ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture
http://www.capalert.com/


CAPCon ALERT

Click on CAPCon Alert
image for explanation
Entertainment Media Analysis Report
A service to His little ones (which includes at-home teens) through you, their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word

MAR23006
National Security (2003), PG-13
Analysis Date: January 17, 2003
CAP Score: 43
CAP Influence Density: 2.42

MinMax: -88

National Security (YEAR) CAP Mini-thermometers




ALERT: To fully understand this report you should first visit the topics suggested by the CAP Site Map (Table of Contents). Further, if you do not want the plot, ending, or "secrets" of a movie spoiled for you, skip the Summary/Commentary. In any case, be sure to visit the Findings/Scoring section -- it is completely objective to His Word and is the heart of the CAP Entertainment Media Analysis Model applied to this movie.


NO service charges.
All donations are tax deductible.
To subscribe to (or unsubscribe from) our FREE text-only versions of our Entertainment Media Analysis Reports as they are calculated, visit our Mailman. If you experience difficulty with Mailman, send us your request. Your email address will NOT be given or sold to other parties.



SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:


If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary likely using a mix of KJV and NIV.


NATIONAL SECURITY (PG-13) -- While such a plot may be a good canvas for a comedy...



Production: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Outlaw Productions, The Firm
Distribution: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Director(s): Dennis Dugan
Producer(s): Moritz Borman, Sharon Dugan, Guy East, Andrew D. Given, Michael Green, Martin Lawrence, Robert F. Newmyer, Susan E. Novick, Jeffrey Silver, Nigel Sinclair, Scott Strauss
Written by/Screenplay: Jay Scherick, David Ronn
Cinematography/Camera: Oliver Wood
Music: Randy Edelman
Film Editing: Patrick J. Don Vito, Debra Neil-Fisher
Casting: Anne McCarthy, Mary Vernieu
Production Design: Larry Fulton
Art Direction: Christa Munro


Earl Montgomery (Martin Lawrence) had all the earmarks of a hot dog cop. Unwanted and ejected from the police academy, Earl is lost for a job in law enforcement. In his perplexed state of mind, Earl locked his keys in his car. Fortunately, he left the driver's window down enough to get his arm through to get his keys from the ignition. While Earl was attempting to fetch the keys, Officer Hank (Steve Zahn) showed up and surmised Montgomery was breaking into a parked car to steal it. Officer Hank proceeds to subdue Earl as a suspect in grand theft auto. While participating in verbal warfare with Officer Hank, a bumbly bee buzzes by which prompted Earl to ask Hank to let him go since he is allergic to bee stings. Officer Hank tried even to swat the bee with his night stick and with his hand as it dive bombed Earl who is now on the ground from trying to avid the bee. Sure enough, the bee stung Earl and later his face swelled up as though he had been beaten. From a distance, it looked as though Officer Hank was beating Earl. A private citizen video taped the whole affair. The emulation of this sequence of the Rodney King white cop, black suspect affair was obvious, apparently to either make a satirical statement about how the merciless LA cops were maybe justified, to make fun of private citizens taping police actions, or to try to make humor of a vicious situation in history. I, however, find it difficult to see the humor in rekindling a now smoldering situation since a year after the King affair and because of the King affair 54 people died, 2,383 were injured, 13,212 people were arrested and about $700 million in property damage happened. Let's get real. Not very funny at all when in the real world, is it?

Found guilty of racism and excessive force, Hank is drummed off the force. After six months in jail, Hank seeks work through a security service. Little does Hank know that Earl also has become a guard with the same security service. Through ironic twists and turns the pair become a pair. But this time they are trying to work together to thwart a crime ring.

While such a plot may be a good canvas for a comedy, it is not very funny at all to have to listen to 91 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary in 85 minutes [Prov. 22:11, 1Pet. 3:10, Titus 2:6-8, Prov. 4:24], God's name in vain with the four letter expletive, repeatedly [Deut 5:11], and the most foul of the foul words [Col. 3:8] (though only once) as the pair do their deeds. When Lawrence demonstrates inappropriate touch of a woman while she is bound by the hands for sadomasochistic games [Prov. 14:2], it is no longer funny because of the influence of such display on the intended target audience of this PG-13 movie [Luke 17:2]. Though lethal force may sometimes be called for as police defend themselves in the real world, 10 deaths by gunfire and graphic gun battles with police in and as entertainment may not be a good signal to send to our youth let alone we adults. Whether we like it or believe it or not, such imagery plants impressions and some of those impressions are indelible [1 Cor. 15:33]. Many claim, and maybe rightfully, that cinema is art. Well, art is not sin and sin is not art. Art becomes sin when art uses sin, when cinema bemuses sinema.

A full listing of our findings is provided in the Finings/Scoring section. Please read through it before you decide whether to let your kids see this piece of sinema.


ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S)
If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ]. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page.

  • Prov. 22:11 He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend. soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
  • Prov. 4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
  • Deut. 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain [vain: shav' {shawv}; false, emptiness, nothingness, lying, worthlessness (of conduct)]: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
  • Col. 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
  • Prov. 14:2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

    ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry***
  • Ps. 12:8 The wicked freely strut about [e.g., create progressively vile/offensive entertainment with impunity and no consequences to younger and younger audiences every year] when what is vile is honored among men [when enough people continue to defend it, embrace it, pay for it, enjoy it, want it]. [I call attention to Ps. 12:8 to warn of the creeping desensitizing power of "entertainment."]
  • 1 Cor. 15:33 (KJV) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (NIV) Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.
  • Jude 4 For certain men* whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change [warp, distort, falsely represent] the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. [*men: anthropos {anth'-ro-pos}, generic, a human being, whether male or female]
  • Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto [or for] one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto [or for] me.
  • Luke 17:2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. [cause by teaching or example]
  • Ps. 119:133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.
  • John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
  • 1 Thess. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.


    ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


    As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie.

  • FINDINGS / SCORING:


    National Security (2003) CAP Thermometers

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W):
  • breaking and entering
  • gun battle with police
  • police cover-up/corruption, repeatedly
  • fighting, repeatedly
  • long gun battle sequence, repeatedly
  • use of firearms to steal car
  • vehicular violence, repeatedly
  • action violence, repeatedly
  • gunfire to kill, repeatedly
  • grand theft: auto
  • illegal flight to avoid lawful capture
  • gunfire injury, repeatedly
  • seven gunfire deaths
  • death by defensive maneuvers
  • action peril
  • explosion peril, repeatedly

    Impudence/Hate (I)(1):
  • 91 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary
  • foul language in background song
  • one use of the most foul of the foul words
  • massive tattoos, repeatedly
  • arrogance toward fair authority, repeatedly
  • racial insult, repeatedly
  • lying, repeatedly

    Sex/Homosexuality (S):
  • sex talk, innuendo, comments, repeatedly
  • adult in underwear, repeatedly
  • inappropriate touch
  • dressing to maximize the female form and/or skin exposure
  • stripping to underwear for sex
  • sadomasochism with inappropriate touch
  • adult on commode
  • vulgar move

    Drugs/Alcohol (D):
  • party drinking
  • bar

    Offense to God (O)(2):
  • three uses of God's name in vain with the four letter expletive and once without

    Murder/Suicide (M)(3):
  • gunfire murder, repeatedly




  • Please help keep this free service free by making generous tax-deductible donations to the CAP ministry (TIN: 75-2607488) by visiting Network for Good to give a tax-deductible monthly gift of $5, $10 or even $25 or greater or to make generous one-time or semi-regular donations.

    WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! DONATE NOW THROUGH THE

    NO service charges!!!
    Donations to the CAP Ministry are Tax Deductible!!!

    Or feel free to send your gift(s) by check or money order in US dollars to:

    CAP Ministry, PO Box 177, Granbury, TX 76048-0177

    Thank you each for your support of this ministry. Please be in earnest prayer for funding that we may continue for many years and to keep this free service free.



    Please visit our sponsor:

    ACCEPTING PROPOSALS FOR ADDITIONAL SPONSORS AND SEEKING VOLUNTEERS TO HELP LOCATE 501(C)(3) FUNDING!




    And please visit also these reciprocal links.





    Comments?

    Christian Media News

    A Singles
    Christian Network



     Click Here for a Quality Christian Site






    NOTE: The CAP Analysis Model (the Findings/Scoring section) makes no scoring allowances for trumped-up "messages" to excuse, for manufacture of justification for, or camouflaging of ignominious content or aberrant behavior or imagery with "redeeming" programming. Disguising sinful behavior in a theme/plot does not excuse the sinful behavior of either the one who is drawing pleasure or example of behavior or thought from the sinful display or of the practitioners demonstrating the sinful behavior. We make no attempt to quantify the "artistic" or "entertainment" value of a movie -- whether a movie has any positive value or "entertainment" value is up to mom/dad. The CAP analysis model is the only known set of tools available to parents and grandparents which give *them* the control they need, bypassing the opinion-based assessment of movies by others and defeating the deceit of those who would say anything to convince their parents otherwise. The model is completely objective to His Word. Our investigation standards are founded in the teachings and expectations of Jesus Christ. If a sinful behavior is portrayed, it is called sinful whether Hollywood tries to make it otherwise. That the sinful behavior is "justified" by some manufactured conditions does not soften nor erase the price of sin. Whether there is application of fantasy "justification" or "redemption" is up to mom/dad.


    "There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our more than eight years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings.



    Join Christian Banner Exchange Network Today!





    (1) As noted in CAP Special Report-001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend," of the six CAP Investigation Areas, Impudence/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

    (2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary without God's name in vain is incorporated into the Impudence/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name with or without the four letter expletive is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area. There is no duplication.

    (3) Only portrayal of successful murder or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. Portrayal of attempts to commit murder or suicide and deaths by police action or war are incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime.



    The ChildCare Action Project (CAP) is a nonprofit Christian ministry. We rely on public support. If you wish to contribute to the CAP, please send your donations to
    ChildCare Action Project
    Post Office Box 177
    Granbury, TX 76048-0177

    Your gifts are tax deductible in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Tax Codes. Please feel free to write to us.



    You are welcome to go to the
    CAP Reports page
    or go to the
    Top of the CAP Home Page
    or the
    CAP Site Map (Table of Contents)
    or leave me an email message or comment at
    cap@capalert.com



    Thank you for visiting us and may God bless you. Prayerfully, we will provide you with some of the most revealing commentary and investigative reporting you have ever read.

    In the name of Jesus:
    Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God.

    ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture

    Copyright ChildCare Action Project (CAP) Ministry



    Since December 5, 2000