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Showtime /

Rated: PG-13

Starring: Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy, Rene Russo, Perdro Damian, Drena DeNiro 

Directed by: Tom Dey 

Produced by: Jorge Saralegui, Jane Rosenthal 

Written by: Keith Sharon, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar 

Distributor: Warner Brothers

 

Movie Image

Movie Image

Movie Image

     Why must I fall for these scrappily put together teen flicks? The obvious explanation would be that I am a teenager and I’m supposed to like them. But that’s not true; I hated Bad Company, Mr. Deeds, and Men in Black II, unlike every other person my age on the planet. I don’t know why I liked Showtime, it wasn’t even funny for me; I giggled a couple of times and that’s about it. I guess Robert DeNiro and Eddie Murphy are just a match made in heaven; their differences, physically and emotionally, just seem to converge and create wonderful conflict on the screen. I wouldn’t trade this for anything else on a Friday night, its very entertaining and fulfills my comedic needs.

     Mitch is a top detective for the Los Angeles Police Department. Trey is a part-time actor and cop in training. How in the world do they come together and make the best out of their strange acquaintance? What did you think? Television! One night across the street from a Mini-Mart, Mitch (Robert DeNiro) is undercover with his partner investigating an illegal seller of firearms, and less importantly; televisions (their cover during the daytime). Trey, the police man in training is playing video games across the street at the Mini-Mart. In hopes of scoring some points with the police department and not knowing that Mitch is a cop himself, he suspects something fishy and decides to investigate the crime-scene. He signals in for backup on his radio, on a count of a “potential” 4/11 in progress; again too stupid to figure out that the local news station is listening in on police radio transactions. When the news helicopters and police cars are hovering over and around the illegal store the salesman automatically blame their appearance upon Mitch and his partner; without thinking that someone else could be looking in on their mischievous work. This triggers anger, causing a brigade of bullets to fly through the air. Mitch and his fellow cop make it out alive, but are very unhappy to see that reporters and camera-men are at the scene. Mitch proceeds to shoot one of the cameras lenses out in hopes that the newsmen will leave; without thinking about the trouble that it might cause in later days.

     Right now you probably have the idea in your head that this is some shoot ‘em up crime flick. Just wait; the next paragraph explains where the comedy is born.

     So anyways, Mitch knew that the bullet to the lens would cause trouble in later days (only after he did it) and it does; you can bet your life that it does. A television network starving for a good story threatens to sue the police department for endangering the camera-mans life, unless... Unless Mitch and Trey team up and shoot a series of half-reality, half studio-done television shows for their station. As we already know from their bold personalities; Trey can’t wait, but Mitch is incredibly reluctant to do so. When the show starts shooting, they discover that Trey is a natural born star, and well, you know what Mitch is. But as real life unravels, they become one of the best of duos, that are incredibly entertaining to watch. This movie brings humor in places you’d never think to look. Even though a widely used genre, Murphy and DeNiro make the two-cop trip their own, and might I mention very fun to watch.

     Showtime is just great, warm-hearted fun; hands down. Robert DeNiro and Eddie Murphy are an infallible pair that I hope work together in the future. What makes this so ideal is its simplicity. Much like My Big Fat Greek Wedding you can just watch it, like it and appreciate it with no thinking involved. This film makes a fun and entertaining Friday night.

-Danny, Bucket Reviews

 


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