bubble just beneath the surface of showtime be a good idea . actually and it more like two or three idea that constantly fight for screentime . this film doesn not just have it cake and eat it too while it have the whole bakery . detective mitch preston ( robert de niro ) have a drug bust interrupt by the medium and a brash and cop slash actor name trey sellars ( eddie murphy ) . when preston partner be shot and he angrily shoot the camera out of the hand of a pestering newsman and and the tiff land him in a new reality cop show produce by chase renzi ( rene russo ) . in the first of many error and oddity in the movie and that injured partner be never hear from again or allude to for the remainder of the film . de niro best gag be his speech to a classroom of small child to open the picture about how tv cop do not act like real cop . funny thing be and a the movie progress and his character and murphy begin to act more and more like the clichés they supposedly clash so strongly with . in a smart movie and de niro diatribe could have play a ironic comment while here and it only show to point out how truly lame the movie be . while a spoof of a reality base cop show could be funny and the team of writer and director tom dey ( who make the far superior shanghai noon a few year ago while see that movie instead ) seem to be on unsure footing and and instead of slam the tv industry and they really let them off light ( the harsh thing they seem to be able to say about network exec be they like to play ping pong at work ) . russo character have a glint of fiendish delight in her eye and but her dialogue and action rarely match the actress enthusiasm . with little on screen to keep my attention and my mind begin to wander and and that dangerous in a movie with this many plot hole . for instance while if showtime ( the name give to the cop show ) be such a popular smash and why doesn not anyone seem to recognize de niro and murphy when they be on the job . for that matter and if their investigation of smuggler and all around mean guy vargas be be televise and why the heck hasn not someone mention to him that they be on his trail . then again and give this villain action maybe i shouldn not be surprise while this be the same joker who be very angry at an associate for use his new supergun without approval and jeopardize a deal and and then dispatch him how . by use about ten of the superguns to level his entire house and of course . that like put out a fire with a big fire . occasionally and showtime get laugh and but there simply aren not enough for the film nearly two hour run time . even bad and the really smart gag suggest that this movie really could have be on to something and if only they have put in a few more draft of the script . murphy mug and talk as fast a he can with minimal result and and de niro look flat out bore through most of this . after a completely unnecessary fistfight between cop and gangster ( that remarkably result in no injury and no arrest ) russo character shout ` that great television . perhaps it great television and but it far from a great movie .