By Mark HadleyMonday 10 Apr 2017The Big PictureMoviesReading Time: 2 minutes
This version of classic TV series Chips introduces Ponch (Michael Peña) as an undercover FBI agent who joins the Highway Patrol to root out the dirty cops who’ve been heisting armoured cars. Dax Shepherd (who also wrote and directed the film) stars as his motorcycle patrolman partner John, who happens to be a former X-treme sports bike rider trying a new career in the hope it will save his marriage.
RATED: CHIPS is rated MA15+ people for strong violence and coarse language. Strangely not for the unnecessary nudity that’s also there, so be warned.
AUDIENCE: This is one for the fans of the 1970s TV series and people who tend to get a kick out of juvenile humour
WHAT’S GOOD: There’s a really good buddy-vibe going between John and Ponch, and it makes you feel happy when they inevitably triumph. There are also a couple of fun nods back to the original CHIPS series – including the original John and Ponch!
WHAT’S NOT: This is one of those films that’s sadly been ruined by a lot of unnecessary language, nudity and sexual references. Worse, it tries to make a case for certain sexual behaviour to be mainstream that is at best borderline and worst deviant. I wouldn’t recommend it for this reason alone.
SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING: Strangely, if they’d cut out all of the negative things above they would have had quite a cool movie about the existence of strong male bonds that don’t have to be interpreted as sexual. We live in an age where the close male friendships like the Biblical David and Jonathan are regularly misinterpreted as homosexual. It would have been nice to have a funny film bringing male bonding back.
RELEASE DATE: Thursday, April 6 2017