''Showtime'' is a 2002 American
buddy cop
Buddy cop is a film and television genre with plots involving two people of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process. ...
action comedy film
The action comedy is a film genre that applies to action films where humor plays a much more central role. While early films feature stuntwork and humor, academic Cynthia King wrote that the genre only came into its own as a mainstay of the Americ ...
directed by
Tom Dey
Thomas Ridgeway Dey (born April 14, 1965) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His credits include ''Shanghai Noon'', '' Showtime'', ''Failure to Launch'', and ''Marmaduke''.
Early life
Dey was born in Hanover, New Hampshire ...
. The film stars
Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
and
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
in the lead roles alongside
Rene Russo
Rene Marie Russo (born February 17, 1954) is an American actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model in the 1970s, appearing on magazine covers such as '' Vogue'' and ''Cosmopolitan''. She made her film debut in the 1989 comedy '' ...
,
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
,
Pedro Damian and De Niro's real life daughter
Drena De Niro. The film was released in the United States on March 15, 2002. The film received generally negative reviews, with critics lamenting its lackluster humor and poor attempt to satirize the buddy cop genre. It received two nominations at the
23rd Golden Raspberry Awards
The 23rd Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 22, 2003 at the Sheraton Hotel in Santa Monica, California to recognize the worst the movie industry had to offer in 2002 in film, 2002. ''Pinocchio (2002 film), Pinocchio'' became the first for ...
:
Worst Actor (for Murphy), and
Worst Screen Combo (for Murphy and DeNiro).
Plot
Two
LAPD
The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...
cops, Detective Mitch Preston and Officer Trey Sellars, both from the Central Division, are paired for a reality police show and run into real trouble with a crime lord. Mitch shoots a news camera after a failed confrontation with local drug dealer Lazy Boy, who escapes by using a custom-built gun. Maxxis Television, the fictional network that employed the cameraman, decides to sue the police department for $10 million, but will drop the lawsuit if Mitch agrees to star in a reality cop television show, which Trey later calls ''Showtime!''.
Trey enters the picture shortly after, as an LAPD officer who actually wants to be an actor while also trying to become a detective. He pays a friend to snatch the purse of the show's producer, Chase Renzi, and then retrieves it after a staged fight scene. Even though the deception is embarrassingly revealed, Chase is impressed and signs Trey on anyway. It is quickly revealed that the show's producers have little interest in filming an actual police officer's existence; they build a mini-movie set in the middle of the station, and replace Mitch's nondescript personal car with a
Humvee
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of Military light utility vehicle, light, four-wheel drive Military vehicle#Military trucks, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It ...
, while Trey drives a
C5 Corvette. They also hire
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
(who once played
T. J. Hooker) to give both men tips on how to act; while Trey is eager to learn, Mitch is merely annoyed.
Despite all this, Mitch tries to investigate the mysterious supergun, which is subsequently used by arms dealer Caesar Vargas to kill the drug dealer and his girlfriend. Through a clever ruse by Trey, they are able to get the arms dealer's name from Re-Run, the dead dealer's henchman. However, Vargas is less than cooperative, which causes a brawl at his nightclub. Trey and Mitch are able to defeat him and his henchmen, and subsequently have a relatively friendly conversation on their way home. However, Mitch's good humor evaporates when he finds that, in his absence, the Showtime producers have drastically remodeled his house and given him a retired K-9 dog as a pet.
Vargas and his squad assault an armored car and kill the crew, then devastate the police who respond. Trey and Mitch arrive and are pulled into the shootout. When the attackers flee in a garbage truck, Mitch gives chase in a police car. In the ensuing mayhem, the car is rammed by the garbage truck, which winds up crashing into a construction site. Mitch survives by jumping from the police car to Trey's sports car (he had previously denounced "hood-jumping" as a useless skill). In the wake of the disaster, the police chief pulls the plug on the show, suspends Mitch from duty and demotes Trey back to patrol.
With the show ended, Mitch's car is returned and his apartment restored (but he refuses to return the dog, of which he has grown fond). While watching the final episode, Mitch calls Trey and apologizes for his actions and even offers him to help ask questions on the detective exam. But while doing so, Mitch sees one of his police colleagues at Vargas's nightclub. He and Trey investigate, finding that Vargas is selling the weapons at a gun show at the
Bonaventure Hotel. Vargas flees with one of the weapons, taking Chase hostage in the process. The duo is able to rescue her, via a pocket pistol concealed in a Maxxis camera, but the ceiling of the room is shot. It is located just below the pool, so it floods, and Vargas is washed out the window to his death, but Trey manages to save himself and Mitch by handcuffing them together. They wind up suspended from a broken beam outside the hotel.
