Movie Journals |
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National Security
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National Security I don’t care what anyone says, National Security (91 minutes) is amusing. Although I would love to see Martin Lawrence in a film where race is not an issue, so many of his films base their comedy on racial identity, and this movie is no different. That its humor relies so heavily on racial inequality is only a slight negative, somewhat like an annoying bee that stings upon occasion. Within four minutes I decided that I would like the movie. It opens with shots of a break-in and two friendly cops joking with one another. The cops setup the movie with their bet that people in security are either ex-felons or police academy wannabees. The action picks up and intensifies ending with one of cops being shot and the other (Hank) unable to do anything about it. Plot Point I (23 minutes) comes when the two main characters meet, and Hank is caught on tape looking as if he is beating Earl within an inch of his life. In actuality, Hank is swatting away a bee that Earl is highly allergic to. This scene spins the movie in a new direction whereby Hank becomes an ex-felon, and Earl becomes a police academy wannabe. Hank’s main conflict is to find his partner’s killers; Earl’s is to become a cop, and come to terms that the whole world is not racist. After about 78 minutes the movie comes to Plot Point II, Hank and Earl find out who’s the dirty cop, and by the end of the movie, they both have achieved their inner need. Both characters are somewhat lacking in their realism and growth, but hey, what do ya want for a free movie coupon at Blockbuster? Now that Martin Lawrence has, through Earl’s character, worked through his tendency to view the world with race colored glasses, perhaps his next movie can relax and actually rely on his comedic talents. Karen Walker 13 October 2003 |