A different beast from the director's other work, this is an entertaining flick with a V6-engine for a brain and an MP3 player for a heart.

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2018)

To say this is perhaps Edgar Wright's weakest film is like comparing a ruby to three diamonds and one slightly shinier ruby - at the end of the day it's still a gem, just a slightly less precious one. It's hard to know exactly how I feel about 'Baby Driver (2017)' in relation the the director's other work, as it's a different beast altogether, and I feel comparisons are unfair, though inevitable, so all I'll say is this: the feature is fantastic fun from beginning to end, feeling like it comes from the mind of a man who's totally in control. For me, it doesn't reach the heights of the 'Cornetto trilogy', if a side-by-side is important here, but it sits comfortably alongside 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)' as an example of Wright's creativity coming across in a genre, and studio system, aching for some new perspective. Even though some of the meticulous musical timings (the biggest marketing draw of the piece) do seem to subside somewhat in the second act, this is a consistently enjoyable ride that uses appropriately eclectic music and fantastically sly performances to keep you smiling all the way through. Its sonic syncing is more noticeable on a second watch and isn't as brash as the marketing would lead you to believe, though nor is it as important. The piece isn't a comedy, either, which may have thrown some people off. It is still a generally light thriller with plenty of witty writing and some funny moments, though. The action really is fantastic, in a generally less violent and more free-flowing kind of way, with its focus placed far more on the balletic elements of such sequences than the aggressive ones. There are still proper stakes, though, thanks to the piece's well-written script that constantly keeps you caring. 8/10