Showtime

If it weren’t for the fact that television and movies have over done the idea of reality shows, this movie might have been more entertaining.

Once again, Eddie Murphy plays a funny cop, but this time his name is Trey Sellars, whose trademark saying is “it’s showtime” before every routine bust. Trey wants to be a movie star and auditions for parts on his off hours from policing the streets of L.A., even the parts that are looking for no one other than a big city cop.

Robert De Niro plays L.A. detective Mitch Preston, a man who doesn’t like change and takes his job very seriously, he knows every sectional code and rule and then some for policing the city of L.A.

One night on a routine detective outing Mitch is seen by officer Trey doing a deal with a criminal in a back ally shop. Trey mistaking him for a crook, immediately tries to arrest Mitch. If this weren’t enough drama for Mitch on this day he unwillingly is given more when a television crew picks up the incident by scanner and arrives on the scene with helicopters, vans and camera’s.

Mitch, outraged by Trey’s interest in show boating for the camera’s finds himself with a camera planted on his every movement. After repeatedly asking the cameraman to get out of his face, Mitch angrily shoots the camera.

The next day television producer Chase Renzi (Rene Russo) pitches the idea of a reality television show following around Mitch and a partner patrolling the local streets. When Mitch declines the offer with absolutely no interest, he is sucked into the deal because Chase and her station threaten to sue Mitch in a multimillion dollar lawsuit for busting their network camera.

Naturally, Mitch and Trey are partnered together based on the obvious fact that they hate one another.

The shows producer’s not only follow these two men around, but they change everything in their lives. Their offices end up looking like a staged police station with a confessional booth like you see on MTV’s The Real World. Next, their homes are revamped into retro space pads and their old vehicle’s are replaced with a Corvette for Trey and a Humvee for Mitch.

Showtime lags on many laughs and Murphy’s over-acting as a hotdog officer is grating. De Niro doesn’t fair much better with his annoyingly grouchy behavior and boring character.

The only aspect that gave this film edge was the cop’s attempt, while being filmed, to put a stop to a high profile sleaze bag (Pedro Damian) who is working to pollute the L.A. streets with super hi-tech guns that can shoot through bullet proof glass like a it’s paper.

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