- Title: C.H.O.M.P.S.
- IMDb: link
Recently re-released on home video, 1979’s C.H.O.M.P.S. was live-action kiddie fare about a robot dog and ridiculous criminals (Chuck McCann and Red Buttons). A struggling young inventor (Wesley Eure) creates a robotic version of his own dog as the next line in home security. While he’s still working out the bugs, the Canine HOMe Protection System even impresses his hard-to-please boss (Conrad Bain) whose security company is under attack from a rival (Jim Backus), and a member of his own team (Larry Bishop) sabotaging their product.
Valerie Bertinelli also stars as our inventor’s girlfriend, and the daughter of his hot-headed boss. While I remember the film keeping my interest as a kid, it’s target audience is limited to that demographic.
The goofy premises offers a number of sequences from the robot dog to prove itself by thwarting crimes and chasing down robbers and even get into trouble with a neighborhood dog (who is the only canine given his own narration) who was known to terrorize the inventor’s real dog C.H.O.M.P.S. was modeled on. The action is typical G-rated fare and McBann and Buttons provide some fun as the over-the-top bumbling robbers. That said, there’s little to the actual story and C.H.O.M.P.S. is only of interest as a curiosity or as nostalgia for those that remember seeing the film as kids.
Watch the trailer