Can a buddy-cop parody still qualify as a good buddy-cop movie? Showtime struggles to prove it's possible, and with a few solid laughs it almost succeeds. No movie starring Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro could be a total turkey, and their pairing--as (respectively) a brash patrol cop/wannabe actor and a seasoned detective with zero tolerance for showmanship--yields a few choice moments of slick, professional comedy. Still, most of Showtime represents a missed opportunity, squandering Rene Russo's talent as a TV producer who casts Murphy and De Niro in a buddy-cop reality show that turns them into overnight celebrities. In an effort to repeat the modest success of Shanghai Noon, director Tom Dey capitalizes on the casual chemistry of his leads (especially Murphy, who outshines his costars) until parody succumbs to routine action involving big guns and bad guys. With a sharper sense of satire, this passable entertainment could have been a comedy juggernaut. --Jeff Shannon
(15 votes)
2.
No-nonsense LAPD detective Mitch Preston (ROBERT DE NIRO) is a man of few words and even less style. All he asks is that he be left alone to do his job. Patrol Officer Trey Sellars (EDDIE MURPHY) is a different story. Instead of being a cop, he would much rather play one on TV. A frustrated actor, he spends his workdays rousting pickpockets and his evenings perfecting his action poses in front of a mirror.
One night Trey stumbles into an undercover operation in progress, blowing Mitch's chance of nailing a drug dealer. At the same time, a television news crew barges in on the action, lights ablaze, further hindering Mitch's attempts to catch his fleeing suspect. Frustrated at seeing months of work go down the drain, the detective fires a shot at the camera. If there's anything he hates, it's intrusive reporters. And if there's anything he hates more than that, it's a joke of a cop like Trey getting in his way.
Mitch's impulsive action lands his photo on the front page of every newspaper the next day, simultaneously buying him an official reprimand and making him an instant media celebrity. Knowing a sure ratings draw when she sees one, network television producer Chase Renzi (RENE RUSSO), a no-holds-barred hit-maker, swoops in and sells the Chief of Police on the PR benefits of letting her crew follow Mitch around the clock for a live reality show about cops. It's the last thing in the world Mitch wants to do but the only thing that will get him off suspension so he get back to pursuing the drug dealer who slipped through his hands.
But first, to compensate for Mitch's gruff manner and total lack of acting talent, Renzi must find him a charming, talkative, camera-ready partner -- someone more polished, more media savvy, someone more like...Trey. Nevermind that Mitch can't stand the sight of him. Together, they're poised to become stars of the biggest hit reality show in history. For Mitch, it's a living hell. For Trey, it's his dream come true.
It's "Showtime."
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment, a Material Production in association with Tribeca Productions: Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy and Rene Russo in the action comedy "Showtime", starring Frankie R. Faison and William Shatner. The film is directed by Tom Dey from a screenplay by Keith Sharon and Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, story by Jorge Saralegui. Jorge Saralegui and Jane Rosenthal are the producers; Will Smith, James Lassiter, Eric McLeod and Bruce Berman are the executive producers. Billy Weber is the editor, Jeff Mann is the production designer and Thomas Kloss is the director of photography. Music is by Alan Silvestri. "Showtime" will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.
Book 'em! The excitement and comedy rev up when superstars Robert DeNiro and Eddie Murphy team up in this mile-a-minute romp about mismatched LAPD partners who become the stars of a reality-TV cop series.
(15 votes)
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