if you have see the trailer for this movie and you pretty much know what to expect and because what you see here be what you get . and even if you haven not see the preview and it would not take you long to pick up on what youre in for specifically and a good time and plenty of laugh from this clever satire of ` reality tv show and ` buddy cop movie and ` showtime and direct by tom dey and star robert de niro and eddie murphy . mitch preston ( de niro ) be a detective with the l. a. p. d. and and he good at what he do while but work a case one night and thing suddenly go south when another cop and trey sellars ( murphy ) and inadvertently intervenes and a television news crew show up and mitch lose his cool and which result in a lawsuit by the television station that go to cost the department some big buck . except that they may be able to get around it and thanks to chase renzi ( rene russo ) and who work for the station and like what she see in mitch enough to pitch an idea to her bos for a ` reality cop show and that would feature none other than mitch preston and whom chase see a a real life ` dirty harry . her bos like the idea and give chase the green light . now all she have to do be convince mitch to participate and which shouldn not be too hard and since the station have agree to drop the lawsuit if he will do the show . but mitch be a cop and not an actor and and he want nothing to do with any of it that be until he have a heart to heart with his bos and captain winship ( frankie faison ) and who put mitch future into succinct perspective for him . and just like that and the show be on . oh and yes and there one more thing while for the show and mitch be go to need a partner . and who do you suppose theyre go to come up with for that . let put it this way represent trey sellars be more than one of the usual suspect . this be dey second film a a director and his first be ` shanghai noon and also a comedy and he definitely show a penchant for the genre . from the opening frame he establish a pace that keep the story move right along and and he allow his star to make the most of their respective talent and personal strength and include their impeccable timing . with star like de niro and murphy and dey and of course and have a leg up on this project to begin with and but he the one who keep it on track and demonstrating that he know what work and achieve just the right blend of physical comedy and action and and employ the subtlety of the dialogue to great effect . there isn not a more natural actor in the business than de niro and and he step into mitch skin like he be bear to it . and after year of do hard edge and cut drama ( in which he turn in one remarkable performance after another ) and with such film a ` analyze this and ` meet the parent and now this one and he have firmly establish his proficiency for do comedy and as well . mitch be not an especially complex character while he be and in fact and something of an ` ordinary guy and but therein lie the challenge for the actor to make him believable and to make him seem like the guy who could be your neighbor and just another member of the community . and on all count and de niro succeed . he mitch and the guy you run into at the grocery store or the bank and or say ` good morning to on your way to work while who like to watch the game on tv and have a life and just like you and me and who happen to make his living by be a cop . it the character mitch have to be to make this film work and because it make the ` ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstance angle credible . it one of those role and work that be often wrongly dismiss out of hand and because it look so easy while and and of course and this be what make de niro so exceptional he do make it look easy and and he do it with facility . a trey sellars and eddie murphy turn in a winning performance and as well and and it a role that fit him like the proverbial glove . trey be a cop and but also an aspiring actor and a bad one and it give murphy the opportunity to play on the over exuberant side of his personality ( reign in enough by dey and however and to keep him from soar over the top into jim carrey territory ) and which work perfectly for this character and this film . from his melodramatic take on a part during an audition and to his throw out of one liner deliver by look directly into the camera ( which as far a he concern isn not even there ) while film the ` reality show murphy a riot . and he have a chemistry with de niro that really click ( which be not unexpected and a this be another of de niro many talent while his ability to connect with and bring out the best in his co star and all of whom evidence will support be good at their craft after have work with him and include the like of meryl streep and christopher walken and ed harris and just to name a few ) . most importantly and this be a part that allow murphy to excel at what he do best and and he certainly make the most of it . russo make the most of her role a chase and too and a character who isn not much of a stretch artistically and but whom she present delightfully and with a strong and believable performance . and william shatner ( play himself ) absolutely steal a couple of scene a the director of the show . the support cast include drena de niro ( annie ) and pedro damian ( vargas ) and james roday ( camera man ) . well craft and deliver and ` showtime be a comedy that exactly what it be mean to be represent pure entertainment that provide plenty of laugh and a pleasant couple of hour that will have you chuckle for some time after . it the magic of the movie . positive . .