Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) has never let me down with his superb filmmaking, which continues with this installment in his filmography. After the conclusion of the Cornetto Trilogy, Wright was expected to direct Ant-Man. However, Peyton Reed (Bring It On) got to helm the Marvel film leaving Wright time to work on an original film of his own. Wright is clearly a perfectionist when it comes to film editing. Similarly to his previous creations, Baby Driver flows seamlessly with constant transitions. The film runs in high gear with fun action sequences comparable to The Fast and Furious franchise.
One thing that this film can hold over The Fast and Furious is a sustainable plotline. The story never grows stale because the characters are enjoyable and well-acted. There is not a lot of cheesy dialogue, even though there are plenty of jokes throughout the film. At times, I felt like the characters and settings were influenced by Pulp Fiction. There is certainly a high amount of blood and gore, which might also have brought Tarantino's masterpiece into my mind. The comedic dialogue plays off of the mature imagery, distracting the audience from the seriousness of violence. Just when you start to feel grossed out by the film, the script reminds you that this is all fun and games.
As with all of Edgar Wright's previous films, this one does not need to remind audiences of reality. This is a film to enjoy because of how it was made, not because of the values it holds. Sure there are some lessons that we can learn from the film (such as, don't mess with Kevin Spacey), but we never have to compare the film with our own lives. For that, I thank Mr. Wright. Sometimes, I like to sit back and look at the technical aspects of film creation. Baby Driver shows us that we do not only need big franchises to have fun in theaters.
The only complaint that I can come up with for this film is the soundtrack. For a film focused around music, I was hoping for more iconic music. It is hard to release a film like this after audiences have familiarized themselves with Guardians of the Galaxy. The soundtrack for Baby Driver is filled with fuel and fire tracks, but there is nothing that compares to the use of "Don't Stop Me Now" in Shaun of the Dead. If Wright had given me a comparable track in this film, I would really be in love with this film!
The Bottom Line: Edgar Wright's first film after the completion of the Cornetto Trilogy is another sweet treat for audiences who enjoy high-octane entertainment!
Score: 9.3/10
One thing that this film can hold over The Fast and Furious is a sustainable plotline. The story never grows stale because the characters are enjoyable and well-acted. There is not a lot of cheesy dialogue, even though there are plenty of jokes throughout the film. At times, I felt like the characters and settings were influenced by Pulp Fiction. There is certainly a high amount of blood and gore, which might also have brought Tarantino's masterpiece into my mind. The comedic dialogue plays off of the mature imagery, distracting the audience from the seriousness of violence. Just when you start to feel grossed out by the film, the script reminds you that this is all fun and games.
As with all of Edgar Wright's previous films, this one does not need to remind audiences of reality. This is a film to enjoy because of how it was made, not because of the values it holds. Sure there are some lessons that we can learn from the film (such as, don't mess with Kevin Spacey), but we never have to compare the film with our own lives. For that, I thank Mr. Wright. Sometimes, I like to sit back and look at the technical aspects of film creation. Baby Driver shows us that we do not only need big franchises to have fun in theaters.
The only complaint that I can come up with for this film is the soundtrack. For a film focused around music, I was hoping for more iconic music. It is hard to release a film like this after audiences have familiarized themselves with Guardians of the Galaxy. The soundtrack for Baby Driver is filled with fuel and fire tracks, but there is nothing that compares to the use of "Don't Stop Me Now" in Shaun of the Dead. If Wright had given me a comparable track in this film, I would really be in love with this film!
The Bottom Line: Edgar Wright's first film after the completion of the Cornetto Trilogy is another sweet treat for audiences who enjoy high-octane entertainment!
Score: 9.3/10
Image credit: By Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27437520