Trey is promoted to detective, he and Mitch are now partners and still working together with a new case, and there are hints of a romance between Chase and Mitch. Showtime is revived for a second season, this time with two young and attractive female officers, who are just as antagonistic as Mitch and Trey were.
Cast
*
Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
as Detective Mitch Preston, a pragmatic LAPD detective who is easily annoyed with the show's basis
*
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
as Officer Trey Sellars, an LAPD patrol man who is dying to become an actor
*
Rene Russo
Rene Marie Russo (born February 17, 1954) is an American actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model in the 1970s, appearing on magazine covers such as '' Vogue'' and ''Cosmopolitan''. She made her film debut in the 1989 comedy '' ...
as Chase Renzi, the shows director
*
Pedro Damian as Cesar Vargas, the owner of an illegal gun
*
Mos Def
Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...
as 'Lazy Boy'
*
Frankie R. Faison as Captain Winship
*
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
as himself
*
Nestor Serrano
Nestor Serrano (born November 5, 1955) is an American film and television actor. He is known for playing Navi Araz in the fourth season of ''24 (TV series), 24''. He also appeared as Emilio Loera in the fourth season of the Cinemax series ''Bans ...
as Ray
*
Drena De Niro as Annie, Chase's coworker
*
Linda Hart
Linda Hart (born July 5, 1950) is an American singer, musician, and actress, mainly appearing in musical theatre.
Life and career
Hart was born in Dallas, Texas, United States. As a child, Hart sang in her church choir; at age seven, she joine ...
as Waitress
* TJ Cross as 'Re-Run'
*
Judah Friedlander
Judah Friedlander (born March 16, 1969) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is known for playing the role of writer Frank Rossitano on the NBC sitcom ''30 Rock''. Friedlander is also known for his role as Toby Radloff in the film ''Am ...
as Julio
*
Kadeem Hardison as Kylee
*
Peter Jacobson as Brad Slocum
*
Ken Campbell as Cop in Gym
*
John Cariani as Charlie Hertz
*
James Roday
James Roday Rodriguez (born James David Rodriguez; April 4, 1976) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for portraying Shawn Spencer, a hyper-observant consultant detective and fake psychic, in USA Network series '' ...
as Showtime Cameraman
*
Rachael Harris as Teacher
*
Alex Borstein as Casting Director
*
Marshall Manesh as Convenience Store Owner
*
Johnnie Cochran
Johnnie Lee Cochran Jr.Adam Bernstei ''The Washington Post'', March 30, 2005; retrieved April 17, 2006. ( ; October 2, 1937 – March 29, 2005) was an American attorney from California who was involved in numerous civil rights and Police b ...
as himself
*
Joy Bryant as Lexi
*
Maurice Compte
Maurice Compte (; born in 1972) is an American actor known for his roles as Gaff in ''Breaking Bad'', Santiago "Big Evil" Flores in '' End of Watch'', and as Colonel Carrillo in '' Narcos''.
Early life
Born and raised in New Orleans, Compte ...
as Chili
* Freez Luv as Freez
*
Merlin Santana as Hector
* Julian Dulce Vida as J.J.
*
Angela Alvarado as Gina Reyes (as Angela Rose Alvarado)
*
Larry Joe Campbell
Larry Joe Campbell is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Andy on the ABC sitcom '' According to Jim''.
Early life
Campbell was born in Pontiac, Michigan, however, grew up in Cadillac. He graduated from high sch ...
as Locker Room Cop #2
*
Henry Kingi as Garbage Truck Driver
Production
In December 2000, it was reported
Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
and
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
were in negotiations to star in ''Showtime'', a comedy described as being built around meta humor centered on
buddy cop
Buddy cop is a film and television genre with plots involving two people of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process. ...
formulas similar to the approach ''
Scream'' took to the
slasher genre.
The original script was written by Keith Sharon, with a rewrite by
Miles Millar and
Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough ( ; born August 22, 1967) is an American screenwriter, producer, writer, director, showrunner and creator. He is the developer of The WB/The CW's Superman-prequel television series ''Smallville (TV series), Smallville''. Alongside lo ...
.
Later that month,
Tom Dey
Thomas Ridgeway Dey (born April 14, 1965) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His credits include ''Shanghai Noon'', '' Showtime'', ''Failure to Launch'', and ''Marmaduke''.
Early life
Dey was born in Hanover, New Hampshire ...
was hired as director.
Soundtrack
''From And Inspired By The Motion Picture Showtime'', a soundtrack album composed of thirteen songs, was released on March 19, 2002 through
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
. Recording sessions took place at "The Boxx" and Main Street Studios in
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...
