Baby Driver
- Jul 19, 2017
- 2 min read
Upon hearing Edgar Wright was working on a movie focused on driving and music, my attention was all his. Scott Pilgram Vs. The World is one of my favorite movies and although Ant-Man lost Wright as a director it still contained some of some of his hard to match trademark style. Furthermore the cast of Baby Driver including Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, and Kevin Spacey convinced me that this may be the greatest movie of the summer. While Baby Driver is great and showcases Wright’s ability to turn even the most mundane act into engaging character development, my high expectations let me down.
Baby Driver is fun, witty, and a joy to watch. From the first action scene to the last the pace keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. The music acts as fuel to the cars and the characters as they perform their robberies and we learn more about their backgrounds. Each character is not just a thief but has more depth which creates some interesting twists towards the end of the movie. The action also follows the beats of the music that is being played. When guns fire and are reloaded they often match the pace of the music and the story of each song tells you a bit about what is happening and how the main character feels about it. The combination of characters, music, and cars add up to a memorable result.
What I feel holds the movie back, but what others may see as a strong point is the lack of a distinct style. Aside from the gunfights and explosions of cars the movie is relatively grounded. The colors of the movie feel very natural and unfiltered. While the music plays a large role in the story, it does not force the story to go in any specific ways. The songs that Baby picks reflect his feelings. These feelings can be imperfect and confusing. They lead to many different music genres and styles. This contributes to the development of the main character but means that the film lacks a distinct musical focus. I found this to be disappointing, but others may reasonably think that it is a breath of fresh air when compared to movies like Guardians of the Galaxy.
Baby Driver is no doubt a good summer blockbuster. It has a better story and characters than other movies of its genre especially compared to the likes of the Fast and the Furious. Its lack of a distinct signature style will for some make this a new favorite but ultimately left me disappointed. There should be no sequels or prequels for Baby Driver which is for the better yet I also feel that is why this movie will fail to be remembered properly for its hard work. Baby Driver will hopefully become a cult favorite and is well worth the time but will likely not leave a lasting impact.
8.0/10
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