National Security

An honest LA cop is falsely accused of racist brutality by an embittered ex-cadet, and jailed for six months. On release, he struggles to rebuild his life and regain his dignity, while coming to appreciate, through painful encounters with his tormentor, what it's like to be part of America's underclass. A tough-minded parable or poignant tragedy about the corrosive effects of endemic racial inequality? Regrettably, no - this is the queasy premise for another Martin Lawrence, sub-Beverly Hills Cop action comedy. The pair overcome their differences while tackling a smuggling syndicate run by standard peroxide bad hat Roberts. Slo-mo shoot-outs are thrown in to break up the banter, and Lawrence mugs as if his career depended on it. But with hectoring, confused polemics and a glib take on race relations, the film leaves a mighty sour taste for such a thin brew.