B-a-b-y

Rating: 7/10 (2 July 2017)

Let me start this off by saying that Hollywood needs more films like Baby Driver. Not just because the originality is off the charts, but because I wish more films boasted this much irreverent fun. It's Edgar Wright, so you know it's going to be stylish, but there really hasn't been another film this year that has matched the amount of chaotic entertainment in Baby Driver. I guess you could say it's this year's Deadpool.
With all that out of the way, I should now say that I didn't find there to be anything significantly impressive about any one character in the film. Ansel Elgort and Lily James have great chemistry, as you'd expect. Kevin Spacey is an intimidating but somehow charming antagonist, as you'd expect. Jaime Foxx plays a foul-mouthed henchman, as you'd expect. Jon Hamm, Eliza Gonzalez, and Jon Bernthal aren't given much depth either. I guess my point is, Baby Driver gathered a bunch of extremely talented actors for a film, and failed to put together an impressive story with interesting characters. Elgort's 'Baby' is given a semi-interesting but prototypical backstory, but the rest are given absolutely nothing.
However, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't enjoy the soundtrack and overall flow of the film. The action sequences are nicely spaced out and the music is perfectly timed up. It's not uncustomary to have a great soundtrack in an Edgar Wright film, but it's unprecedented for a film to have this much success using music to drive the story and action. Wasn't it difficult to not join Elgort while he's dancing to the beat through the streets of Atlanta?
The soundtrack is addicting, the action is thrilling, and the performances are more than serviceable. If only Wright gave a little more attention to developing each character so that their motivations weren't so shallow, we may have one of the best films of the year on our hands. Without much to grapple onto, Baby Driver is just a little bit above a decent action-crime-thriller.
+Soundtrack is killer
+Action is well-shot and paced
-Characters lack depth
-Motivations should be fleshed out
7.0/10