Not every old cop show is equal, but if we're comparing 21 Jump Street and CHIPS...well, the latter had a longer run and just as many dedicated fans. So does that mean we should expect Dax Shepard's comic remake to be better than the terrific 21 Jump Street movies? Eh, not judging by everything we've seen so far, and doubtful that opinion will change with this new red band trailer.
Legitimately raunchy, vulgar, and with plenty of ass-eating talk, the trailer at least makes the case for the film's R-rating. Otherwise there's not much to dig here, and you can't help but feel Michael Pena signed on to this without knowing what Shepard had planned. The basic premise remains the same, though. Shepard and Pena play California motorcycle cops, only now they're a lot more inept than their TV counterparts. Here's the synopsis:
Jon Baker (Shepard) and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Peña) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten up pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover Federal agent investigating a multi-million dollar heist that may be an inside job—inside the CHP.
The inexperienced rookie and hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kickstarting a partnership is easier said than done. But with Baker’s bike skills combined with Ponch’s street savvy it might just work…if they don’t drive each other crazy along the way.
I guess Pena caught the messed-up cop bug after War on Everyone. He might want to remember that not all cop movies are equal, either.
CHIPS opens March 24th.
