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** Hank's engineer friend knows enough about the world to immediately tell Hank to leave with a keg made out of a super-expensive alloy, not wanting to end up with a bad case of lead poisoning.
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* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Nash, the leader of the gang, is white-haired. He is the one who shoots Hank's former partner in the back. He's [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking also a racist]] who calls Earl a "monkey".
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* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Nash, the leader of the gang, is white-haired. He is the one who shoots Hank's former partner in the back. He's [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking also a racist]] who calls Earl a "monkey"."monkey".
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Earl likes to do that, especially where Hank is concerned.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Earl likes to do that, especially where Hank is concerned.
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* GenreSavvy: The car thief in the epilogue is smart enough to memorize the car's license plate before trying to steal it. Of course, Earl ends up asking him that exact question.
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* GenreSavvy: The car thief in the epilogue is smart enough to memorize the car's license plate before trying to steal it. Of course, Earl ends up asking him that exact question.question to prove to Hank that he's the owner.
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* GenreSavvy: The car thief in the epilogue is smart enough to memorize the car's license plate before trying to steal it. Of course, Earl ends up asking him that exact question.
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* HypocriticalHumour: For all of Earl's talk about racism, he himself is racist. Such as when he refused to help Hank reunite with his girlfriend when he found out she was black since he didn't approve of inter-racial relationships, though only if it's between a white man nd a black woman.
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* HypocriticalHumour: For all of Earl's talk about racism, he himself is racist. Such as when he refused to help Hank reunite with his girlfriend when he found out she was black since he didn't approve of inter-racial relationships, though only if it's between a white man nd and a black woman.
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Changed line(s) 40 (click to see context) from:
* HypocriticalHumour: For all of Earl's talk about racism, he himself is racist. Such as when he refused to help Hank reunite with his girlfriend when he found out she was black since he didn't approve of inter-racial relationships.
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* HypocriticalHumour: For all of Earl's talk about racism, he himself is racist. Such as when he refused to help Hank reunite with his girlfriend when he found out she was black since he didn't approve of inter-racial relationships.relationships, though only if it's between a white man nd a black woman.
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* EverythingIsRacist: Earl thinks everything that doesn't go his way is because of racism. He didn't get into the academy? Racism. A cop is questioning him about him trying to get into his car in a manner that looks unquestionably like he's trying to steal it? Racism.
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* HypocriticalHumour: For all of Earl's talk about racism, he himself is racist. Such as when he refused to help Hank reunite with his girlfriend when he found out she was black since he didn't approve of inter-racial relationships.
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'''National Security''' is a 2003 action comedy film directed by Creator/DennisDugan, starring MartinLawrence and Steve Zahn. A BuddyCopShow with a twist: neither character is a cop (at the time they are forced to partner up, at least).
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'''National Security''' is a 2003 action comedy film directed by Creator/DennisDugan, starring MartinLawrence Creator/MartinLawrence and Steve Zahn. A BuddyCopShow with a twist: neither character is a cop (at the time they are forced to partner up, at least).
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Changed line(s) 54 (click to see context) from:
* StreetSmart: Earl shows signs of this. He immediately deduces that the garage that Hank claims belongs to a guy he knows doesn't belong to a guy due to the fact that it's completely lacking in power tools. Also, when Hank is trying to find out which truck the bad guys rented and is struggling to describe them, Earl talks to the guy on the phone, finds out that the rental place is located in South Central, and tells the guy that the people in question were white.
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* StreetSmart: Earl shows signs of this. He immediately deduces that the garage that Hank claims belongs to a guy he knows doesn't belong to a guy due to the fact that it's completely lacking in power tools. Also, when Hank is trying to find out which truck the bad guys rented and is struggling to describe them, Earl talks to the guy on the phone, finds out that the rental place is located in South Central, and tells the guy that the people in question were white. That's enough detail to find out the information.
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* StreetSmart: Earl shows signs of this. He immediately deduces that the garage that Hank claims belongs to a guy he knows doesn't belong to a guy due to the fact that it's completely lacking in power tools. Also, when Hank is trying to find out which truck the bad guys rented and is struggling to describe them, Earl talks to the guy on the phone, finds out that the rental place is located in South Central, and tells the guy that the people in question were white.
