By Tanya Batson, Staff ReporterNATIONAL Security is an action comedy which is as funny as it is in spite of the lead actor, Martin Lawrence. Lawrence seems to have become one of those actors who have become victims of their own stereotypes. He seems to be suffering from the same disease as Eddie Murphy and Eddie Griffin. Like the other two comedians, it would help if Lawrence would stop insulting his fans by playing the same stupid role time and again.
In truth, Lawrence is a funny guy, but it would not hurt if someone told him that acting is not a criminal offence and recommend that he try it sometime.
As such, it is Steve Zahn who brings a much needed element of variety to this script. Without him, National Security would simply have been another show featuring Lawrence running around idiotically and yelling for no known reason. Zahn's character lifts the comedy, rather than allowing it to simply thud to the earth and flounder there helplessly.
The result is that National Security is a tolerable flick if you are not looking for anything much. Hard-core Martin Lawrence fans (if there is any such animal) will probably love this one, however.
In fact, if you do not mind seeing the same jokes that you have seen in several other movies, then there are laughs a minute in National Security.
National Security follows the trail of Earl Montgomary (Lawrence) and Hank (Zahn) as they try to trail some very 'misty' criminals. Hank and Montgomery are both security guards and neither of them wants to be. Hank is a former police officer, while Montgomery is a police academy reject.
However, when their paths cross, the two end up working together in the classic buddy story except that they do not like each other.
The writers of this flick, Jay Sherick and David Ronn, seemed to have decided that all that was important was the chase, not who was being chased. As such, the villains in National Security are sketched in pencil. They are only valuable when they shoot at Montgomery and Hank, or when they are being shot at. As such, though Eric Roberts plays the major villain, any talent he could have brought to the movie is largely overlooked.
Additionally, they seemed to have missed the memo which stated that yelling 'Noooooooooo!' and running to save your partner is not allowed in movies made after 1995.
Overall, the action in National Security is not much to write home about. Riddled with high speed car chases which lead nowhere and machine gun shoot-outs which kill no one, the action is on occasion funny. At other times, it is merely unimpressive.
Fortunately, National Security does not last very long. This is important, as it is not a very meaty flick and greater length would simply have been cruel.
National Security is good for a couple of laughs, but not much more.
