Snappy “Showtime” renews buddy formula

By: Amanda Healy
It’s funny. Read all the professional reviews on “Showtime,” and every single one is nothing but scathing criticism. However, go to any forum in which the public can voice its opinion and you’ll read nothing but praise for this film. Indeed, it seems in this case that the experts are wrong. How shocking.

“Showtime” is all laughs. There is nothing sappy or overdone about this movie. The basic skeleton of the story is anything but new. It is your typical odd couple flick, a formula seen too many times. Regardless, Eddie Murphy and Robert DeNiro manage to make it all seem fresh and entertaining. The one-liners never stop and there is actually a bit of mystery and an elaborate structure to the plot as well.

“Showtime” is composed of two parallel and intertwining storylines. One is a lighter motif: the two lead actors’ struggle to get along as their friendship develops. The other is a more serious theme as a criminal mastermind attempts to have his way within the city. The law races to solve this crime as DeNiro and Murphy fight to overcome their differences.

Perhaps the main reason that this movie is not stale is that basically every actor involved is making fun of his or her off-camera personality. This is where the film’s humor primarily lies. DeNiro plays an uptight cop, Mitch Preston, who is all about business and getting the job done. During the film, Preston is constantly being pressured to lighten up and he resists, succeeding only in appearing more and more silly as he occasionally attempts to make the best of an unwanted situation. There really is nothing more hilarious than seeing a notoriously tough and sophisticated personality like DeNiro making defunct pottery – with a passion. Murphy plays Trey Sellars, Preston’s absolute antithesis in every way possible.

Sellars is a star-struck fool, seeking only the fame in crime-solving and he is constantly being made to look like an idiot by Preston’s quick rebuttals. One thing this film really does is contradict and play off of stereotypes; in fact, this is where the plotline’s filler comes from, and works very well for the humor.

One of the funniest scenes is near the end when the movie’s protagonists finally face off with the Latino antagonist, played smashingly well by Pedro Damian. He has such a thick accent that, during a moment that should have been nothing but suspense, DeNiro and Murphy are forced to continuously ask the man to repeat himself for clarification. Damian does a wonderful job of slurring the words into unintelligible jargon. This moment is so rich with humor that it is further used at the end, during the outtakes.

Murphy adds his own touch to the joke by poking fun at himself, asking the line to be repeated in “Ebonics.” The laughs never stop coming, not even after the movie is over. The stereotypes exploited are not just cultural, though. No, the flair comes from dealing with contemporary issues as well; in this case, it is the engulfing trend of “Real TV” that is not safe from ridicule.

The film cunningly injects both hilariously obvious and then more catchy, subtle jokes into the plot. This is the only true recipe for a successful comedy. Some jokes must be harder to notice so that they hit the audience from a different angle.

One such instance in “Showtime” is executed by Rene Russo, who plays a story-hungry TV executive. In order to make DeNiro’s character more appealing to the TV audience, she gives him a retired drug-finding cop dog, named Powder. This gag is further underscored as Powder sniffs at some sand, getting the white substance all over its nose.

For those of you out there in Movie-land who long for the classic, old-fashioned, comedic-action style of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the “Lethal Weapon” movies, there is hope yet. People are still trying to capture that magic that has spawned so many enjoyable continuations. While it is true that there is nothing long-lasting about these films, they are nonetheless golden. Yes friends, this is the stuff that sequels are made of.