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* ScaryBlackMan: Any black inmates who gives Hank the "throat cut" gesture.
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* ScaryBlackMan: Any black inmates who gives Hank the "throat cut" gesture. gesture.
* SuperWindowJump: Hank pulls this off at the beginning to get to his partner, who's under fire in another part of the warehouse. He's unharmed by any shards of glass. Bonus points for actually firing at the window a few times to weaken it before jumping.
* SuperWindowJump: Hank pulls this off at the beginning to get to his partner, who's under fire in another part of the warehouse. He's unharmed by any shards of glass. Bonus points for actually firing at the window a few times to weaken it before jumping.
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* KangarooCourt: The courtroom where Hank is being tried for PoliceBrutality appears to be purposely geared towards convicting him. The "jury of peers" is mostly made up of black jurors with only one timid white guy. However, the evidence is also pretty damning, despite the fact that the tourist video doesn't actually show that it's Earl being beat up. Also, no medical experts are being called to witness, who should have immediately stated that the horrible bruises are not due to Hank but due to bee stings. It's pretty much stated by the higher-up cops that they need a show trial to calm down the African-American community in order to avoid a race riot. The DA is initially reluctant to pursue the case. Hank does get of fairly lightly, at least according to Earl, being jailed only for 6 months.
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* KangarooCourt: The courtroom where Hank is being tried for PoliceBrutality appears to be purposely geared towards convicting him. The "jury of peers" is mostly made up of black jurors with only one timid white guy. However, the evidence is also pretty damning, despite the fact that the tourist video doesn't actually show that it's Earl being beat up. Also, no medical experts are being called to witness, who should have immediately stated that the horrible bruises are not due to Hank but due to bee stings. It's pretty much stated by the higher-up cops that they need a show trial to calm down the African-American community in order to avoid a race riot. The DA is initially reluctant to pursue the case. Hank does get of off fairly lightly, at least according to Earl, being jailed only for 6 months.
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Changed line(s) 40 (click to see context) from:
* KangarooCourt: The courtroom where Hank is being tried for PoliceBrutality appears to be purposely geared towards convicting him. The "jury of peers" is mostly made up of black jurors with only one timid white guy. However, the evidence is also pretty damning, despite the fact that the tourist video doesn't actually show that it's Earl being beat up. Also, no medical experts are being called to witness, who should have immediately stated that the horrible bruises are not due to Hank but due to bee stings. It's pretty much stated by the higher-up cops that they need a show trial to calm down the African-American community in order to avoid a race riot. The DA is initially reluctant to pursue the case.
to:
* KangarooCourt: The courtroom where Hank is being tried for PoliceBrutality appears to be purposely geared towards convicting him. The "jury of peers" is mostly made up of black jurors with only one timid white guy. However, the evidence is also pretty damning, despite the fact that the tourist video doesn't actually show that it's Earl being beat up. Also, no medical experts are being called to witness, who should have immediately stated that the horrible bruises are not due to Hank but due to bee stings. It's pretty much stated by the higher-up cops that they need a show trial to calm down the African-American community in order to avoid a race riot. The DA is initially reluctant to pursue the case. Hank does get of fairly lightly, at least according to Earl, being jailed only for 6 months.
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Correcting the name.
Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
After Charlie's funeral, Hank refuses to take a new partner and goes on patrol alone. He encounters Earl, as Earl is trying to get the keys he locked in his car. Hank assumes that Earl is a car thief, and Hank inflames the situation by insulting Hank. Just as Hank is about to arrest him, a "big-ass bumblebee" shows up, and Earl demands that Hank get rid of it, claiming to be allergic to bee stings. Hank tries to swat the bumblebee with his nightstick. A tourist films the whole thing from a bad angle, making it look like [[PoliceBrutality Hank is brutally beating up Earl]]. The video is then shown on the news, followed by pictures of Earl with big bruises on his face (actually, the result of a bee sting). The African-American community is in an uproar, and the LAPD and the DA decide to make an example of Hank to calm them down. A biased court finds Hank guilty. Hank is fired and sentenced to 6 months in jail, which he chooses to spend in solitary to avoid being killed by black inmates.
