Respond to these rapid questions in our Chips quiz and we will tell you which Chips character you are. Play it now.
“CHIPS” is an action comedy about overcompensating characters that appears to have been made by overcompensating comedians, frequently devolving into the same chauvinism and homophobia that star/writer/director Dax Shepard only half-heartedly mocks in the film. Unlike the 2012 reboot/parody “21 Jump Street” and its sequel, this isn’t a witty takedown of a beloved show; rather, it’s another example of the brain-dead entertainment against which its creators claim to be protesting.
Soon after Jon Baker (Shepard), a former pro motorcycle rider turned straitlaced rookie highway patrolman, teams up with an undercover fed who goes by the name of Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Michael Pea), a series of painfully unfunny sex jokes ensue. When Ponch is on the trail of a gang of dirty cops, led by Vic Brown (Vincent D’Onofrio), he reluctantly enlists the assistance of Baker (John Goodman). Given how much of a wreck Baker is, that blind trust is supposed to be a remarkable sign of good faith, especially given how addicted to painkillers he is and how terrified he is of the prospect of breaking up with his estranged wife (Kristen Bell). Ponch’s sex addiction and generally irresponsible behavior appear to be a good match for Baker’s entire uptight demeanor.
After all is said and done, the worst thing that can happen to these men is that women are constantly flinging themselves at them in between seemingly inconsequential confrontations with Kurtz. This could be amusing if the characters in the film appeared to be in on the joke, but they frequently display the same insecurities that they are supposedly mocking in the first place. A scene that is prominently featured in the film’s trailer shows Ponch falling face-first into Baker’s naked crotch while attempting to transport his then-incapable partner to his bathtub for a soak is shown in the trailer. Because of the absurdity of making face-junk contact, this scene is supposed to be the tipping point for the two characters: Ponch can’t possibly be homophobic because he and Baker bond over the absurdity of doing so.
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Unfortunately, the parade of bare breasts and over-sexed, under-developed female characters that Shepard employs to perpetually re-affirm Ponch and Baker’s heterosexuality isn’t amusing in the least. These gentlemen may be concerned about each other’s sexual preferences, as evidenced by the scene in which Ponch exclaims in surprise when he notices Baker and his colleague’s fully-clothed genitals touching each other when they embrace in the men’s changing room. Fortunately for Baker, Ava (Rosa Salazar), a fellow officer who also happens to be a motorcycle enthusiast, jumps on him almost immediately. Ponch is similarly sized up and subjected to nude photographs three times throughout the film, a running gag that culminates in a climax that is every bit as bad as it started. Although it would be amusing if Shepard actually did something about Ponch’s sex addiction or Baker’s timidity, the fact that these guys have attractive women practically begging to strip and/or pose for them would be hilarious.
Chips Quiz
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Most of the time, Shepard uses his characters’ neuroses as springboards for lame sex jokes, which he then uses to his own advantage. These jokes, taken as a whole, give the impression that “CHiPS” is a broad comedy about one thing: straight men who can’t stand the thought of being assumed to be homosexual. On the other hand, there’s the seemingly out of nowhere joke where two Spanish-speaking car mechanics make fun of Baker’s presumably small penis while Ponch translates everything they say into disingenuously complimentary English for the audience. Ponch also has a running gag about being forced to have a woman perform anilingus on him, which backfires almost immediately because Ponch insists that he prefers to give as well as receive, which is something that all modern couples do. Also included is an out-of-context scene in which Ponch and Baker are gawked at by Ava, fellow lady motorcycle cop Lindsey (Jessica McNamee), and a gay cop who appears in only a few scenes but is exclusively identified as gay, as if the joke’ reliance on the juvenile assumption that being “kinky” must be “icky” weren’t enough.
This last joke is particularly poignant in its message. It appears to be Shepard’s defensive response to criticism that the film is reveling in, rather than parodying, such piggish sexism rather than parodying it. After all, how could the film be anything other than amusing when two women and a gay man are given the opportunity to briefly objectify Ponch, as well as Baker? Shepard’s characters become even more unlikable as a result of these token gestures of good faith, which only serve to exhaust the audience’s patience. Take into consideration that the chase scenes in the film are so sloppy edited that you’ll feel like you’re watching a highlight reel of a chase rather than a full-length sequence.
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The only time the audience laughs out loud in the film isn’t even during an intentional joke. In this scene, Ponch comes down off his macho high horse and shares a pseudo-empathetic moment with Baker, though it’s also a scene in which he criticizes Baker for still being hung up on his ex-wife, which is telling. Their conversation about their feelings is brief and beautiful, and the film becomes something more than just a rancid gag machine. Then Baker makes fun of Ponch for being sincere, and the film returns to its previous state as a tedious slog. It’s only fitting that “CHiPS” concludes with two characters making out while a third character watches them. This joke is nothing more than a ruse to allow viewers to take pleasure in the sight of a woman’s form-fitting pants as she straddles an unlikable character’s lap and makes out with abandon while wearing them. When you can simply leer at a woman from behind while she rewards an unworthy character with musky, manly, lady-objectifying sex, what is the point of having empathy, human characters, good action, or witty banter, you are a winner.
For more personality quizzes check this: Baahubali 2 The Conclusion Quiz.
