Robert
De Niro, Eddie Murphy, Rene Russo, Frankie Faison, William
Shatner
Produced by Jorge Saralegui and Jane Rosenthal
Directed by Tom Dey
Trailer: Quicktime |
|
SHOWTIME REVIEW No. 1
SHOWTIME is a mediocre film that makes fun of buddy cop movies
such as Lethal Weapon. It stars Robert De Niro as Mitch Preston,
a tough no-nonsense veteran detective and Eddie Murphy as Trey
Sellars, a rookie cop with an overblown personality who really
wants to be an actor.
After
Trey messes up Mitchs undercover drug bust which causes
Mitch to shoot and destroy a video camera belonging to a tv
network, they are forced to work together as stars of a new
cop reality-based tv series called Showtime.
Trey welcomes
this opportunity with open arms and sees it as his big break
into showbiz. On the other hand, Mitch cant stand the
idea of working with the incompetent Trey and doesnt
want anything to do with being on tv or acting. Nonetheless
he has to go along with it since his captain ordered him to
do it. The captain thinks its good publicity. He also
wants to avoid the police department from getting sued by
the network for destroying camera equipment and putting a
cameraman in danger caused by Mitchs actions.
Rene Russo
plays Chase Renzi, the producer who is supposed to make the
show exciting. She is constantly interfering in their lives
by doing such things as redecorating their offices and apartments
without asking Trey or Mitchs permission. This irritates
Mitch not to mention that he is not to happy having cameras
following him wherever he is.
At the
same time Mitch is trying to catch a gang that uses custom
made guns to rob armored trucks.
This odd
couple match up of Murphy and De Niro has very little chemistry
and is mildly humorous. The story is very weak and fails to
deliver the big laughs.
Its
not that Murphy and De Niro dont try to be funny, it
is just that they have very little to work with. Even the
outtakes at the end are not that amusing. Showtime is basically
a B film with A stars that should have been developed more
before being made.
De Niro
basically plays a stereotype of himself and Murphy does a
pretty lame version of his usual shtick. For both of them
this film is a walk in the park. An easy paycheck for the
stars but not very entertaining for the audience.
Showtime
will have you chuckle a bit but its nothing to write
home about.
2.5 out of 5
GIL BENZEEVI
SHOWTIME
REVIEW No. 2
The buddy
cop film has been a staple of the action film genre for decades.
Comedian Eddie Murphy is no stranger to this genre as he burst
onto the big screen with 48 Hours and Beverly
Hills Cop and followed them both up with sequels. In
recent years Murphy has turned to more family oriented fair
such as voce work in Shrek and Mulan
as well as the Dr. Doolittle movies. The comedian once known
for his blazing mouth and language, as well as his uncanny
appeal and comic genius has returned back to his comedy roots
in the new film Showtime. Joining Murphy, as the
other half of the cop duo is screen legend Robert De Niro
as Detective Mitch Preston, a solid cop, who does his job
in a no-nonsense style that gets the job done. Murphy plays
officer Trey Sellars, a cop who spends most of his time guarding
police tape lines on duty, and trying out for acting jobs
in his off time. The two are about as opposite as cops can
be Mitch is professional and conservative, Sellars is flashy
and loud, more style than substance.
The two meet during a botched raid, and end up being captured
on film by the local media. Sellars for all the wrong reasons
and Preston for shooting the camera that was annoying him
by filming the events. Faced with a public relations disaster,
the department is offered the chance to have the lawsuit against
them dismissed by the network if Mitch will star in a new
reality based cop show. Of course Mitch wants no part of this,
and all the cajoling by the sexy network exec Chase Renzi
(Rene Russo), cant change his mind. In the end, Mitch is forced
to do the show by his superiors who want to see an end to
the lawsuit. With one half of the team in place, Sellars conducts
one of the most original and funny auditions in history. Despite
not getting along, the two officers are soon on the case of
a gunrunner who is bringing a new type of assault weapon into
the market that is deadlier than anything ever created. Of
course the two will grow to respect one another, as this is
the nature of this type of film. What sets this film apart
are the stars, Murphy, De Niro, and Russo have a easy-going
chemistry and work very well with one another. De Niro has
recently taken comedic turns in Meet the Parents,
and Analyze This and is very good playing the
straight man to Murphy. William Shatner has a brief role as
himself as he is brought in to teach the two how to look sexy
for the camera. Despite the brevity of his role, it is nice
to see Shatner have a sense of humor regarding his T.J. Hooker
role and make a few loving jokes centered around it that will
make those in the audience who can remember the show laugh.
While Showtime is not a classic movie as it has
a generic plot, stereotypical bad guys, and little new that
audiences have not seen before, it is a fun movie, and should
more than provide a relaxing and enjoyable time at the movies.
The direction by Tom Dey is solid and neither of the leads
walks over one another in an attempt to steal scenes. I for
one would not mind seeing a sequel as the cast worked, and
undoubtedly have some further adventures to show audiences.
3.5
stars out of 5
Gareth
Von Kallenbach
|