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After Charlie's funeral, Hank refuses to take a new partner and goes on patrol alone. He encounters Earl, as Earl is trying to get the keys he locked in his car. Hank assumes that Earl is a car thief, and Hank Earl inflames the situation by insulting Hank. Just as Hank is about to arrest him, a "big-ass bumblebee" shows up, and Earl demands that Hank get rid of it, claiming to be allergic to bee stings. Hank tries to swat the bumblebee with his nightstick. A tourist films the whole thing from a bad angle, making it look like [[PoliceBrutality Hank is brutally beating up Earl]]. The video is then shown on the news, followed by pictures of Earl with big bruises on his face (actually, the result of a bee sting). The African-American community is in an uproar, and the LAPD and the DA decide to make an example of Hank to calm them down. A biased court finds Hank guilty. Hank is fired and sentenced to 6 months in jail, which he chooses to spend in solitary to avoid being killed by black inmates.
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* GoingCommando: When Hank's ex-girlfriend is examining Earl's bullet wound, Hank is annoyed to find out that Earl doesn't wear any underwear. Earl claims that he doesn't like to be constrained.
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* Music/BarryWhite: Earl puts on "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" when role-playing with a secretary named Lola, telling her to "strip-search [her]self". She's more than happy to oblige.
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* TinyGuyHugeGirl: Earl attempts to get into a truck only to be literally picked up by its driver, a tall, muscular black woman named Britney. After being put down, Earl takes another look at her, and immediately goes into his seduction mode. Britney has about 3-4 inches on Earl.
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* ICallItVera: Earl carries a large pistol which he calls "Earl Jr."
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Meanwhile, Earn Montgomery (Lawrence) is trying to get into the police academy, but his constant references to racism and disregard for rules result in him failing the entrance exam. Naturally, he concludes that the whole academy is full of racists.
After Charlie's funeral, Hank refuses to take a new partner and goes on patrol alone. He encounters Earn, as Earn is trying to get the keys he locked in his car. Hank assumes that Earl is a car thief, and Hank inflames the situation by insulting Hank. Just as Hank is about to arrest him, a "big-ass bumblebee" shows up, and Earl demands that Hank get rid of it, claiming to be allergic to bee stings. Hank tries to swat the bumblebee with his nightstick. A tourist films the whole thing from a bad angle, making it look like [[PoliceBrutality Hank is brutally beating up Earl]]. The video is then shown on the news, followed by pictures of Earl with big bruises on his face (actually, the result of a bee sting). The African-American community is in an uproar, and the LAPD and the DA decide to make an example of Hank to calm them down. A biased court finds Hank guilty. Hank is fired and sentenced to 6 months in jail, which he chooses to spend in solitary to avoid being killed by black inmates.
After Charlie's funeral, Hank refuses to take a new partner and goes on patrol alone. He encounters Earn, as Earn is trying to get the keys he locked in his car. Hank assumes that Earl is a car thief, and Hank inflames the situation by insulting Hank. Just as Hank is about to arrest him, a "big-ass bumblebee" shows up, and Earl demands that Hank get rid of it, claiming to be allergic to bee stings. Hank tries to swat the bumblebee with his nightstick. A tourist films the whole thing from a bad angle, making it look like [[PoliceBrutality Hank is brutally beating up Earl]]. The video is then shown on the news, followed by pictures of Earl with big bruises on his face (actually, the result of a bee sting). The African-American community is in an uproar, and the LAPD and the DA decide to make an example of Hank to calm them down. A biased court finds Hank guilty. Hank is fired and sentenced to 6 months in jail, which he chooses to spend in solitary to avoid being killed by black inmates.
to:
Meanwhile, Earn Earl Montgomery (Lawrence) is trying to get into the police academy, but his constant references to racism and disregard for rules result in him failing the entrance exam. Naturally, he concludes that the whole academy is full of racists.
