Triple H Rolls with Punches in ‘The Chaperone’

Leave it to an athlete-turned-actor vehicle like “The Chaperone” to prove that a comedy as low on laughs as this one can be worthwhile. You usually see these movies whenever Showtime runs out of episodes of “Dexter” and “Weeds,” but at least this one doesn’t make the mistake of taking itself too seriously, and is skillful enough to make up for a tame script with spirited performances. Even if you find the image of wrestler Paul Levesque (he made a name for himself as Triple H) going Hollywood difficult to swallow, you’ve got to admit he knows how to make the most of it.

Besides, it’s not like he’s got to yuk it up all the time. There’s also an action movie going on here, and given that Levesque plays an ex-convict who did time for helping out with bank robberies, it seems like a safe bet that his past will come back to haunt him. His name’s Ray, and all he wants after getting out of prison is to win the affection of his daughter Sally (Ariel Winter), who views him as little more than the deadbeat his ex-wife Lynne (Annabeth Gish) always complained about. In Lynne’s defense, having been involved with someone living an uncouth double life tends to bring that out in people.

The only guy who wants anything to do with him is his old boss Larue (Kevin Corrigan), whose blundering partner Goldy (Kevin Rankin) is a constant reminder that criminals as reliable as Ray are hard to come by. He talks Ray into helping him one more time, but when Ray bails to meet with Sally and her class on a bus that’s about to leave for New Orleans, the switch from right-hand man to chaperone doesn’t sit well with Larue. The fact that both he and the police are after the money Ray unknowingly took doesn’t help.

There’s stuff here that just doesn’t happen in real life, but that comes with the territory in comedies, especially ones that appeal to younger viewers. In fact, if it hadn’t gotten a PG-13 rating, this would’ve been a shoo-in at movie time in day camps across the country. That shouldn’t suggest kids and teens aren’t savvy enough to see through all this, but age groups that worship cartoons and video games tend to make allowances for believability. Come to think of it, isn’t wrestling big with them, too?

This article originally appeared on AllMediaNY.com