fine action made cool

Rating: 7/10 (22 September 2017)

Baby (Ansel Elgort) is the skilled getaway driver for robberies organized by Doc (Kevin Spacey). Baby has hearing problems after the crash that killed his parents. He is constantly listening to music to alleviate the symptoms. He owes money to Doc and is working it off. Doc recruits a rotating cast of characters in the robbery crew. Baby falls for waitress Debora (Lily James).
Edgar Wright is the real star of the movie. The idea is pretty simple. The story is straight forward. The execution is superb. The car chases are fun with an exciting music soundtrack. There is his trademark close-ups but he doesn't do his usual long sequences. The acting is solid but Baby can be a distancing character. He says little and that is a wall from him at times. The rotating cast of characters also prevent great relationships from building up. Some of them have great scenes with him but they don't all have the needed time. Jon Bernthal has a great time poking at Baby but he's cut short. These are stylistic choices that probably pull back some of the bigger payoffs. While this is a fun execution, Baby is not a character who is bigger than the story. He's not quite at the same level as Ryan Gosling in Drive. It's partly Elgort. He's more a puppy version of the big dog. There are some fun moments. The comedy is sporadic but good. Overall, this is a fun ride.