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National Security

National Security

Action · Comedy · Crime · 2003

Earl Montgomery, a bombastic police academy reject, and Hank Rafferty, a disgraced, mild-mannered cop, can't seem to escape each other. They met on opposite sides of the law during a routine traffic stop that escalated out of control; now as lowly security guards they're thrown together to bust a smuggling operation.

Movie details

National Security

“They only look like cops.”

2003 Action · Comedy · Crime 1h 29m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

Earl Montgomery, a bombastic police academy reject, and Hank Rafferty, a disgraced, mild-mannered cop, can't seem to escape each other. They met on opposite sides of the law during a routine traffic stop that escalated out of control; now as lowly security guards they're thrown together to bust a smuggling operation.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over National Security?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Dennis Dugan

Written by

David Ronn · Jay Scherick

Martin Lawrence

Martin Lawrence

Earl Montgomery

Steve Zahn

Steve Zahn

Hank Rafferty

Colm Feore

Colm Feore

Detective Frank McDuff

Bill Duke

Bill Duke

Lieutenant Washington

Eric Roberts

Eric Roberts

Nash

Timothy Busfield

Timothy Busfield

Charlie Reed

Robinne Lee

Robinne Lee

Denise

Court is in session

Put National Security on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“It owes the canon nothing.”

The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”

It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.