If Police Academy, A Touch Of Cloth and The Naked Gun artificially created a four-headed Australian freak child in an abandoned warehouse, then called it Chimp Cop Forever and put it on display at the Comedy Festival, well, you get the idea...
Now in its third outing of the series, the quartet of Timothy Clark, Adam Knox and Ben and Rosie Vernel present the most recent chapter in the life of this undercover simian sergeant. This time Chimp Cop has to take down his own father, Criminal Cop.
Borrowing heavily from the numerous procedural parodies that came before them, Chimp Cop Forever plays to its strengths and stays within its own parameters as a farcical sketch show. Many of the jokes can be seen from a mile away, but the ridiculousness of the premise leads to some downright hilarious bits on TV police dramas, stereotypical gangsters and the almighty question: "Wait, is he a primate or not?"
The Chimp Cop team have the amazing skill of staying fresh while still being likeably predictable. The jokes are simple but satisfying, and the show would not be the success that it is if it tried to deviate from the formula. There are as many pun-induced groans as there are genuine, riotous laughs, and the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mantra still stands strong while offering a few surprises along the way.
Chimp Cop is very clever in its ability to appear very un-clever. It's a brilliant homage for those who know the parodies, and an even better tribute for those who grew up on the real thing.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival presents Chimp Cop Forever till 23 Apr at Trades Hall.
