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The team that brought you Shanghai Noon returns in the comedy about two cops who are forced to team up for a new reality TV show that their department hopes will boost morale and its public image.

Robert DeNiro stars as Mitch, the senior partner, described as a no-nonsense, straight-laced, Robert DeNiro type. No kidding; that's how his character is described. Eddie Murphy plays Mitch's rookie partner, Trey, who's a showboating, outlandish sort with an Eddie Murphy attitude. The supporting cast includes Rene Russo as the show's producer, and William Shatner as himself.

There's something very intriguing about having a movie where the characters are described as being what one generally expects of the actors who play them. And the skewering of both reality TV and buddy-cop movies (the writers were also responsible for Lethal Weapon 4) adds another interesting layer to the mix. DeNiro has been on a streak lately with his comedies, and while Eddie Murphy is hit-or-miss, he's usually a hit when given a film that plays to his wise-ass persona, which this would seem to do. Plus, I have a soft spot in my heart for Shatner, and watching him play himself, albeit likely in a way that pokes fun at his image, sounds like a hoot to me.

Warmer Bros seems to have a great deal of confidence in this film; it's currently scheduled to open in the 2002 summer season, a prime time for big=budget, star-laden films. And if this films lives up to the potential its synopsis and pedigree indicate, this could be one damned funny movie and a box office success. We'll know more once a trailer is available; that will show whether we're headed towards the Beverly Hills Cop end of the comedy spectrum, or Police Academy-like dreck. But just going by what's on paper, this sounds like one of the not-to-be-missed comedies of next year. (Stephanie Star Smith/BOP)

January 10, 2002
After being moved to its initial March date from July 19, 2002, Showtime was moved up two additional weeks. (Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for Showtime Main Cast Robert De Niro, Eddie Murphy, Rene Russo Supporting Cast Pedro Damian, Mos Def, Frankie Faison Director Tom Dey Screenwriter Keith Sharon, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar Distributor Warner Bros. Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www2.warnerbros.com/showtime/ Rating PG-13 Running Time 95 minutes Screen Count 2,917 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for Showtime
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Rush Hour 2	8/3/01	67.41	71.94	3118	21619.00	22193.0	226.14	241.35	3.35
Lethal Weapon 4	7/10/98	34.05	43.77	3117	10924.00	13509.4	130.44	167.70	3.83
Lethal Weapon 3	5/15/92	33.24	48.29	2510	13243.00	18508.3	144.73	210.29	4.35
Rush Hour	9/18/98	33.00	42.42	2638	12509.00	15469.6	141.17	181.50	4.28
Meet the Parents	10/6/00	28.62	32.01	2614	10949.00	11781.9	166.23	185.96	5.81
Con Air	6/6/97	24.13	31.69	2824	8545.00	10797.6	101.12	132.84	4.19
Shaft	6/16/00	21.71	24.28	2337	9290.00	9996.7	70.30	78.64	3.24
Lethal Weapon 2	7/7/89	20.39	30.81	1803	11309.00	16439.1	147.25	222.53	7.22
Analyze This	3/5/99	18.38	21.90	2518	7299.00	8333.5	106.69	127.14	5.80
Shanghai Noon	5/26/00	15.61	17.46	2711	5758.00	6196.0	56.90	63.65	2.90
Beverly Hills Cop 3 *	5/27/94	15.28	22.58	2748	5560.00	7903.9	42.59	62.94	2.56
Bulletproof Monk	4/18/03	8.65	8.65	2955	2928.00	2928.0	23.01	23.01	2.30
Bulletproof	9/6/96	6.01	8.19	2240	2683.00	3520.7	21.20	28.92	3.53