After Charlie's funeral, Hank refuses to take a new partner and goes on patrol alone. He encountersEarn, Earl, as Earn Earl is trying to get the keys he locked in his car. Hank assumes that Earl is a car thief, and Hank inflames the situation by insulting Hank. Just as Hank is about to arrest him, a "big-ass bumblebee" shows up, and Earl demands that Hank get rid of it, claiming to be allergic to bee stings. Hank tries to swat the bumblebee with his nightstick. A tourist films the whole thing from a bad angle, making it look like [[PoliceBrutality Hank is brutally beating up Earl]]. The video is then shown on the news, followed by pictures of Earl with big bruises on his face (actually, the result of a bee sting). The African-American community is in an uproar, and the LAPD and the DA decide to make an example of Hank to calm them down. A biased court finds Hank guilty. Hank is fired and sentenced to 6 months in jail, which he chooses to spend in solitary to avoid being killed by black inmates.
After Charlie's funeral, Hank refuses to take a new partner and goes on patrol alone. He encounters
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* NeverMyFault: As far as Earl is concerned, nothing is ever his fault. It's the white man doing his best to keep him down.
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* LaserGuidedKarma: At the start of the movie, Hank is contemptuous of security guards, claiming that they're all ex-cons who can't get another job. After being fired from LAPD and jailed for 6 months, guess which is the only job he can get?
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* ScaryBlackMan: Any black inmates who gives Hank the "throat cut" gesture.
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** DragonInChief/DragonTheirFeet: He's also the one who does all the work and the main responsible for Hank's partner's death. At the climax he's the last villain to be killed after [=McDuff=].
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** DragonInChief/DragonTheirFeet: DragonInChief / DragonTheirFeet: He's also the one who does all the work and the main responsible for Hank's partner's death. At the climax he's the last villain to be killed after [=McDuff=].
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* DisneyVillainDeath: Nash's death.
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** DragonInChief/DragonTheirFeet: He's also the one who does all the work and the main responsible for Hank's partner's death. At the climax he's the last villain to be killed after [=McDuff=].
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* NoSell: Hank asks his engineer friend to cut into one of the ordinary-looking kegs to see if there's a false bottom. The engineer starts cutting into the keg with a thermal lance only for the keg to not even look darker. He touches it and determines that it's still cool. He immediately deduces that the kegs are made of a heat- and damage-resistant space-age alloy worth millions. Being GenreSavvy, he tells Hank to leave and take the kegs with him, as this is exactly the sort of thing someone can get killed over.
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* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Nash, the leader of the gang, is white-haired. He is the one who shoots Hank's former partner in the back. He's [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking also a racist]] who calls Earl a "monkey".
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* TattooedCrook: Hank's only clue as to the identity of his partner's killer is a tattoo on his arm. After getting out of prison, he finds out that the tattoo was a dead end in the investigation. He then personally drives around various LA tattoo parlors asking about the design, but no one seems to know. He later recognizes Nash as the killer after spotting the tattoo.
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Nash, the leader of the gang, is white-haired. He is the one who shoots Hank's former partner in the back. He's [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking also a racist]] who calls Earl a "monkey".
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Nash, the leader of the gang, is white-haired. He is the one who shoots Hank's former partner in the back. He's [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking also a racist]] who calls Earl a "monkey".
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* ManInAKilt: Earl accidentally insults [=McDuff=]'s father when seeing a family photo.
--> '''Earl Montgomery:''' Who's the Planet of the Apes looking lady in the dress?
--> '''Frank [=McDuff=]:''' That's my father.
--> '''Earl Montgomery:''' Handsome man.
--> '''Earl Montgomery:''' Who's the Planet of the Apes looking lady in the dress?
--> '''Frank [=McDuff=]:''' That's my father.
--> '''Earl Montgomery:''' Handsome man.
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* HollywoodRestrainingOrder: Earl has one against Hank after the trial. After the warehouse shootout, Washington wants to put Hank back into prison for violating the restraining order, despite the fact that Hank had no idea that Earl worked in that same warehouse. After Earl remembers that he left his temporary LoveInterest handcuffed in the warehouse office, he asks Washington if he could "hook a brother up" with another restraining order.
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'''National Security''' is a 2003 action comedy film directed by Creator/DennisDugan, starring MartinLawrence and Steve Zahn. A BuddyCopShow with a twist: neither character is a cop (at the time they are forced to partner up, at least).
