‘Showtime:’ a new take
on buddy cop movies

Detective Mitch Preston (Robert De Niro) is one of the toughest, no-nonsense cops on the L.A. beat, and he shows it during a drug bust, where he runs into an interfering TV cameraman and shoots his camera.

This attracts the attention of Chase Renzi (Rene Russo), a rabid TV producer who will do anything for ratings. She has an excellent idea: sue Mitch for the broken camera, thereby forcing him to star in a cop reality show. But the show’s recipe requires a partner. Enter Officer Trey Sellars (Eddie Murphy), who is a real cop, but everything he’s learned about the force comes from television. In other words, he’s the perfect personality to clash with Mitch for great audience reaction.

The program, dubbed “Showtime,” becomes an instant hit, but the cops resent each other so much that it becomes an obstacle when they try to stop crooks. Meanwhile, they are put on a case to find Caesar Vargus (Jullian Dulce Vida), the man responsible for producing a deadly “super gun” that can create bullet holes the size of watermelons.

While actively poking fun at reality TV, “Showtime” is actually more of a parody of buddy cop pictures, especially in its pairing of a hard-nosed veteran with a hotshot rookie. In several entertaining bits, the two cops’ lives are prettied up for the television formula, given new, sleek cars and stylish apartments. It’s all extremely clever, and will bring more than a few chuckles to the fans of the “Lethal Weapon” or “Dirty Harry” series.

The movie’s real highlights, however, are the performances of De Niro and Murphy. Sure, they’re conflicting characters in the traditional sense, but these two great actors breathe life into them, as well as add their own style. Murphy is perfect as an officer influenced by media clichés, while De Niro is still one of the best silver screen tough guys in the business.

“Showtime” has a major flaw, however, in its length. It seems far too short to accommodate the script. Dulce Vida’s villain is especially underdeveloped, and only has three major scenes in which to show off his villainy, which is not enough. The film probably would have benefited from taking the bad guy out altogether, but where would a buddy cop parody be without one?

Despite its shortcomings, “Showtime” has a quick, funny tone coupled with a cast that is perfect for the material. Audiences should be sure that they make time for “Showtime.”