CHiPs

This raunchy, lame-brained reboot of the NBC-TV show begins with the disclaimer: “The California Highway Patrol does not endorse this film. At all.” You think? Writer-director-actor Dax Shepard stars as Jon Baker, a battered, former motocross hotshot who tries to save his faltering marriage by joining the Highway Patrol. When painkiller-popping Baker is partnered with Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Michael Peña), he has no idea that Ponch is actually an undercover FBI agent who has been dispatched from Miami to investigate a multimillion-dollar robbery. Corrupt cops, led by Kurtz (Vincent D'Onofrio), are hijacking armored cars, and their apprehension puts the CHiP duo on wide-bodied Ducati bikes for loads of high-velocity vehicular chases on the Los Angeles freeways. Where the TV version of CHiPs (1977-83) was campy/cheesy but also wholesome, this tasteless, testosterone-fueled film is homophobic (one gag involves buff, exhibitionistic Baker, stripped down to his tighty whities, impishly taunting obviously uncomfortable Ponch) and treats women as sex objects. For series devotees, Erik Estrada, the original Ponch, appears here in a cameo. And Kristen Bell, Shepard's real-life wife, plays his estranged, onscreen spouse. FYI: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is one of the executive producers. Make of that what you will. This aggressively stupid film is not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the “making-of” segment “This Is Not Your Dad's CHIPS” (9 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are deleted scenes (15 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurettes “Practical Pursuit” (9 min.) and “Ducati: The Perfect Bike” (5 min.), and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an awful film.] (S. Granger)