Fast, frenetic, and swarming with wit -- Edgar Wright's Bady Driver is a total joyride

Rating: 9/10 (30 June 2017)

You can always count on Edgar Wright to load his films with plenty of good humor and wit. When tackling the action genre, Wright proves more than capable of splashing the screen with immense laughter and intelligence without tossing its thrills aside -- a common problem among many entries of the genre. Baby Driver is a movie that gets the blood pumping the minute it open, while staying almost consistently entertaining following the near two-hour proceeding. When it gets down to the action, it is pulse-pounding. When it gets down to the talking, it is funny. And like his previous projects, Wright happens to run with a style-over-substance vibe. Whereas some films it serves as a detriment to the final product, here it is almost profoundly satisfying . Mixing a hodgepodge of adrenaline- fueled action and humor with a killer soundtrack, Wright knows how to give the audiences a blast without sacrificing intellect. This film follows Baby (played by Ansel Egdorf), a twenty-something year old man working as a getaway driver for his team consisting of Griff (played by Jon Bernthal), Buddy (played by Jon Hamm), and Darling (played by Eiza Gonzalez) to rob banks for his mob boss Doc (played by Kevin Spacey). Baby proves to be a highly skilled driver with his ability to escape the cops and pull off outrageous stunts while slaving his ears to music on his iPod. At night, he is at home taking care of his deaf foster father Joseph (played by C.J. Jones). After finishing what is intended to be his last job, Baby falls for a beautiful waitress named Deborah (played by Lily James). When he gets call back for one last job with his new consisting of Griff, Darling, and a tough-as-nails gangster named Bats (played by Jamie Foxx), things get dangerous very quick.
Edgar Wright operates this film in a way that boasts plenty of style and smarts from its opening minute. From the frenetic action sequences, to the snappy dialogue, to the smoking hot soundtrack -- this film is brimming with cleverness. In the opening scene showcasing the characters' escape from the cops following a bank robbery, Wright proves to be highly skilled at shooting action scenes and editing them with precision. Rather than chopping the scene up with split-second cuts, Wright captures the full frenetic energy of the scene as the lead character races through the streets while scurrying through semi- heavy traffic. This is when he starts a song from the 70s or 80s on his iPod. To add to the mix, Wright effectively choreographs these scenes in a fashion that matches up with the beat of the music, one scene involving a gunfight in which he performs this flawlessly. The final results are car chases injected with more substance than what we are often accustomed to in the 'Fast and Furious' movies. And like Wright's previous flicks, there is some unexpected moments of gore. When Baby is not dodging the cops or unleashing the bullets, the film takes it time to treat viewers with some funny dialogue, particularly when Jamie Foxx comes on screen. Exhibiting a darkly funny streak, Foxx breaths some comedic gold in his role, delivering one snappy one-liner after another. He is often the power source for laughs. Ansel Egdorf, stepping into his first high-octane role, is suitably appealing as the lead character with an upsetting past that this otherwise light- hearted picture sporadically explores. His romance is with Lily James is charming, but perhaps nothing sizzling. Nonetheless, it is become rarer and rarer for action comedies nowadays to uproot characters we truly care about, particularly one trying to battle his inner demons when caught in a dangerous situation. Then there is Kevin Spacey just being himself like in nearly other role he's endeavored.
Baby Driver is a high-octane action comedy that knows how to deliver both the fun and intellectual touch. In the summer with superhero flicks and other highly anticipated pictures arriving on the scene, this is a film that may not see too much sunshine at the box office. Regardless, this movie is a total blast that deserves the attention of many, especially those converted to the Edgar Wright fandom.