Hank Rafferty (Zahn) is a typical LAPD cop who, early on, shows his contempt for security guards, claiming to his partner Charlie that they're all ex-cons who can't get another job. They are called in to investigate a warehouse break-in. The partners are separated, and Charlie is killed during a shoot-out with a gang of thieves.
Meanwhile, Earn Montgomery (Lawrence) is trying to get into the police academy, but his constant references to racism and disregard for rules result in him failing the entrance exam. Naturally, he concludes that the whole academy is full of racists.
After Charlie's funeral, Hank refuses to take a new partner and goes on patrol alone. He encounters Earn, as Earn is trying to get the keys he locked in his car. Hank assumes that Earl is a car thief, and Hank inflames the situation by insulting Hank. Just as Hank is about to arrest him, a "big-ass bumblebee" shows up, and Earl demands that Hank get rid of it, claiming to be allergic to bee stings. Hank tries to swat the bumblebee with his nightstick. A tourist films the whole thing from a bad angle, making it look like [[PoliceBrutality Hank is brutally beating up Earl]]. The video is then shown on the news, followed by pictures of Earl with big bruises on his face (actually, the result of a bee sting). The African-American community is in an uproar, and the LAPD and the DA decide to make an example of Hank to calm them down. A biased court finds Hank guilty. Hank is fired and sentenced to 6 months in jail, which he chooses to spend in solitary to avoid being killed by black inmates.
After getting out, Hank is hit by LaserGuidedKarma, as the only job he can get is in security. After finding out that the cops are no closer to solving the warehouse break-in case, he decides to do it himself. He receives a police dispatch call about another warehouse break-in and get on the scene. He finds the same gang there, and a firefight breaks out. Earl, who happens to be working security in the same warehouse, jumps in, and both are forced to work together to survive. Both are arrested during a car chase, and Hank's former boss Lieutenant Washington nearly has him arrested again for violating the restraining order placed by Earl on him. Earl diffuses the situation, as he wants to partner up with Hank to chase the bad guys. Hank is trying to distance himself from Earl and is seriously contemplating beating him up for real. Earl almost helps Hank to convince Hank's ex-girlfriend that there really was a bumblebee at the scene, when Earl learns that she's black. Being firmly against mixed-race relationships (specifically, where the man is white; he himself has no problems hitting on white girls), Earl denies everything.
Hank and Earl end up catching up to the gang and stealing their van full of metal kegs. The kegs are empty, but a friend of Hank's analyzes the kegs themselves and concludes that they're made of a new space-age alloy that's worth millions. They follow the gang's [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white-haired leader]] Nash to a meeting, and find out that he's working with Detective [=McDuff=]. They show the proof to Washington, and he agrees to help them lure [=McDuff=] into a trap with a SWAT team providing backup.
[=McDuff=], Nash, and the thieves show up at the location of Hank's choosing (an old fort), but the bad guys have Washington at gunpoint, and the SWAT team turns out to be working for [=McDuff=]. Hank and Earl manage to rescue Washington and kill [=McDuff=]. Washington is wounded and opts to cover them, while they run down the escaping Nash. They corner him on a precipice. Earl tries to fight him but is outmatched. Meanwhile, Hank gets into a crane and uses a wrecking ball to knock Nash off the cliff and rescue Earl.
As a reward for solving the case and revealing the corruption within LAPD, Hank gets his job back, and Earl is made his partner. Hank and his ex get back together. As they go out on their first patrol, they spot a (white) guy reaching into a car's part-open window. Earl tries to show Hank how to be courteous, helps the guy open the car door, only for a lady to run up and point out that it's her car. Earl shoots at the car, causing the thief to jump out and the car to [[EveryCarIsAPinto explode]].
The film is almost universally hated by critics, receiving 11% on Website/RottenTomatoes, although it did earn $50 million worldwide.
----
!!The film contains examples of the following tropes:
* AcronymConfusion: After they're arrested, Earl tells Hank he spotted "CIA heist" written on a case folder on Washington's desk. After discovering what the thieves have been stealing, the incredulous Hank asks Earl and Washington if the CIA is really involved. Earl and Washington look at him like he's an idiot, and Washington explains that the acronym stands for Crupps International Aerospace.
