Rating: 
Summary: It's Showtime!
Review: Showtime is you normal average buddy cop movie about two complete opposite cop's being parterned with each other againest there will.You've seen that already.Except this time it has two very funny actors(Eddie Murphey,and Robert De Niro)to double the fun.The Plot:Mitch Preston is a police officer who is very serious about his work and doesn't mess around much.Trey Sellars is a cop who doesn't take his work that serious but he is a entertaining actor.When Mitch shoots a video news camera that is filming a wounded officer the Maxis tv network sues the precient if Mitch doesn't do a relaity tv cop show that Chase Rense a producer came up with.Mitch is stuck and has to do it. Trey applies for the part as Mitch's partner and gets it.Mitch doesn't like Trey because he treats his job so easily.Mitch and Trey get camera tips from T.J.Hooker(William Shatner playing himself)and Mitch still doesn't take his acting seriouly.On the other hand Trey is doing wonderful and the public love him. In just about every movie there is a bad guy and in this movie the bad guy has a gun that could do mass detruction.It is a custom made gun that Mitch and Trey have to track down before more people die. The preveiws made Showtime look like fun movie which it is.Hignlights in the movie include a car chase,the Showtime TV show booth confessionals,and the William Shatner scene.If you think the Showtime commerical's look dumb and your expecting a dumb prediable comendy your wrong.So see Showtime now. ENJOY!
Rating: 
Summary: lackluster comedy with a few laughs
Review: **1/2 About the best thing that can be said for "Showtime" - a throwaway buddy cop comedy starring Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy - is that it demonstrates that an inferior script can be at least partially overcome by first-rate performances. You can't go too wrong when you have acting talent of this caliber working for you. De Niro and Murphy portray two LAPD officers who are recruited to be the central "characters" for a new "Cops"-type reality TV show, wherein a camera crew will follow the two on their appointed rounds as they chase suspects, round up criminals and, all in all, make the streets of LA safe for the common, decent citizen. De Niro's Mitch Preston is a reluctant participant in the series, while Murphy's Trey Sellars is a wannabe actor with stars in his eyes who sees this as his golden opportunity to make it big in show business. The initial problem with "Showtime" is that it feels more like a "high concept" exercise than an actual movie. Despite the fact that there are a number of funny moments in the film, too many of the scenes fall flat both as comedy and as action drama. The saving grace is that De Niro's understated cynicism provides an effective counterpoint to Murphy's over-the-top enthusiasm, resulting in just enough comic tension to wring laughs out of even the weakest of material. It is a joy to watch these two pros at work and they are nicely complemented by Rene Russo as the driven TV producer whose brainchild serves as the excuse for the story. William Shatner, playing himself, also generates some laughs, often at his own good-natured expense. Yet the film itself is a failure. One of the prime dictums of the screenplay is to try to show the discrepancy between police work as it is portrayed on the screen and police work as it really is. In fact, the film opens with veteran De Niro instructing a class of elementary school children about the mundane realities of life on the job. Yet, the film betrays its own theme by itself indulging in all the inane shoot-em-up and car chase scenes it is supposed to be satirizing (the scenes are not exploited for comic effect, which might have lent some much needed satirical bite to the proceedings). Even worse, the "serious" side of the story, involving drug deals and gun running, fails to generate any interest or suspense. Oh well. De Niro and Murphy are such likable comic actors that the movie, for all its many weaknesses, manages to whiz by without inflicting too much boredom and pain. "Showtime" is a completely forgettable and innocuous little time waster, but fans of these particular actors will at least appreciate their efforts.
Rating:
Summary: Average Comedy ! For Eddy Murphy fans mostly !
Review: If you are a fan of Eddy Murphy, you will simply love this one too.The story is kind of you have seen it in numerous movies before and Murphy is just too previsible in his jokes.DeNiro is alright as usual but well ! He was funnier in Meet My Parents.
There is not much to say about it. I will just add that the beginning is maybe the funniest part ! and it's a pity that Murphy role become too serious at the end !
Rating: 
Summary: An average buddy cop film
Review: Showtime tells the tale of a relentless TV producer Chase Renzi (Rene Russo) in search for higher ratings, lands on the idea of a live reality show about cops. She pairs up two completely different personalities as partners for the program, a no-nonsense LAPD detective Mitch Preston (Robert De Niro) and an actor wanna-be patrol officer Trey Sellars (Eddie Murphy.) Now, with a camera tailing his every move and disrupting his life, Preston have to find a way to continue with an investigation that was botched up by Sellars. Robert De Niro is a great actor, but when it comes to being a comedian he really isn't very good at it. Take Analyze This for example, the movie was absolutely dull and was only saved from being an utter disaster by Billy Crystal. He was a little better in Meet The Parents, but without Ben Stiller it probably wouldn't be as big of a hit. With Showtime, De Niro gets the job done as the serious and the reluctant type, his acting is impeccable, but only a handful of his lines are actually funny. Eddie Murphy on the hand is the same as in all his other movies, loud, obnoxious and able to squeeze out a laugh here and there. So if you like his past works, you'll probably enjoy this film, otherwise don't expect anything different from him. Rene Russo does a decent job in her supporting role, but she wasn't on screen long enough to make any difference or impact. Let's face it, this is no Rush Hour (which was a lot more fun than Showtime,) the chemistry between the leads was alright, but good jokes were few and far between, even the attempts at a gag reel in the end was somewhat pathetic. Overall a fairly mediocre movie, but ultimately a forgetful one.
