After an undercover drug bust goes awry, Detective Mitch Preston shoots a Maxis TV camera out of frustration. In response, Maxis TV sues Preston and the police department for ten million dollars, but agree to drop the suit if Preston will agree to star in a new reality TV show, which is the brainchild of producer Chase Renzi. Preston is resistant, but has no choice. Renzi believes a "funny minority type" for his partner will improve ratings, so they pair him with Trey Sellars, an officer who would much rather audition for movie parts than actually perform his police duties. With much bickering, the two begin their investigation into the appearance of new twelve-gauge automatic weapons that are appearing on the streets.

While Showtime begins by spoofing the buddy cop genre, it soon falls into the same patterns, and ends up essentially being just another buddy cop film. This isn't an entirely bad thing, but it makes the movie fairly predictable. There are a few really funny moments in the film, but there are just as many painfully dull moments that seem to last forever, such as Murphy's interrogation scene in the jail. Shatner, who seems to be enjoying himself, appears to spoof his T.J. Hooker role, and garners a few laughs in the process. Though I question the reality of a twelve-gauge automatic shotgun-esque weapon that fires depleted uranium shells, it does make for some rather exciting action sequences.

Video:
Showtime is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is excellent throughout, for the exception of some edge enhancement, which while not that distracting, is a tad irksome. Colors are accurate and bold throughout, with natural flesh tones, and terrific blacks that exhibit excellent shadow detail.

The film is also available in a separate full screen version.

Audio:
Showtime is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in English or French. The 5.1 surround track is especially impressive, given the film relies more on comedy than straight action. The twelve-gauge automatic weapons provide satisfying effects that penetrate the surrounds and the LFE channel during the gunfights, but otherwise, the surrounds are engaged mainly for the film's music. Dialogue throughout is crisp, clean, and always easy to understand. Optional subtitles are available in English, Spanish, and French.

Extras:
The main extra on the disc is the screen-specific audio commentary with Dey and producer Jorge Saralegui. The two are relaxed as they discuss the normal commentary fare, such as how it was made, the casting decisions, what the actors were like, and tell a few behind the scenes stories. They also spend a fair amount of time fawning on the performances and occasionally shift into narration mode. While not the most informative track, it does deliver some interesting tidbits for those who stick it out.

Next up is the featurette The Making of Showtime which premiered on HBO. Shatner hosts and manages to deliver a few funny bits between interviews with the principals, clips from the movie, and glimpses behind the scenes. Running about fourteen minutes in length, it is entirely promotional.

Also present are four deleted scenes, five outtakes from Murphy's confessions, the film's trailer, cast and crew bios, and a few weblinks. I thought the first deleted scene was particularly good, as it serves to explain why Mitch and his old partner never teamed up again after Showtime ended. While interesting, I'm sure it was cut for time and pacing reasons.

Summary:
While Showtime is nothing you haven't seen before, it does contain a few funny moments and some good action sequences. Warner's DVD offers the film with an excellent presentation and a few decent extras, so fans of the film should certainly consider picking it up. Newcomers should try the film as a rental, especially for fans of De Niro or Murphy.