* BriarPatching: A variation. After getting to prison, Hank sees every black inmate giving him murderous looks. A prison guard tells him to calm down if he doesn't want to spend time in solitary. Resigned, Hank elbows him in order to stay alive in the solitary. He's released 3 months later and sees a black inmate giving him the "throat slash" gesture. Exasperated, he punches out the guard, and walks back into the solitary to sit out the rest of his sentence.
* BuddyCopShow: Except they're security guards at the time. Hank is a disgraced ex-cop, while Earl is a cop-wannabe. They do become cops at the end.
* CassandraTruth: No one believes Hank about the bumblebee, even though Earl lets it slip to the DA and the higher-up cops that he really does have an allergy to bee stings. Denise, Hank's ex, also refuses to believe such a "ridiculous" story, until she personally witnesses Earl running away from a bumblebee.
* ConcealmentEqualsCover: The shootout between the gang and the newly-paired-up Hank and Earl involves a lot of this, the cover frequently being bottles of soda (they are in a warehouse, after all).
* DirtyCop: Detective [=McDuff=] turns out to be the one in charge of the heist. When Hank first attempts to get in on the investigation, he is rudely brushed off by [=McDuff=], who insists that a "uniform" like Hank should stick to patrols.
** Played with Lieutenant Washington, who turns out to be clean in the end.
** Joked by a black lady who claims that all cops in LA are dirty.
* EveryCarIsAPinto: The lady's car at the end explodes shortly after Earl puts a few bullets in it.
* FlashedBadgeHijack: Played straight the first time but averted the second time. The first time, Earl flashes his security guard badge to quickly to see and intimidates a drivers ed student and instructor into getting out of the car. The second time, Hank attempts this, only to be browbeaten by the black woman in the car. They settle for riding in the back.
* HassleFreeHotwire: Averted. When they're in the bad guys' van, Hank asks Earl to hot-wire it. Earl immediately bristles at the implication that every black man is a car thief, but claims to, incidentally, know how to do that. He turns out to be terrible at it, splicing the wrong wires, and alerting the bad guys that something's wrong.
* KangarooCourt: The courtroom where Hank is being tried for PoliceBrutality appears to be purposely geared towards convicting him. The "jury of peers" is mostly made up of black jurors with only one timid white guy. However, the evidence is also pretty damning, despite the fact that the tourist video doesn't actually show that it's Earl being beat up. Also, no medical experts are being called to witness, who should have immediately stated that the horrible bruises are not due to Hank but due to bee stings. It's pretty much stated by the higher-up cops that they need a show trial to calm down the African-American community in order to avoid a race riot. The DA is initially reluctant to pursue the case.
* MalignedMixedMarriage: Earl is firmly against interracial relationships... where the man is white. He himself is perfectly willing to hit on a white woman. He gets slightly better about it at the end, at least as far as Hank is concerned.
* MinorInjuryOverreaction: Earl is shot in the leg and reacts as if it's a fatal wound. Hank takes him to his nurse ex-girlfriend's house, who points out that it's barely a graze.
* MistakenForRacist: Hank, big time, after the supposed PoliceBrutality incident. In fact, Hank is decidedly not a racist, but his (black) girlfriend leaves him after the incident, convinced he is.
** In fact, ''every'' white guy is automatically assumed by Earl to be a racist, especially if they do something he doesn't like or reject him from the police academy. Surely, [[SarcasmMode it couldn't possibly be]] Earl's annoying, racist, and disrespectful attitude.
* PoliceBrutality: The main plot is kicked off when Hank is accused of brutally beating up Earl. While he did accidentally land a few hits in, he was, in fact, trying to save Earl from a bumblebee, as Earl is allergic to bee stings. Earl, however, insists that he was beaten up, and gets Hank fired from his job and jailed for 6 months. Hank's black girlfriend leaves him because of this.
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Nash, the leader of the gang, is white-haired. He is the one who shoots Hank's former partner in the back. He's [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking also a racist]] who calls Earl a "monkey".
