While a movie based on the ’70s drama “CHIPS” seems silly, that was everyone thought about “21 Jump Street” at first, until Phil Lord and Chris Miller showed that it’s possible to really shake the dust off an aging property. And yet, our reservations remain for “CHiPs” mostly because we’re not quite ready to put our faith in Dax Shepard as writer, director and star (but hey, we’d be more than happy to be proven wrong).
Joined by Michael Pena, the duo take the lead roles in this raunchier version of the cop series, with the movie aiming to be grown up (it’s rated R), but also light on its feet too.
“My aim was somewhere in the ‘Bad Boys,’ ‘Lethal Weapon’ world. That was my take on it. It’s interesting because it’s definitely a comedy where the show is not, but the stakes are very real and the world is real and the physics are real and all those things are grounded. Insane situations happen but it’s not happening in a satire world or a heightened world. It’s a very real world,” Shephard told EW. Here’s the official synopsis:
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 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.
The inexperienced rookie and hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kickstarting a partnership is easier said than done. But with Baker’s bike skills combined with Ponch’s street savvy it might just work…if they don’t drive each other crazy along the way.
“CHIPS” opens on March 24th.
