Clearly This Is Not Your Father's "CHiPS"

CHiPS (2017)

Rated R

Starring Dax Shepard, Michael Pena, Vincent D'Onofrio, Kristen Bell,

Written and Directed by Dax Shepard

The Story:

Jon Baker (Shepard) is a former motocross legend who's trying to get a real job to impress his ex (Bell) so she might take him back. Ponch (Pena) is an undercover Federal agent investigating the possibility that there are some dirty cops on the job at the California Highway Patrol. Let the crashes commence!

I grew up watching CHiPs. Loved that show. Jon and Ponch were a great team, and the crashes were always fantastic.

This is not that show.

This is:  what if Dax Shepard wrote, directed and starred in a movie about the California Highway Patrol?

So depending on what you expect, that might very well determine whether you enjoy this one or roll your eyes in frustration at it.

If you saw his 2012 film Hit and Run, you know what to expect.

I did. I liked it. It was a crazy film, and Shepard showed a lot of skill as the man of many hats, writing/directing/producing and starring.

He's back for more, and this one is just as fun, possibly even moreso.

A lot of the credit for that goes to Shepard himself, but also to Pena who plays his partner, who has no interest in being partners, yet the two manage to bond almost in spite of themselves.

Pena is gold in just about any role he touches anymore, so whenever he's in a film, it's already better just for his involvement.

Don't believe me?

Tell me Ant-Man would be as good without his character.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Sure, it's stupid, crude... but when it's funny, it's spot on.

And the crashes, well they do the memory of their namesake proud.

I saw this one awhile ago, and whenever I see the logo on Amazon or Vudu, I still smile thinking about the movie.

For me, that says a lot about how fun it really was.

Final Grade: C+/B-