Hank Rafferty (Zahn) is a typical LAPD cop who, early on, shows his contempt for security guards, claiming to his partner Charlie that they're all ex-cons who can't get another job. They are called in to investigate a warehouse break-in. The partners are separated, and Charlie is killed during a shoot-out with a gang of thieves.
Meanwhile, Earn Montgomery (Lawrence) is trying to get into the police academy, but his constant references to racism and disregard for rules result in him failing the entrance exam. Naturally, he concludes that the whole academy is full of racists.
After Charlie's funeral, Hank refuses to take a new partner and goes on patrol alone. He encounters Earn, as Earn is trying to get the keys he locked in his car. Hank assumes that Earl is a car thief, and Hank inflames the situation by insulting Hank. Just as Hank is about to arrest him, a "big-ass bumblebee" shows up, and Earl demands that Hank get rid of it, claiming to be allergic to bee stings. Hank tries to swat the bumblebee with his nightstick. A tourist films the whole thing from a bad angle, making it look like [[PoliceBrutality Hank is brutally beating up Earl]]. The video is then shown on the news, followed by pictures of Earl with big bruises on his face (actually, the result of a bee sting). The African-American community is in an uproar, and the LAPD and the DA decide to make an example of Hank to calm them down. A biased court finds Hank guilty. Hank is fired and sentenced to 6 months in jail, which he chooses to spend in solitary to avoid being killed by black inmates.
After getting out, Hank is hit by LaserGuidedKarma, as the only job he can get is in security. After finding out that the cops are no closer to solving the warehouse break-in case, he decides to do it himself. He receives a police dispatch call about another warehouse break-in and get on the scene. He finds the same gang there, and a firefight breaks out. Earl, who happens to be working security in the same warehouse, jumps in, and both are forced to work together to survive. Both are arrested during a car chase, and Hank's former boss Lieutenant Washington nearly has him arrested again for violating the restraining order placed by Earl on him. Earl diffuses the situation, as he wants to partner up with Hank to chase the bad guys. Hank is trying to distance himself from Earl and is seriously contemplating beating him up for real. Earl almost helps Hank to convince Hank's ex-girlfriend that there really was a bumblebee at the scene, when Earl learns that she's black. Being firmly against mixed-race relationships (specifically, where the man is white; he himself has no problems hitting on white girls), Earl denies everything.
Hank and Earl end up catching up to the gang and stealing their van full of metal kegs. The kegs are empty, but a friend of Hank's analyzes the kegs themselves and concludes that they're made of a new space-age alloy that's worth millions. They follow the gang's [[WhiteHairBlackHeart white-haired leader]] Nash to a meeting, and find out that he's working with Detective [=McDuff=]. They show the proof to Washington, and he agrees to help them lure [=McDuff=] into a trap with a SWAT team providing backup.
[=McDuff=], Nash, and the thieves show up at the location of Hank's choosing (an old fort), but the bad guys have Washington at gunpoint, and the SWAT team turns out to be working for [=McDuff=]. Hank and Earl manage to rescue Washington and kill [=McDuff=]. Washington is wounded and opts to cover them, while they run down the escaping Nash. They corner him on a precipice. Earl tries to fight him but is outmatched. Meanwhile, Hank gets into a crane and uses a wrecking ball to knock Nash off the cliff and rescue Earl.
As a reward for solving the case and revealing the corruption within LAPD, Hank gets his job back, and Earl is made his partner. Hank and his ex get back together. As they go out on their first patrol, they spot a (white) guy reaching into a car's part-open window. Earl tries to show Hank how to be courteous, helps the guy open the car door, only for a lady to run up and point out that it's her car. Earl shoots at the car, causing the thief to jump out and the car to [[EveryCarIsAPinto explode]].
The film is almost universally hated by critics, receiving 11% on Website/RottenTomatoes, although it did earn $50 million worldwide.
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!!The film contains examples of the following tropes:
* AcronymConfusion: After they're arrested, Earl tells Hank he spotted "CIA heist" written on a case folder on Washington's desk. After discovering what the thieves have been stealing, the incredulous Hank asks Earl and Washington if the CIA is really involved. Earl and Washington look at him like he's an idiot, and Washington explains that the acronym stands for Crupps International Aerospace.
