Arts and lifestyle editor Abby Wolfenden reviews five popular movies that have been released in the last month. Creative Commons image by Wikimedia Commons.

By Abby Wolfenden

The Glass Castle

Rotten Tomatoes: 49%
Rating: PG-13

Summary: “The Glass Castle” is a coming-of-age film that recounts a girl’s dysfunctional family and her inspiring journey to escape poverty. It is based on the best-selling memoir by Jeannette Walls. The film revolves around the main stages of Jeannette’s childhood and early adulthood, including her first memory, living on the road, dealing with her father’s alcoholism, and discovering her passion for journalism.

Recommendation: Before watching “The Glass Castle,” I had very high expectations. It’s often difficult for a movie to be better than its written counterpart. Due to it’s compressed plot, I don’t think the film lived up to the book’s standards, although I still found it to be entertaining. I thought it was a heartwarming story about family, perseverance, and dreams.

Despicable Me 3

Rotten Tomatoes: 61%
Rating: PG

Summary: “Despicable Me 3” is a continuation of the “Despicable Me” series about an ex-villain named Gru, his minions, and adopted daughters. In this movie, Gru joins forces with his long-lost twin brother in order to stop the newest villain. Gru flip-flops between being the hero and the villain after learning of his family’s history in crime. The minions have their own side story during their escape from prison, and Gru’s new wife Lucy bonds with Agnes, Edith, and Margo.

Recommendation: I’m a huge fan of “Despicable Me,” and I thought this film was super light and funny. The minions never fail to entertain, and this movie will appeal to viewers of all ages.

Dunkirk

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Rating: PG-13

Summary: “Dunkirk” is a World War 2 film about the allied troops trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France. The film shows three different perspectives of the war: land, air, and sea. On the beach, the movie follows a soldier trying to make his way off the beach by carrying injured comrades aboard a ship. He joins forces with a few other nameless soldiers to escape multiple sinking ships and enemy bullets. By air, the film follows an exceptional pilot who is running low on fuel and is heading into the battlefield solo. In the sea, there are hundreds of British civilian ships heading across the channel to rescue soldiers from the beach.

Recommendation: This movie was intense! It has an interesting structure, because there were a wide variety of characters, yet many remained nameless throughout the film. If you’re a fan of tons of action and not a lot of dialogue, this movie is definitely for you!

Wonder Woman

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Rating: PG-13

Summary: “Wonder Woman” is an interesting combination of sci-fi/fantasy and historical fiction that follows Princess Diana, a member of the Amazon women, and her journey to end World War 1. She is convinced that the war was started by the Greek God, Ares, who is seeking revenge against humans. She forms an alliance with an American spy in order to stop the Germans and their discovery of chemical weapons.

Recommendation: I really liked this movie because it was an interesting blend of superheroes and real historical events. The inclusion of Wonder Woman’s character was unique, and it made World War 1 even more interesting on screen. Overall, I found the film to be action-packed and very compelling.

Baby Driver

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Rating: R

Summary: “Baby Driver” is about a getaway driver nicknamed “Baby,” who helps criminals escape the crime scene. Baby is the best of the best because he listens to a specific selection of music to drown out the noise during his escapes. He ends up falling in love with a diner waitress and tries to leave the world of crime. Along the way he deals with crazy bank robbers, multiple car chases, and a ruthless employer.

Recommendation: I found this film to be very fast-paced and very entertaining. It had humor, action, and romance all packed in one movie, and I liked how each scene had a song related to it. Fast paced music made the car chases even more intense, and some of the songs perfectly summarized each scene. “Baby Driver” is a great movie to watch with friends or family, and I highly recommend.