They Tried Too Hard

Rating: 3/10 (13 July 2017)

We get it, the kid has an eclectic taste in music. We all do. Despite a list of great actors, most of the scenes seemed far too "forced", like they were trying too hard to be edgy and hard core, in doing so many scenes came off as desperate.
The film has Wright's fingerprints all over it though...fast motion, movements synchronized with music, etc. But there was too much of it and I feel that it detracted from an already weak story.
Frankly, I'm both astounded and sadly not surprised that so many people are raving about this movie. It's an okay bit of escapism, but it's predictable and not at all compelling. Edgar Wright seemed to have tried too hard to make the point that Baby (the main character) was "different", edgy and innocent but somehow worldly - but despite what we learn about his mother, we actually know very little about WHY he may have ended up so ... special. And we may as well have discovered in the end that "Baby's" real name was Elvis instead of whatever forgettable name it was. The director really did evoke those Elvis-like qualities with the lead actor, I don't think that was an accident.
The other characters have little history or context for that matter as well. Rather than adding mystery to the film, this lack of context detracts from some otherwise well put together action scenes. Yeah, Kevin Spacey is a big-time crime guy - but we know nothing about him other than he wants to "partner" with a kid who once stole his car. That's odd to me...and disingenuous. And because I couldn't buy the forced dynamic that led Baby to be so trusted by his "boss", I had a hard time finishing this film to be honest.
The dialogue seems to have all been ripped from other movies - who talks like those people? The criminals all seem to have derived their inspiration and vocabulary from other criminal films in the past 20 years. The dynamic between Baby and his WAY too soon girlfriend (what makes this young lady so willing to run away with a kid she doesn't even know? Or is it all just that Elvis charm Baby exudes? This dynamic seems like a nod to a wannabe Bonnie and Clyde alternate reality.
Perhaps all of this nuance was what the director intended. Perhaps the genius that so many people seem to be seeing is just this "odd" feeling one gets while watching. Or maybe it's not some art-house masterpiece as Rolling Stone is touting it, Maybe it's just sort of a predictable and pedestrian delivery vehicle for an odd soundtrack.
But lots of people seem to like it, and there are some cute/funny moments. The chase scenes are good, but it feels as though Wright tried too hard with much of the dialogue and story elements.