The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Poor writing and an even poorer execution takes the lead in CHIPS; a lazy, vulgar and painfully idiotic buddy-cop comedy that is as generic and predictable as they come. Based on the classic seventies and eightees television series of the same name, writer-director Dax Shephard struggles to bring any flavour or fluidity to the proceedings, delivering a mishmash of R-rated humour and action to a story that doesn’t really know where it wants to go or what it wants to be.

After an unidentified group of criminals end up robbing millions of dollars from an armoured car and leave one police officer dead, the California Highway Patrol is led to believe that they might have some dirty cops in their midst.  Seeking out help from the FBI, skilled agent, Castillo (Pena), is sent and soon assumes the role of Frank ‘Ponch’ Poncherello, as he travels out west to go undercover and investigate.

Upon arriving to L.A, he’s paired with straight-laced rookie Jon Baker (Shephard); an injury-prone cop and a former motocross star who’s desperately trying to save his marriage with wife Karen (Bell). Jon is a relatively naïve and sensitive man addicted to painkillers and Ponch is classic ‘tough guy’ who suffers with a severe case of sex addiction and it’s the odd-ball pairing that serves to be the main point of focus of the movie. The story attempts – and ultimately fails – to use those differences to rocket its jokes which, for the most part, are focused on Ponch’s inability to keep his hands out of his pants.

Both Shephard and Pena try their best to sell their parts – with Shephard faring a little better than his co-star –but it doesn’t help that there isn’t an ounce of chemistry, with their onscreen dynamic coming off as uninspired, contrived and terribly forced.

In fact, it’s difficult to find anything of value in this mindless maze of crude humour and grim violence. Lacking structure or any form of consistency, nothing really makes much sense with the story failing to provide anything new to this very specific kind of set-up.

On the upside, the action is reasonably sound with Shepard’s love for motorcycles evident throughout. However, there isn’t enough of it to keep this sinking boat afloat or the plethora of ineffective jokes alive.