2017: The Year in Film: "Baby Driver" Review

Edgar Wright is, without a doubt, one of the most unique and stylish directors working today. His films from Shaun of the Dead, to Hot Fuzz, to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, are genre bending, smart, and just different from pretty much everything else that's out there today. Due to the controversy surrounding his involvement and exit from Ant-Man a few years ago, he hasn't made a film since 2013's The World's End (which I'm pretty "meh" on), but once the promotional material for this one came out, I knew I was instantly on board.

In Baby Driver we're introduced to Baby, a... driver for a mysterious criminal organization headed by Doc (Kevin Spacey), a fast talking mastermind who runs various heists with various crews. Baby is the best driver in the business, and Doc considers him something of a good luck charm. Baby is an outsider in this criminal underworld, but he's a hell of a driver.

The Good: this flick is slick, stylish, smart, and a hell of a good time. The mix of action, heist, romcom and a killer soundtrack makes this movie something that only Edgar Wright could have made. It's almost if Edgar Wright made a Tarantino screenplay and I mean that in only the best way possible. The cast from top to bottom sizzles, with Spacey, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx all turning in memorable performances. Young actor Angel Elgort is the right kind of charming and he has great chemistry with love interest Lily "cousin Rose from Downton Abbey" James. The main draw here is the chase/action sequences. From the jump, the driving action here is as good as anything in the Fast and Furious franchise or the Bourne films, which I'd consider the gold standard for modern chase scenes. The action sequences are smartly crafted and so damn slick. Like all of Wright's films, this one borrows copiously from archetypes and genres across the board so that everything here feels familiar without feeling derivative. There's certainly an art to that, and long story short: this one sizzles from front to back.



The Bad: there isn't a whole lot that's bad here... but if I have a critique, it's that some of the characterization is weak and/or nonexistent for some of the supporting characters. They feel more like stock types than actual people and while that's fine it's also a little disappointing in a flick that does everything else so damn well. The plot goes 100% over the top at a certain point, but it sticks the landing which makes up for some of the excesses. I also can't shake the feeling that this one is just Drive for mainstream audiences and with a slicker veneer.

Ultimately, from the opening scene this one will suck you in and keep you glued to the screen. Full of memorable dialogue, slick action, over the top characters and enough sweet moments to make it memorably Edgar Wright, Baby Driver does not disappoint. All of the leads are great, and there are extended, eye-popping action scenes that I have no idea how they were even shot.

9/10.