Baby Driver Review
Baby Driver is director Edgar Wright’s latest flick about a young get away driver that listens to music to drown out the ringing in his ears. Sounds a little quirky right? Then it’s the perfect script for Edgar Wright. Hot Fuzz is amazing and hilarious and Shaun of the Dead comes pretty close as well. The World’s End and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World weren’t as big of hits in my opinion. Even though I’m about 50/50 on his movies, I always trust in Edgar Wright as a director and the vision he has for his projects. He knows what audiences want and he’s not afraid to go against the norm.
So… where does Baby Driver lie amongst the pack? Well, as the movie started off, I got a little worried. I think Ansel Elgort is a good actor and can be very charming but he also sometimes comes off as kind of cocky and full of himself. That really showed in the beginning. Plus, everything was too happy go lucky. You see his character, Baby, robbing banks and then dancing and skipping along in the street.
Then, the movie took a quick turn as the acting and story became more genuine and realistic. That’s when Baby Driver started to hit its groove and it only got better and better from there. I wouldn’t go into this expecting a stereotypical Edgar Wright movie. I honestly wouldn’t have been able to guess it was one of his films. There’s a lot less comedy and it isn’t made in the same style as his other films, whether it be the editing, music, acting, etc. The action sequences are also top notch and I’m sure you’ll read that in almost every single review for this film. However, the reason the movie succeeds is because of its strong story and character development. You care about what’s happening to everyone on screen and that matters. It’s a major reason why all the car chases and shoot outs are so entertaining. I’d compare Baby Driver to something like The Nice Guys, which is also a really fun film from last year. The reason I say that, is because even though this one is in a different time period, they both kind of harken back to the old crime thrillers of the 80’s and 90’s. While it’s a lot different from a movie like Pulp Fiction, it still feels like it’s in that style of filmmaking. It’s kind of retro and there’s even some black and white scenes that could be right out of a Steve McQueen movie.
There’s two things that elevate Baby Diver from just a solid movie to a fantastic action flick. Those things would be the soundtrack and the 3rd act. As I see more and more movies, I keep realizing how important music is to the quality of a film. It gives a certain energy to the story that gets you excited and enthralled in what’s happening on screen. Don’t get me wrong… you still need a great story and characters. A great soundtrack just takes it to that next level of good. It’s another vital piece of the puzzle. Now…let’s get to that 3rd act. The one thing that a lot of the big releases this summer have been missing is a strong finale. Luckily, Baby Driver ends with a bang. It’s last act is such a fun, high energy thrill ride that allows you to sit back, relax, and enjoy. It is kind of one of those cases where it seems like it’s going to end but it doesn’t. However, each part one ups the last and adds a lot to the story.
There were only a few small things that bothered me a little like the beginning(as I said earlier). Besides that, there are some scenes where Baby drives or runs really fast and catches the attention of the cops when you’d think he’d be smart enough to try and act very inconspicuously. Again… they are very small complaints.
I need to let Baby Driver sit with me a little bit more but it could be my favorite of all of Edgar Wright’s films. I give it 9.5/10.