Rating: 
Summary: De Niro and Murphy Click
Review: If you've seen the trailer for this movie, you pretty much know what to expect, because what you see here is what you get. And even if you haven't seen the previews, it won't take you long to pick up on what you're in for-- specifically, a good time and plenty of laughs-- from this clever satire of "Reality TV" shows and "Buddy Cop" movies, "Showtime," directed by Tom Dey, starring Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy. Mitch Preston (De Niro) is a detective with the L.A.P.D., and he's good at what he does; but working a case one night, things suddenly go south when another cop, Trey Sellars (Murphy), inadvertently intervenes, a television news crew shows up and Mitch loses his cool, which results in a lawsuit by the television station that's going to cost the department some big bucks. Except that they may be able to get around it, thanks to Chase Renzi (Rene Russo), who works for the station and likes what she sees in Mitch-- enough to pitch an idea to her boss for a "Reality" cop show, that would feature none other than Mitch Preston, whom Chase sees as a real life "Dirty Harry." Her boss likes the idea and gives Chase the green light. Now all she has to do is convince Mitch to participate, which shouldn't be too hard, since the station has agreed to drop the lawsuit if he will do the show. But Mitch is a cop, not an actor, and he wants nothing to do with any of it-- that is until he has a heart-to-heart with his boss, Captain Winship (Frankie Faison), who puts Mitch's future into succinct perspective for him. And just like that, the show is on. Oh, yes, there's one more thing; for the show, Mitch is going to need a partner. And who do you suppose they're going to come up with for that? Let's put it this way: Trey Sellars is more than one of the usual suspects. This is Dey's second film as a director, his first being "Shanghai Noon,"-- also a comedy-- and he's definitely showing a penchant for the genre. From the opening frames he establishes a pace that keeps the story moving right along, and he allows his stars to make the most of their respective talents and personal strengths, including their impeccable timing. With stars like De Niro and Murphy, Dey, of course, had a leg up on this project to begin with, but he's the one who keeps it on track, demonstrating that he knows what works, achieving just the right blend of physical comedy and action, and employing the subtleties of the dialogue to great effect. There isn't a more natural actor in the business than De Niro, and he steps into Mitch's skin like he was born to it. And after years of doing hard-edge, cutting drama (in which he turned in one remarkable performance after another), with such films as "Analyze This," "Meet the Parents" and now this one, he has firmly established his proficiency for doing comedy, as well. Mitch is not an especially complex character; he is, in fact, something of an "ordinary" guy, but therein lies the challenge for the actor-- to make him believable, to make him seem like the guy who could be your neighbor and just another member of the community. And on all counts, De Niro succeeds. He's Mitch, the guy you run into at the grocery store or the bank, or say "good morning" to on your way to work; who likes to watch the game on TV and has a life, just like you and me, who happens to make his living by being a cop. It's the character Mitch has to be to make this film work, because it makes the "ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances" angle credible. It's one of those role-- and work-- that is often wrongly dismissed out-of-hand, because it looks so easy; and, of course, this is what makes De Niro so exceptional-- he does make it look easy, and he does it with facility. As Trey Sellars, Eddie Murphy turns in a winning performance, as well, and it's a role that fits him like the proverbial glove. Trey is a cop, but also an aspiring actor-- and a bad one-- and it gives Murphy the opportunity to play on the over-exuberant side of his personality (reigned in enough by Dey, however, to keep him from soaring over-the-top into Jim Carrey territory), which works perfectly for this character and this film. From his melodramatic take on a part during an audition, to his throwing out of one-liners-- delivered by looking directly into the camera (which as far as he's concerned isn't even there) while filming the "reality" show-- Murphy's a riot. And he has a chemistry with De Niro that really clicks (which is not unexpected, as this is another of De Niro's many talents; his ability to connect with and bring out the best in his co-stars, all of whom-- evidence will support-- are better at their craft after having worked with him, including the likes of Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken and Ed Harris, just to name a few). Most importantly, this is a part that allows Murphy to excel at what he does best, and he certainly makes the most of it. Russo makes the most of her role as Chase, too, a character who isn't much of a stretch artistically, but whom she presents delightfully, with a strong, believable performance. And William Shatner (playing himself) absolutely steals a couple of scenes as the director of the show. The supporting cast includes Drena De Niro (Annie), Pedro Damian (Vargas) and James Roday (Camera Man). Well crafted and delivered, "Showtime" is a comedy that's exactly what it is meant to be: Pure entertainment that provides plenty of laughs and a pleasant couple of hours that will have you chuckling for some time after. It's the magic of the movies.
