The box office
bomb CHiPs is a movie I thought wouldn’t be that bad, though I wasn’t
expecting much from a film written, directed by, and starring Dax Shepard. The
movie has nothing good to write about, and the events—from the ridiculous
backstories of the characters to the over-the-top desire to be even dumber than
it already is—are sad to watch.
There was no
need for the movie to try and be dumber than what it already delivered, which
is a pointless bonding story between two cops.
Buddy cop movies are supposed to thrive on the dynamic between two officers who
see things from different angles (Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour are
perfect examples). But when you pair two of the most foolish cops in a buddy
cop movie, don’t be surprised when it bombs.
Based on a 1977
series of the same name, the movie kicks off with introductions to the two men
who will be partnered together.
First, there’s Jon Baker (Dax Shepard), a former motorbike champion with
numerous trophies and accidents that have resulted in countless surgeries to
keep him standing. Jon is a complete naïve moron.
He decides to join the cops because his ex-wife’s father used to be a cop, and
he hopes she’ll find him attractive in a uniform.
None of this works out well for him, as he struggles in the pre-exam—the only
thing he’s good at is riding a bike. He’s eventually assimilated into the CHP
on probation.
On the other
side, we have an FBI agent (Michael Peña) who’s undercover in the CHP to find
out who within the department is committing robberies and is responsible for
the death of a helicopter co-pilot. His undercover name is Frank Poncherello.
You’d expect
Frank to be all serious and Jon to be the buffoon, but Frank is a sex addict
who hits on anything that moves. Add to that, he’s over-the-top annoying—and
not in a good way, but in a stupid way.
The two are
paired together, with Frank working the case and Jon trying to prove himself to
get off probation.
The movie should
have stayed in development and never been made. The script needed more work,
and the casting was a big problem.
Everyone seems to be in a role that doesn’t suit them, no matter how hard they
try to make it work. The lines in the movie and Frank’s personality were way
too much for any film.
I think the
movie could have done better if the Frank character was played by a more
well-known actor and his persona was changed to a more boy-scout cop, like in
other buddy cop movies.
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