Movies Out This Weekend: 'Life,' 'CHIPS,' 'Power Rangers,' And More

Coming soon to a theater near you: "CHIPS," "Life," "Power Rangers," "Song to Song" and "Wilson." Find out what to see and what to skip, plus watch Patch's movie trailer mash-up.

Opening This Weekend

"CHIPS"— Michael Pena, Dax Shepard, directed by Dax Shepard

"CHIPS" is the big-screen adaptation of the iconic TV series "CHiPS" (1977-1983). In the movie version, Ponch (Michael Pena), a Miami FBI agent, is ordered to go undercover in Los Angeles as a California Highway Patrol officer. Enter rookie officer Jon Baker (Dax Shepard), who becomes Ponch's partner. Written and directed by Shepard, the action-comedy has its share of fun and high-octane moments, but none of them necessarily gel with the plot.

Skip it. "CHIPS" is painfully raunchy. Watch an episode of the '70s series instead.

"Life" — Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson, Jake Gyllenhaal, directed by Daniel Espinosa

"Life" is a sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station — among them are technician Roy Adams (Ryan Reynolds), medic Dr. David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and quarantine officer Dr. Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson). Before long, their space odyssey turns into a nightmare when a single-celled organism extracted from Mars mutates into a chillingly formidable life form. Sound familiar? Yes, it's "Alien"-esque, but not quite — primarily because of the script's lack of energy.

See it. "Life" is gripping, heart-pounding and visually thrilling.

"Power Rangers"— Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G., directed by Dean Israelite

A reboot of the 1993 "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," the 2017 version follows the story of five high school outcasts who meet in detention and form an alliance. In the process, they discover their self-worth and "morph" into the newest team of superheroes fighting to protect Earth from evil forces since the dawn of time. "Power Rangers" can be entertaining so long as you don't try to decode its overall meaning — since it's devoid of one.

Skip it. "Power Rangers" tries too hard to be "Breakfast Club." I'd recommend you watch the 1980s favorite instead.

"Song to Song" — Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, directed by Terrence Malik

"Song to Song" is the latest feature from Terrence Malik ("Tree of Life"), a filmmaker who's famous for his enigmatic cinematic style. Unfolding against the backdrop of the Austin, Texas, music scene, the movie centers on a love triangle between music mogul Cook (Michael Fassbender) and aspiring musicians BV (Ryan Gosling) and Faye (Rooney Mara). Whereas the director's previous films have been unapologetically inexact in their themes, "Song to Song" shines with one that is clear and mesmeric: Remember to celebrate all of life's experiences.

See it. Be patient through the first 45 minutes to see this one's beauty. After all, "Song to Song" is a slow-burn film — a drama that will breathe life so long as you let it.

"Wilson" — Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, directed by Craig Johnson

Adapted by Dan Clowe ("Ghost World") from his own graphic novel, "Wilson" is the story of a comedic and amiable misanthrope who tries to reconnect with his unstable ex-wife (Laura Dern) and meets his grumpy daughter for the first time. Harrelson and Dern are spectacular together, but Craig Johnson's direction makes their characters meander aimlessly, causing the narrative to lose its oomph by the end.

Skip it. It has a few laughs, but the movie doesn't come full circle. As an alternative, watch Harrelson's "The Edge of Seventeen" or Johnson's "The Skeleton Twins."

Watch Patch's Movie Trailer Mash-Up

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Top Photo Credit: Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson and Jake Gyllenhaal attend the 'Life' premiere, 2017 SXSW Festivals at the ZACH Theatre on March 18 in Austin. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for SXSW)