Showtime (2002) USA
Showtime Image Cover
Additional Images
Director:Tom Dey
Studio:Warner Home Video
Writer:Jorge Saralegui, Keith Sharon
Rating:3.5 (70 votes)
Rated:PG-13
ASIN:B000069I1H
UPC:9780790771922
Price:$9.98
Awards:3 nominations
Genre:Action
Release:2002-08-13
IMDb:0284490
Duration:95
Picture Format:Widescreen
Aspect Ratio:2.35 : 1
Sound:Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages:English, French
Subtitles:English, French, Spanish
Features:Uproarious additional scenes, including hilarious improvised Eddie Murphy
3 extended scenes
Tom Dey  ...  (Director)
Jorge Saralegui, Keith Sharon  ...  (Writer)
 
Robert De Niro  ...  Det. Mitch Preston
Rachael Harris  ...  Teacher (as Rachel Harris)
Eddie Murphy  ...  Officer Trey Sellars
Zaid Farid  ...  Police Captain Ben
Alex Borstein  ...  Casting Director
Holly Mandel  ...  Producer
Marshall Manesh  ...  Convenience Store Owner
Nestor Serrano  ...  Ray
T.J. Cross  ...  ReRun
Mos Def  ...  Lazy Boy
James Roday  ...  'Showtime' Cameraman
Joel Hurt Jones  ...  Reporter #1
Chris Harrison  ...  Reporter #2
Perri Peltz  ...  Reporter #3
Amy Powell  ...  Reporter #4
Comments: Lights. Camera. Aggravation.

Summary: 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"