* BriarPatching: A variation. After getting to prison, Hank sees every black inmate giving him murderous looks. A prison guard tells him to calm down if he doesn't want to spend time in solitary. Resigned, Hank elbows him in order to stay alive in the solitary. He's released 3 months later and sees a black inmate giving him the "throat slash" gesture. Exasperated, he punches out the guard, and walks back into the solitary to sit out the rest of his sentence.
* BuddyCopShow: Except they're security guards at the time. Hank is a disgraced ex-cop, while Earl is a cop-wannabe. They do become cops at the end.
* CassandraTruth: No one believes Hank about the bumblebee, even though Earl lets it slip to the DA and the higher-up cops that he really does have an allergy to bee stings. Denise, Hank's ex, also refuses to believe such a "ridiculous" story, until she personally witnesses Earl running away from a bumblebee.
* ConcealmentEqualsCover: The shootout between the gang and the newly-paired-up Hank and Earl involves a lot of this, the cover frequently being bottles of soda (they are in a warehouse, after all).
* DirtyCop: Detective [=McDuff=] turns out to be the one in charge of the heist. When Hank first attempts to get in on the investigation, he is rudely brushed off by [=McDuff=], who insists that a "uniform" like Hank should stick to patrols.
** Played with Lieutenant Washington, who turns out to be clean in the end.
** Joked by a black lady who claims that all cops in LA are dirty.
* EveryCarIsAPinto: The lady's car at the end explodes shortly after Earl puts a few bullets in it.
* FlashedBadgeHijack: Played straight the first time but averted the second time. The first time, Earl flashes his security guard badge to quickly to see and intimidates a drivers ed student and instructor into getting out of the car. The second time, Hank attempts this, only to be browbeaten by the black woman in the car. They settle for riding in the back.
* HassleFreeHotwire: Averted. When they're in the bad guys' van, Hank asks Earl to hot-wire it. Earl immediately bristles at the implication that every black man is a car thief, but claims to, incidentally, know how to do that. He turns out to be terrible at it, splicing the wrong wires, and alerting the bad guys that something's wrong.
* KangarooCourt: The courtroom where Hank is being tried for PoliceBrutality appears to be purposely geared towards convicting him. The "jury of peers" is mostly made up of black jurors with only one timid white guy. However, the evidence is also pretty damning, despite the fact that the tourist video doesn't actually show that it's Earl being beat up. Also, no medical experts are being called to witness, who should have immediately stated that the horrible bruises are not due to Hank but due to bee stings. It's pretty much stated by the higher-up cops that they need a show trial to calm down the African-American community in order to avoid a race riot. The DA is initially reluctant to pursue the case.
* MalignedMixedMarriage: Earl is firmly against interracial relationships... where the man is white. He himself is perfectly willing to hit on a white woman. He gets slightly better about it at the end, at least as far as Hank is concerned.
* MinorInjuryOverreaction: Earl is shot in the leg and reacts as if it's a fatal wound. Hank takes him to his nurse ex-girlfriend's house, who points out that it's barely a graze.
* MistakenForRacist: Hank, big time, after the supposed PoliceBrutality incident. In fact, Hank is decidedly not a racist, but his (black) girlfriend leaves him after the incident, convinced he is.
** In fact, ''every'' white guy is automatically assumed by Earl to be a racist, especially if they do something he doesn't like or reject him from the police academy. Surely, [[SarcasmMode it couldn't possibly be]] Earl's annoying, racist, and disrespectful attitude.
* PoliceBrutality: The main plot is kicked off when Hank is accused of brutally beating up Earl. While he did accidentally land a few hits in, he was, in fact, trying to save Earl from a bumblebee, as Earl is allergic to bee stings. Earl, however, insists that he was beaten up, and gets Hank fired from his job and jailed for 6 months. Hank's black girlfriend leaves him because of this.
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Nash, the leader of the gang, is white-haired. He is the one who shoots Hank's former partner in the back. He's [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking also a racist]] who calls Earl a "monkey".
