A stylish, technical marvel that is remarkably entertaining.

Rating: 9/10 (19 July 2017)

Baby Driver is a stylish, technical marvel that is remarkably entertaining. From the opening sequence, director Edgar Wright stamps his work with his signature uniqueness. Wright puts the spotlight on getaway driver Baby, portrayed by The Fault in Our Star's Ansel Elgort, as he rocks out in his car, while Elgort's co-stars conduct a well-rehearsed bank heist off screen. Immediately, from this one direction choice, you know this won't be a run-of-the-mill heist film.
What follows is anything but your run-of-the-mill heist film. Music is beautifully integrated into nearly every scene, adding to the unconventionality of Wright's approach to action. The sound editing perfectly blends the actions scenes with the accompanying music. There have been plenty of getaway car chases in film, most notably in the Fast and Furious franchise, but the flair that Wright adds with his own personal touch make Baby Driver's car sequences some of the best put to film.
The colors in this film are consistently bright and vibrant, matching the similarly colorful performances by the cast. Jamie Foxx is a standout here, playing the borderline cartoonish gangster, Bats. Jon Hamm and and Eiza Gonzalez portray a similarly over-the-top Bonnie and Clyde duo. Kevin Spacey is (naturally) excellent as the boss that pulls this mishmash of stereotypes together with his cold efficiency. Though most of these characters are written to be caricatures of familiar character archetypes, each and every member of this star- studded cast is able to pull it off. The charisma that each of these actors bring to the film are one of Baby Driver's greatest assets.
It's easy to heap praise upon this film's supporting cast, but Elgort is truly commendable in his first proper leading role. He is given a lot to do in his film, as his character Baby's personality differs greatly depending on who is present in the scene. Elgort's performance ranges from stoic in the presence of his heist crew, slickly charismatic around his love interest, and energetic to an almost child-like level when he is by himself.
When it comes to the script, there is a perfect synergy with every other the aspect of the film. The dialogue is often over the top, the characters are exaggerated, the plot is almost fantasy-like. The 80s action movie esque direction taken by writer/director Edgar Wright excuses some of the film's flaws. This isn't a hyper realistic, super serious action film. This is borderline fantasy at points.
The flaws of this film are largely based on personal preference. The second act of the film slows down a bit to focus on Baby's relationship with his love interest, Debbie. If you were expecting non-stop action throughout the film, this may bother you. These scenes are well done however, and just as unique and stylized as the action scenes. Also, if you don't take well to the over-the-top, fantasy-like characters and plot, you might see it as a flaw, instead of an asset of the film.
While a movie that I love, 2011's Drive, starring Ryan Gosling, was criticized for being largely style over substance. There are definitely similarities between Drive and Baby Driver; especially with both film's emphasis on style. While I don't think Baby Driver will be quite as polarizing, if Drive is a movie that you did not enjoy, you will find similar flaws here.
Baby Driver is loud, over-the-top, and unrealistic. But these aren't necessarily flaws, as all of these aspects add to the charm of this film. This is my favorite work from Edgar Wright so far, and one of my favorite films of the year.