Quick Reviews: Alien: Covenant, Wonder Woman, Transformers: The Last Knight, Baby Driver, and Despicable Me 3

For those of you who may not know, I spent the previous 7 weeks serving as a camp counselor at the Pine Cove Ranch. The time was incredibly rewarding, but also meant I missed a lot of the movies to have come out this summer. So I'll give you my quick thoughts on some of the movies I have been able to catch up on since returning home.


Alien: Covenant
Alien: Covenant is directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner) and stars Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), and Billy Crudup (Almost Famous). It continues the story from Prometheus, but follows a new crew for obvious reasons. The crew attempts to navigate a seemingly inhabitable planet, only to find something much more harrowing taking place.

Pros
- Stunning cinematography
- Great performances from the cast
- Violence and gore

Cons
- Tonally inconsistent
- Bogged down by trying to connect with the Alien series mythos

Verdict: Wait a Week


Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins (Monster) and stars Gal Gadot (Fast Five), Chris Pine (Hell or High Water), and Connie Nielsen (Gladiator). It tells the origin story of the titular character, as she discovers the world outside of her Amazonian paradise and her true self.

Pros
- Surprisingly good performances from the cast
- Interesting plot points
- Beautiful visuals

Cons
- Awkward humor
- Drags in certain scenes

Verdict: Wait a Week


Transformers: The Last Knight
Transformers: The Last Knight is directed by Michael Bay (13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi) and stars Mark Wahlberg (Patriot's Day), Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), and Laura Haddock (Guardians of the Galaxy). It tells the story of the continued war between Autobots and Decepticons, as humanity looks to its medieval history in order to save Earth.

Pros
- Fantastic special effects
- Anthony Hopkins

Cons
- Story is hard to follow
- Cringeworthy dialogue
- Blatant set up for a sequel

Verdict: Cable


Baby Driver
Baby Driver is directed by Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz) and stars Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars), Kevin Spacey (American Beauty), and Jamie Foxx (Horrible Bosses). It tells the story of getaway driver, Baby, as he navigates through the criminal world while also falling in love.

Pros
- Action scenes shot fantastically
- Combination of music and action
- Well-paced
- Solid performances

Cons
- Questionable character decisions in third act

Verdict: Opening Night


Despicable Me 3
Despicable Me 3 is directed by Kyle Balda (Minions), Pierre Coffin (Minions), and Eric Guillon and stars Steve Carrell (The Big Short), Kristen Wiig (The Martian), and Trey Parker (South Park). This time around, Gru meets his long lost twin brother as the two attempt to foil the evil plans of Balthazar Bratt.

Pros
- Great voice work from the cast
- Minions in prison

Cons
- Scatter brained plot
- Less heart then previous two
- Drags in the second act

Verdict: Redbox

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