, at the Idea Lounge, The Ranch, Big Yard Studio and HC&F Studio in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, at Iguana Recording Studios in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, at the Tracken Place and Brandon's Way Studio in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. Production was handled by
Dave Kelly,
Babyface, Christopher Birch, Gordon Dukes,
Kardinal Offishall
Jason Drew Harrow (born May 11, 1976), better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall ( ), is a Canadian rapper and record producer. Often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", he has been regarded as one of the country's most prominent ...
, Richard Browne,
Shaggy,
Sting International, Tommie "Bishop" McLaughlin, Tony "CD" Kelly, and Robert Livingston, who also served as executive producer together with
Joel Sill and
Michael McQuarn. It features contributions from Shaggy, Alias Project, Babyface,
Bounty Killer
Rodney Basil Price OD (born 12 June 1972), known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant fl ...
,
Brian & Tony Gold, Gordon Dukes, Howzing,
Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall,
Latrelle, Marsha Morrison, Prince Mydas,
Rayvon
Bruce Alexander Michael Brewster (born January 18, 1968),Gage, Simon (2002), ''The Independent'', 4 August 2002. better known by his stage name Rayvon, is a Barbadian singer and songwriter, known for his work with Shaggy.
Born in Barbados, he w ...
, Rik Rok, Rude,
Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall musician. Paul's first album, ''Stage One'', was released in 2000. He gained international fame with his second album, ''Dutty Rock'', in 2002. Its single "Get Busy ...
and
T.O.K.
Track listing
Other songs
These songs did appear in the film but were not released on any soundtrack:
*"So What", written by Tommie McLaughlin and Devon Fredrick Dowdell, performed by Mr. Wrong a.k.a. Bareda (2002)
*"Rueda de fuego (Ring of Fire)", written by
June Carter Cash
Valerie June Carter Cash (June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was an American country singer and songwriter. A five-time Grammy Award–winner, she was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. Prior to her marria ...
and
Merle Kilgore, performed by Mingo Saldivar (1992)
*"Snatch It Back and Hold It", written by
Junior Wells
Junior Wells (born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr.; December 9, 1934January 15, 1998) was an American singer, harmonica player, and recording artist. He is best known for his signature song " Messin' with the Kid" and his 1965 album '' Hoodoo Man Blues ...
and
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaug ...
, performed by Junior Wells (1965)
*"
I Got You (I Feel Good)
"I Got You (I Feel Good)" is a song by the American singer James Brown. First recorded for the 1964 album '' Out of Sight'' and then released in an alternate take as a single in 1965 and included on the compilation album of the same name, it w ...
" written and performed by
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
(1964)
*"
What'd I Say
"What'd I Say" (or "What I Say") is an American rhythm and blues song by Ray Charles, released in 1959. As a single divided into two parts, it was one of the first soul songs. The composition was improvised one evening late in 1958 when Charl ...
" written and performed by
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
(1959)
*"Que Ganas", written by Jorge Luis Piloto and
Sergio George, performed by
Charlie Cruz (2001)
*"Jumpi", written by Sergent García, Pierre-Luc Jamain, Liván Núñez Alemán, Vincent Jogerst and Simon Andrieux, performed by
Sergent García (1999)
*"
Ballad of the Green Berets", written by
Barry Sadler and
Robin Moore, performed by Barry Sadler (1966)
*"Hands Up", written by John E. Rhone, Ontario Haynes and Rodney Price, performed by Bounty Killer
Reception
Critical response
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
the film holds an approval rating of 25% based on 123 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "''Showtime'' starts out as a promising satire of the buddy cop genre. Unfortunately, it ends up becoming the type of movies it is satirizing." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
the film has a weighted average score of 32 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data.
Background
Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.
The film was nominated for two
Razzie Awards, for Worst Actor (
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
) and Worst Screen Couple (Murphy and
Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
).
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Tom Dey
2002 films
2002 action comedy films
2002 comedy films
2000s buddy cop films
2000s chase films
2000s English-language films
2000s police comedy films
American action comedy films
American buddy cop films
American buddy comedy films
American chase films
American police detective films
Films about dogs
Films about drugs
Films about the Los Angeles Police Department
Films about television
Films directed by Tom Dey
Films scored by Alan Silvestri
Films set in Los Angeles
Films shot in Los Angeles
Films with screenplays by Alfred Gough
Films with screenplays by Miles Millar
Reality television series parodies
Village Roadshow Pictures films
Warner Bros. films
2000s American films
English-language crime comedy films
English-language action comedy films
English-language thriller films
English-language buddy comedy films