CHiPs '99

CHiPs was always a cheesy television show something that strictly belonged to the late 1970s and early 1980s.

CHiPs '99 is a reunion television movie and presumably a backdoor pilot that failed to fly.

Ponch (Erik Estrada) is now widowed with a young son who has been working in San Francisco. Painting the Golden Gate bridge.

Jon (Larry Wilcox) is married to a younger woman and is the captain of the precinct. He also has a neighbour's dog that leaves a mess in his garden.

Ponch has rejoined the force and finds himself back in LA reunited with his old buddies and some new ones. One young hotshot has given Ponch a ticket.

Soon the police are tracking down a carjacking ring. It seems the cars are targeted and Ponch has a hunch and it involves a tour coach.

The main plot is silly and gets sillier. There is a woman who drives Mercedes who seems to be on the mobile phone the entire time even when she is being rammed by the baddies. At least her muscles indicate that she is also a stuntwoman. The brakes fail in her car and she has to jump on a motorbike.

There is fun to see old friends reunite, there are clips from the old television show. There are also some incongruous cameos ranging from Judge Judy, Johnny Cochran and Garry Marshall.

This is strictly kitsch and only likely to be enjoyed by those who watched the television show.

During the show's final season, the character of Jon Baker left the CHP and was in Wyoming with his father. And Ponch was there with a new partner, Bobby Nelson. Eventually, his brother, Bruce would become Ponch's new partner. First off, it was strange that Bruce was there and Bobby wasn't, and he wasn't even mentioned. And as I said Jon was the one who left and Ponch stayed, so why was it that Jon was the one who was now the Captain and Ponch was the one who came back. It doesn't make much sense to me. Unless you are not that devout a follower of the show. Like on EIGHT IS ENOUGH, one the characters was an actress for most the series' run but during the final season tried out broadcast journalism. But when the reunion movie came out, she was an actress again.

Only 2 things didn't make since....Jon as Captain on morning roll call, isn't this a sgt. job? Grossman as detective he should be a square badge at KMart.

I just kind of ran into this movie one morning -- I'm a big cynic, and was never a big CHiPs fan, either -- but I found this movie quite engaging. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it's just plain fun.

This movie wasn't any better than the TV show. The whole movie seemed fake. They couldn't even come up with a fresh idea for the movie. If they had, maybe it would have been better. But I really doubt it. It would take a lot to improve this movie.