CHIPS: Blu-ray Review
*Blu-ray was provided by Warner Bros. for review*
The Movie:
Jon Baker (Shepard) and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Peña) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles, but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten-up former pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover Federal agent investigating a multi-million-dollar heist that may be an inside job—inside the CHP.
There’s been a trend of making R-rated films based on older TV shows and to be honest there aren’t that many that are good. Unfortunately this film falls somewhere in the category and is nowhere near what the show really was. It’s not the worst by any means but the execution just didn’t happen where it needed to happen. There was a fairly simple plot in place that seemed like it could’ve worked but it just seemed like every other scene had something to do with a crude joke and that hindered the momentum of the story. I don’t mind crude humor one bit but when it feel like the movie is using it as a crutch then even the funniest jokes don’t feel all that funny but there were a few gags that did make me laugh pretty good. I’m a fan of Shepard and Pena and their chemistry is what kept me watching but I think that if they would leaned a bit more on action and less on punchlines then the film might’ve been almost like Bad Boys. Okay, maybe not exactly like Bad Boys but I think you know what I mean. My favorite part of it all were the motorcycle stunts and elaborate shootouts towards the third act. Those were the things that made this a fun watch. Again, the movie isn’t terrible but I just wish that it was better. If you’re into this brand of humor then this film may very well be up your alley but everybody else may want to rent this before deciding to pick it up just in case. 5/10
Special Features:
This Is Not Your Dad’s CHiPs – This feature looks at how this is not the CHIPS that everybody remembers on TV.
Practical Pursuit – A look at the stunt work in the film.
Ducati: The Perfect Bike – Shepard looking over and talking about the motorcycles that were used in the film.
Deleted Scenes – A good amount of scenes that include optional commentary by Dax Shepard.
