner
Hank's Lawyer
Dawnn Lewis
Woman at Impound Yard
Mark Lonow
Detective at Interrogat...
Richardson Morse
Detective
Anthony Schmidt
Eddie
Mickey Gilbert (II)
Driving Instructor
Jocko Marcellino
Sarcastic Cop
Terry Logan
LAPD Cop
Bruce Franklin Singer
Training Facility Offic...
Hiep Thi Le
McDuff's Secretary
Mari Morrow
Lola
Daniel Sudick
Training Facility Offic...
Jonathan Loughran
Sarcastic Cop
Jeff Ross
Security Guard
Noel Guglielmi
Latino Convict
Jackie Flynn
Guard in Solitary
Wayne Morse
Bailiff
Margaret Travolta
Judge
Bobby McLaughlin
Ashcroft
Greg Serano
Carjacker
Joe Bucaro III
Bratton
John Henry Binder
Cop at Impound Yard
Gerry Del Sol
Booking Clerk
Jeffrey Ross
Security Guard
Leslie Jones
Trucker Woman
Tom Forrest
Obnoxious Guy
Mike Grasso
Training Cop
Andy Dugan
Student Driver
Amanda Van Roberts
Rich Lady

Critic Reviews for National Security

All Critics (104) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (80) | DVD (16)

It's too bad Martin already made What's the Worst That Could Happen? The title really fits this one.

January 31, 2003 Comment

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Top Critic

As the two cop manqu�s overcome their dearth of common sense to save the day, the film achieves a comic playfulness.

January 21, 2003 Full Review Source: Village Voice

| Comment

Michael Miller

Village Voice

Top Critic

Despite some tasty contributions from Lawrence and Zahn, too much of National Security has the bland flavor of microwaved leftovers.

January 20, 2003 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Joe Leydon

Variety

Top Critic

Someone has to save us from Lawrence's onslaught of cinematic dross.

January 18, 2003 Comment

Bill Muller

Arizona Republic

Top Critic

A lame blend of comedy and action in which both credibility and laughs are blown to smithereens.

January 18, 2003 Comment

Robert Denerstein

Denver Rocky Mountain News

Top Critic

A retread of all those buddies-in- the-cop-car pictures of the 1980s; not even slightly dusted off.

January 17, 2003 Comment

Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Top Critic

Indistinguishable dumb action comedy.

December 26, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

If anything (or anyone) comes close to making us buy this as a higher-ticket item, it's Zahn.

November 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis

| Comment

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

If... Martin Lawrence and Adam Sandler [were] in the same movie, it might... create an anti-comedy field so strong that both their careers would be sucked into the vortex...

January 4, 2004 Full Review | Comment

Daniel M. Kimmel

Worcester Telegram & Gazette Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette

A patently offensive, racist and repulsive waste of celluloid, an affront to blacks, whites and human beings in general.

September 6, 2003 Comment

Josh Bell

Las Vegas Weekly Source: Las Vegas Weekly

Put your hands up and back away from this rent-a-flop.

August 29, 2003 Full Review Source: Apollo Guide

| Comment

Terri Clark

Apollo Guide

If rampant misogyny and racism sound like a laugh riot, by all means see National Security, a 'comedy' so aggressively unpleasant that it's worthy of squirms.

June 26, 2003 Full Review | Comment

Nick Rogers

State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) Source: State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)

As disposable as they come, National Security is a modestly entertaining re-hash of cop-buddy films of the 80s.

May 10, 2003 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile

| Comment

Urban Cinefile Critics

Urban Cinefile

This is a two-star movie dragged down a star because of its unrepentant racism.

April 21, 2003 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine

| Comments (2)

Alan Morrison

Empire Magazine

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for National Security

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July 29, 2010

Richard C

Super Reviewer

Complete crap, this movie wasn't even funny one bit!

February 4, 2010

KJ Proulx

Super Reviewer

National Security Quotes

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1. Earl Montgomery: Your partner got killed. You lost your job. You went to jail. Your girlfriend walked. You got a job as a security guard at a hundred and eighty-two dollars a week. You know what you are, Hank? You're a black man.
– Submitted by Kerwin M (49 days ago)

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