Blue Streak (1999)

The best hiding place is right in plain sight, even if that means pinning on a badge. Les Mayfield's action comedy "Blue Streak" stars Martin Lawrence as Miles Logan, a slick jewel thief who stashes a $20 million diamond in the air ducts of a building under construction moments before he's arrested during a heist gone wrong, betrayed by a vicious partner (Peter Greene). Two years later, fresh out of prison, Miles returns to retrieve his loot, only to discover the building is now a busy Los Angeles police station, and the diamond is hidden somewhere above the evidence room. After a failed attempt to sneak in disguised as a pizza deliveryman, he forges transfer papers and poses as a newly arrived detective from a small desert town. He's teamed with an earnest, by-the-book rookie (Luke Wilson), and to his surprise, his criminal instincts make him a star. He knows exactly how crooks think, so he foils a robbery in progress on his first day, solves case after case and earns the respect of his fellow cops and his gruff captain (William Forsythe), all while scheming to reach the diamond. Dave Chappelle co-stars as Miles' bumbling former accomplice, whose clumsy efforts to help only make things worse. Things get even more complicated when Miles' former partner learns about the diamond and comes gunning for it, and Miles begins to realize he actually enjoys being a cop. The soundtrack features Jay-Z, and it all builds to a chase to the Mexican border and a clever final twist.