Earl (Martin Lawrence) and Hank (Steve Zahn) have only one thing in common: they're both Los Angeles police rejects. One just got kicked out, the other can't even get in.

After confronting each other on opposite sides of the law during a traffic stop that escalates out of control, the two of them end up partnered as lowly security guards.

Despite being damned to the lowest rung of the law enforcement ladder, Earl and Hank uncover a sophisticated smuggling operation led by Eric Roberts and a band of thugs.

When Earl and Hank get their hands on some hot property, they go on the run from, first the crooks, then from the police.

That's the premise; the problem is that Lawrence and Zahn are not only on law enforcement's lowest rung, but on comedy's., too.

The plot treads water and most of the gags are so achingly obvious, you'll be hard pushed to even smile.

What's more, the two leads have less chemistry than an empty test tube.

See this and then ponder how on earth the US box office managed to generate $16 million in a single weekend from such dross.

Updated: 09:51 Friday, March 21, 2003