Showtime (2002)

"Fresh and funny. De Niro and Murphy play off each other hilariously.  Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Editor's Note SHOWTIME deftly combines clever satire and explosive action, taking the buddy cop movie in a new direction. Robert De Niro stars as Mitch Preston, a no-nonsense detective who makes headlines when he shoots the television camera right out of the hands of a meddlesome photographer during a bust. The department is sued for millions, but a slick producer (Rene Russo) drops the suit to force Mitch to star on the network's new reality series. Trey Sellars (Eddie Murphy), a struggling actor and incompetent patrolman, bamboozles his way into a plum role as Mitch's partner. Mitch is a better cop, but Trey knows a lot more about how to be a TV star. He even comes up with the show's catchphrase: "It's SHOWTIME!" In the film's funniest setpiece, William Shatner is brought in to teach Mitch and Trey how to master important TV cop procedures, like jumping on the hood of a car. Things get more serious as the celebrity cops track down a crazed criminal armed with a powerful new weapon. Director Tom Dey (SHANGHAI NOON) keeps things moving, and laces the action with reflexive humor. Murphy is in fine comic form, and has terrific chemistry with De Niro.

	Eddie Murphy
	Pedro Damian
	Rene Russo
	Robert De Niro
	William Shatner
	Tom Dey - Director
	Thomas Kloss - Director of Photography
	Billy Weber - Editor
	Eric McLeod - Executive Producer
	James Lassiter - Executive Producer
	Alan Silvestri - Musical Score
	Jane Rosenthal - Producer
	Jorge Saralegui - Producer
	Jeff Mann - Production Designer
	Alfred Gough - Screenplay
	Keith Sharon - Screenplay
	Miles Millar - Screenplay
	Jorge Saralegui - Story By

USA Today
"...De Niro's scowl and Murphy's sass are inherently funny..." 03/15/2002 p.6E

Los Angeles Times
"...From frame one SHOWTIME displays an ingenuity, cleverness and briskness that never flags..." 03/15/2002 p.C8

Hollywood Reporter
"...Plenty of buddy-movie chemistry ignites between De Niro, who has turned himself into a fine light comedian, and Murphy, who is always a bundle of energy..." 03/12/2002 p.20-50

Detroit News 8 of 10
It takes an actor of De Niro's impeccable instincts and immense technical resources to make this bit work to consistently acute comic effect... For pure giggles, how can anyone resist a picture that has William Shatner of T.J. Hooker fame coaching [De Niro] on how to play dedicated cop for the camera?... the most savory and hilarious guilty pleasure of a many a recent movie season. - Susan Stark