Some film soundtracks are all over the place musically; they might give you anything from country to alternative metal to gangsta rap (depending on what different scenes in the movie called for). That is great if you have eclectic tastes; some listeners are broad-minded enough to listen to
Donna Fargo one minute and
Mobb Deep the next. But those who aren't so eclectic might feel intimidated. This CD isn't among 2002's ultra-diverse soundtracks -- its primary focus is urban contemporary and urban-drenched dancehall, and most of the material has some type of hip-hop influence. But while the soundtrack of Showtime (a film starring
Eddie Murphy and
Robert Deniro) isn't incredibly far-reaching, it is fairly focused and, for the most part, decent. Most of the tunes are respectable, and that is true of urban offerings like Marsha Morrison's "Lie Till I Die" as well as crossover dancehall items such as
Shaggy's "My Lover" and Kardinall Offishall's "Money Jane." These
Shaggy and Kardinall Offishall tracks are not hardcore dancehall but rather, dancehall with strong R&B/hip-hop leanings -- in other words, dancehall that doesn't cater to purists any more than
Garth Brooks caters to country purists or the late
Grover Washington, Jr. catered to jazz purists. In fact,
Shaggy's playful title song (which features Babyface) is really more R&B than dancehall; the tune recalls late-'70s favorites
Rose Royce. Another memorable track is Rude's "Why," which successfully combines urban contemporary with '60s girl group elements and could be described as
Martha & the Vandellas by way of
Destiny's Child, Brownstone, or
TLC. This CD isn't perfect; a few of the tunes are routine and pedestrian. But more often than not, Showtime's soundtrack hits its mark. ~ Alex Henderson