Rating:
Summary: Showtime? Maybe some other time...
Review: This is gonna sound really wacky, but I swear to God it's the truth: the only reason I was even remotely interested in watching "Showtime" was to see Eddie Murphy, Robert DeNiro, and William Shatner all working together in the same scene. I dunno why, but for some reason seeing this thespian trifecta working together was one of those once-in-a-lifetime deals that I never thought would ever happen in a million years. And I gotta admit, watching Shatner showing the other two guys how to be a T.V. action-show cop was pretty entertaining, and a nice bit of self-satire of his T.J. Hooker character. And yes, I DO need to get out more often, now that you mention it... Other than the moments featuring the man formerly known as T.J. Hooker, however, I found "Showtime" to be a reasonably entertaining if rather ordinary spoof on reality shows. Eddie Murphy does his trademark smart@$$ routine here, which has gotten pretty old and stale over the last decade or so. And DeNiro probably did his part to fulfill some sorta contractual obligation. Fortunately, I've seen both leads do a lot worse in some of the other movie roles they've chosen over the last decade or so. But I've also seen 'em do better as well (DeNiro more so than Murphy). To boil it all down, "Showtime" had a few somewhat funny moments, a couple somewhat touching cute moments, and a somewhat fresh action scene (the bad guys' garbage truck hauling a police cruiser on its dumpster forks around the streets of downtown L.A.), but it ain't really all that different from other buddy-cop-action flicks that have come down the pike since the genre was born. Also, I didn't find it quite entertaining enough to be a "repeat viewer" type of movie. Oh well, there's always "T.J. Hooker" reruns... heh. 'Late
Rating: 
Summary: Sh*ttime.
Review: That's it. That's my whole review.
Rating:
Summary: William Shatner steals this movie from De Niro and Murphy
Review: You have to admit that the idea of teaming up Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy is certainly interesting, but who would have thought they both would be upstaged by William Shatner playing William Shatner? "Showtime" is a film that has its cake and eats it too by making fun of the cop buddy comedy movie at the same time it embraces the genre. That might explain why you have the feeling at the end of this 2002 film that you are watching a different movie than the one you started out watching. De Niro is Mitch, a streetwise cop who lives in the real world and takes pride in doing his job and the fact that he has never had to choose between cutting the red wire or the green wire. Murphy is Trey, a patrolman who likes being a cop but would also like to play a cop on TV. Rene Russo is the television executive, sort of a second grade Faye Dunaway "Network" type, who takes the opportunity to bring these two together when Mitch makes the mistake of blowing away a television camera during a shootout (his partner has been shot, there is a guy out there with the biggest gun you have ever seen, and for some reason Mitch does not like a bright light being shined on them in the dark of night). To avoid a multi-million dollar law suit Mitch is ordered to play ball with the television people, even if that means constantly being followed by cameras as he tries to do his job and putting Trey in the seat next to him. While Chase waits for Mitch to explode on camera, we wait for him to bond with Trey. That is the premise of "Showtime," and the biggest irony is that the best scenes involve setting up the premise rather than the plot that keeps intruding on the fun. The only thing better than Eddie Murphy teaching Robert De Niro how to act is when William Shatner shows up and the pair have T.J. Hooker show them how it is done. Perhaps not since the Marx Brothers ran rampant has the screen had three such divergent approaches to acting in a single scene, which Shatner steals from the other two. The best line in the film is when Shatner informs Chase that Mitch is the worst actor he has ever seen. Unfortunately the rest of the film does not match the levels of humor at work during this training sequence and you have to give credit to the actors who can make a simple scene such as Mitch watching Trey watching Shatner hysterical. The film is directed by Tom Dey, who did "Shanghai Noon" and apparently is content to find a niche as a buddy film director. Then again, if you get De Niro and Murphy should you be complaining about being typed as a director? This is an action comedy where the action gets in the way of the comedy and once Shatner disappears the movie shifts into a different gear. Yes, there is a point where comedies like this have serious moments and we realize that underneath the banter and animosity there are feelings of affection and mutual respect, but with "Showtime" you just get the feeling they are pouring on the cliches they spent so much time ridiculing in the first half of the film.
Rating:
Summary: it's 0 stars actually
Review: It's simply unbelievable that a group of such excellent actors can put together such a bad movie. Not funny. Boring. And acting stinks in every single scene.
Rating:
Summary: Beverley Hills What?
Review: Guys, know when to quit. It makes money, but it's shameful. It's also not that funny! This is the kind of numbingly stupid movie that deniro seems to like to make these days. Unfortunate, because i know he can do better. God-awful.
| 
