Chips (2017)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: Dax Shepard
	Actors: Michael Peña (Ant-Man 1-2, Extinction), Dax Shepard, Vincent D'Onofrio (Men in Black, Daredevil TV-series)
	Country: USA
	Genre: Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 19.07.2019, in-flight entertainment system, 10" screen.
Synopsis: To solve a case of multiple robberies, super FBI agent Ponch (Peña) goes undercover in the California Highway Patrol where he teams up with newbie Jon Baker (Shepard).
Review: Somebody seems to think it is a good idea to remake 70-80's Drama series with an investigation background into modern comedies with dumb humor. Fortunately, Chips is closer to Starsky & Hutch than 21, Jump Street or Baywatch from which I could watch only 10 minutes. I don't know why but I remember that the series CHiPs was fun to watch in the afternoon coming back from school: some crime solving but nothing dreadful, some motorbike riding... In this adaptation a lot is added to fill in the 90 minutes of runtime and give the audience more than a police crime solving story, most importantly a complex background to the two main characters so that they can have many exchanges around professional as well as private life. Indeed they are not just two guys in the Police but they have strong (conflicting) motivations to succeeds while living opposite sex lives. To complete the cast is a Vincent D'Onofrio playing so differently than he does in Daredevil (I noticed that first by the voice) that it confirms how good an actor he is. The story is hard to follow which is not a good sign, in particular I had trouble identifying the bad guys. The dialogs and funny situations are everything in this kind of movie, much more important than the story and bad guys. In this case we find a lot of dick and fart jokes, but somehow less than I was expecting and I found them funny, I don't know if because well placed or thanks to the good actors in Michael Peña and Dax Shepard. Thanks to that and saved by it, I had a good time watching Chips until the mandatory cameo by the original Ponch. Good for a pizza evening with friends. Better for a younger audience than me. Best with alcohol.
Rating: 6 /10