The trend toward reality television is unfortunately not going the way of the dodo bird. So ultimately, it becomes the responsibility of movie executives to capitalize off of this craze much in the way that they predicted it with the 90's film "Ed TV." And what better way to bring in the box office bucks than with two of our most beloved actors, Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy. Sadly to say though, if these two guys do not go back to their old (and much loved) acting ways, they will be extinct, much like the memory of their newly released film "Showtime" soon will be.
The equation seems simple. Take two big time stars and throw them into roles they have already equated themselves with. Murphy can morph Axle Foley and Buddy Love while De Niro can pull from any number of his films, including "15 Minutes" and "Copland." Throw in director Tom Dye - coming off of his recent success with the buddy action thriller "Shanghai Noon" - and there you have it, a formula hit.
But that's exactly the problem. It's a formula. One that we've seen one too many times and were hoping our favorite stars would not fall into the trap of doing. I only wish I could talk to them for a quick minute. Oh what I could say...
"Mr. De Niro, what are you doing? Granted, you have done well for yourself by moving over to comedy. I loved 'Analyze This' and 'Meet the Parents.' But you were funny because we did not expect you to act like that or in a film like that. You were relishing in the element of surprise. Never underestimate that. You start putting out more and more of these comedies where you are the tough guy/straight man and it will be like Arnold Schwartzenegger trying to play a pregnant man and be successful all at the same time. Do what you do best and we will love you for it. Coming back to your bread and butter roles will not be that easy further down the road (i.e.: 'End of Days' for Arnold was a sweet flop).
"Eddie, Eddie, Eddie... What on earth has happened to you? We want more 'Beverly Hills Cop I,'not III. Your ability as an actor and comedian is remarkable. Your ability as a fumbling idiot is horrible. Establish more believability with your characters as you start to do at the end of 'Showtime.' I do not want to waste an hour of my time at each of your movies before you begin to have a decent character that makes me laugh, not feel bothered. The level of your success relies on you ability to be serious as well. Much like Mr. De Niro, your comedy is funny when it sneaks in around your sincere side. When all you do is show your pearly whites and giggle, I am not impressed. I am only turned off."
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Ah, if only I could get that off of my chest. Watching this movie rehashed all of those thoughts in me. What I thought was going to be a knee-slapping instant classic was nothing more than a cheap ploy at gathering laughs. It was a model taken from films such as "Lethal Weapon," complete with Rene Russo as an anxious TV producer trying to save her job with a giant hit show.
The plot itself does have merit. De Niro is a veteran Los Angeles police detective who hates the press and gets himself in trouble by shooting at a cameraman. Murphy is a uniformed patrol officer who really wants nothing more than to be an actor.
Rather than sue the police department for shooting at the cameraman, Russo strikes a deal for a TV series with the department. Of course, the series is starring none other than the two aforementioned officers - who fit together just like Oscar and Felix. Through a mix of predictable twists and turns their personalities grow on one another and, well, you know how that script goes.
As I was telling Eddie, his style, as well as the film on a whole, drastically improved in the second half of the movie. The laughs increased, as did the interest I had in the characters and what they were doing. An argument could be made that this is adequate enough to make "Showtime" that knee-slapper that I wanted, but I can't make it. You want to see "Showtime," wait until it airs on Showtime.
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