Showtime
Showtime
PG-13 | 14 March 2002 (USA)
Showtime Trailers

A spoof of buddy cop movies where two very different cops are forced to team up on a new reality based T.V. cop show.

Reviews
Contentar

Best movie of this year hands down!

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RipDelight

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

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AshUnow

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

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Arianna Moses

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

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Python Hyena

Showtime (2002): Dir: Tom Dey / Cast: Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy, Rene Russo, William Shatner, Mos Def: Formula comedy that suggests an act of not taking things seriously. So basically it is about ignorance and that is a serious problem for a T.V crew that interferes with an actual crime scene with a show of their own. Robert De Niro plays an undercover cop but everything is foiled when an actor, played by Eddie Murphy shows up with helicopters. Murphy is an actor and a flawed cop. When De Niro smashes one of their cameras he is forced to take part in the program to avoid a lawsuit. He and Murphy try to track down an unusual gun that never factors properly into the story. One-joke premise without a dime of originality. Directed by Tom Dey who had better success with another buddy flick called Shanghai Noon. De Niro and Murphy make a fairly decent comic duo that is above anything else that is presented here. They will eventually patch things up and solve the plot and it doesn't matter. Rene Russo as the program director overacts, and William Shatner isn't much better in his over the top performance. Mos Def appears as a character who goes by the name Lazy Boy, which could be a steal from the screenwriter for all the lack of work in the script. As oppose to being a satire of reality T.V and cop programs in general it settles for formula bore worthy of the "off" button. Score: 4 / 10

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The Grand Master

On paper, Showtime had the potential to be a hilarious comedy. On screen, the result is predictable and bland. Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy and Rene Russo had the potential to make Showtime work, but not even these talented actors can save this movie. The screenplay looked very promising, and I was looking forward to seeing Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy team up. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed with the end result.Robert De Niro plays Detective Mitch Preston, a no nonsense, humourless and gruff 28 year LAPD veteran who is partnered with Officer Trey Sellars played by Eddie Murphy who has life long aspirations to become an actor. Mitch Preston and Trey Sellars meet in unceremonious circumstances after Trey Sellars accidentally interferes in Mitch Preston's planned drug bust. Mitch Preston finds himself in further trouble when he angrily confronts a camera crew and shoots a camera. Mitch Preston is forced to appear on a police reality TV show called Showtime in exchange for the television network to drop the lawsuit against Mitch. Trey Sellars is recruited to appear on the reality show after he showcases his acting abilities and from there Mitch Preston and Trey Sellars are paired together by the show's producer Chase Renzi played by Rene Russo. While Trey Sellars drives Mitch Preston up the wall throughout the entire series, producers are strongly convinced the two make a great duo for entertainment purposes. Trey Sellars thrives in soaking up the limelight whereas Mitch Preston is very annoyed that the show is interfering with his life. Mitch and Trey must also track down the escaped drug dealers that evaded capture from Mitch at the start of the movie. William Shatner appears as himself as a technical adviser for the show.Robert De Niro finds himself out of place and going through the motions here in Showtime. While he has built his reputation on great movies such as The Godfather Part II (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990) and Heat (1995), he comes across cursing at himself like he has made a big mistake in appearing in this turkey. His character Mitch Preston is grumpy and not an interesting character in the slightest.Eddie Murphy in his prime is one of the funniest actors on screen. Look no further than 48 Hrs (1982), Trading Places (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), and Coming to America (1988). Even his stand up shows Eddie Murphy: Delirious (1983) and Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987) showcase his best R-Rated foul mouthed humour that audiences knew and loved. Eddie Murphy has since found himself drawn to family friendly comedies which has been very hit and miss. In Showtime, Eddie Murphy tries too hard to be funny but fails miserably. His character Trey Sellars comes across as a slapstick buffoon who would not look out of place in they Keystone Kops silent comedy era.The rest of the cast I felt they couldn't save this movie at all, particularly Rene Russo who is normally a decent actress who could do no wrong. William Shatner spoofing his T.J. Hooker character was just one big unfunny joke.Showtime does little justice to the buddy cop comedy genre and the entire movie was just a fizzer. It's a total shame that not even Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy could make this movie work, given the potential. What a total shame.4/10.

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John DeadHead

Watching this film again, after a few years since the last time, I was shocked to see that we users at IMDb thought so little of this film. To each his/her own, but I find this film just as enjoyable as the first time. My reviews are typically harsh and unconventional to the norm. My feelings on this film also do not follow the crowd. Simply, this is a genuinely funny film. Whereas, Murphy's roles and acting has waned over the years, this is one he can hang his hat on. De Niro, how does he morph himself into an appropriate character in most films, similar yes, but different enough to make you forget about his last film. Russo's expressions and reactions are dead on target. I have a renewed appreciation for this lady.Many good laughs and humorous story about two implausible police partners.

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Chrysanthepop

'Showtime' didn't work for me much during the first viewing but I got a chance to watch it for the second time and enjoyed it more. The film toys with the interesting idea of a cop reality show, comparing how police life really is to how it's portrayed on screen but the over the top action sequences which are also very long, goes against this very concept. 'Showtime' falls in its own trap but it did have potential to be a better film given the concept. It is the comedic track between Murphy and De Niro that stands out. The two actors, along with Rene Russo, somewhat make up for the deficiency of this movie and during the second viewing I was able to pay more attention to this rather than the storyline which is weak. I would like to see the two work together again, with a better script.

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