So there's a few options this weekend, but the big one is Power Rangers, the new blockbuster based on the long-running kids show. This show used to be on the air when I was little and is still running today, which is insane, but the new movie seems almost ashamed to be a Power Rangers movie. This is a dark and gritty reboot of what is a pretty goofy show about superheroes in colorful costumes that form into a giant robot to fight other giant monsters, usually guys in rubber suits. The trailer makes it look like it sucks all the fun out of Power Rangers and it just looks kind of lame. It doesn't seem to know what audience it's going for; people who grew up with the show are going to want something more like the show, and the movie seems too intense for kids who like the show now. Reviews have not been good, but it does have a couple of cool cast members - Elizabeth Banks is the villain Rita Repulsa, while Bryan Cranston plays Zordon and Bill Hader provides the voice of the robot Alpha 5.

Then there's a movie called Life, which I had kind of written off but I'm hearing surprisingly solid things about. The reason I had written it off is that the trailer makes it look like an Alien knockoff, and there's a new Alien movie coming out in 2 months so why not wait until the real thing? But despite the similarities between the movies, critics are saying it's pretty thrilling and well-acted by its cast which includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds and Rebecca Ferguson. As a weird sidenote, there was a ridiculous rumor floating around on the internet that Life was secretly a prequel focusing on the Spider-man villain Venom - some internet nerd noticed that the trailer re-used a shot from Spider-Man 3 and people ran with it - so just to be clear: it's not. That's insane.

Finally, there's Chips, a new comedy movie based on the old cop TV show Chips. Written by, directed by, and starring Dax Shepherd in the lead role, this movie looks like it's trying to repeat the success of the 21 Jump Street movies, but I don't think it's gonna work out - I'm hearing pretty rough things about this, that the jokes are pretty lowbrow and not very clever, and just overall not very funny. The trailer didn't do much for me either - I think the Jump Street movies, which are great, may have accidentally kickstarted a trend of comedy movies based on old TV shows, and we'll see what happens - we've also got Baywatch coming out this summer.

Anyway, of the movies coming out this week, my recommendation is to check out Life - seems like a solid thriller that'll hold you over until the release of Alien: Covenant. And until next time, we'll Meat at the Movies.

More From WPDH-WPDA