Does not reach its full potential.

Rating: 6/10 (13 July 2017)

I was looking forward to watching "Baby Driver" due to the fact it was directed by Edgar Wright; the man behind such great action comedies like "Hot Fuzz". He is a very technically astute director and some of the scenes in the film are quite impressive and action scenes are all exceptional. However, for the most part, I felt that a lot of the scenes were made to show how good a director he is rather than to the benefit of the story. In other words, there is great style but less substance; not to say that the film is devoid of anything substantial but simply that it is not up to Wright's usual standard. The film feels more of a stylistic action movie which has comedic elements rather than an action comedy. It doesn't have equal emphasis on comedy and action in "Baby Driver" whereas "Hot Fuzz" does. It's a slight change from Wright's usual work which perhaps explains why it didn't work as well.
I found the music gimmick for Elgort's character Baby quite interesting. People will draw parallels to "Guardians of the Galaxy", due to the use of music by the main character and connection with his mother, but I feel it stands on its own merits. I don't think the soundtrack is to the same standard as "Guardians of the Galaxy" (yet music is subjective of course) but the application is fine and there are a few songs which I feel enhance certain scenes and definitely adds to the character and the story.
The cast is fairly strong and does a decent job of creating some interesting unique characters. Jamie Foxx's character Bats is the standout and he is the driving force in the film. Lily James was great as Debora, Buddy's girlfriend, and it is her performance which makes me able to appreciate her character so well considering that I found her narrative evolution was a bit confusing and that she needed to be explored in more depth. The romance story-line needed to be fleshed out more- maybe show more of Debora's life (which I understand is quite mundane) to understand who she is and why she is attracted to Baby. It would also allow the audience to understand her decisions at the end of the film.
CJ Jones plays the foster father of Baby and carries the emotional weight of the film very well- he is definitely the heart of the film. I heard that Spiderman is being criticised that it is too politically correct in how unrealistically diverse the cast is. I think that diversity shouldn't be forced like that and the best way to improve on equality in roles is to focus entirely on the character and make sure the opportunity is there for minorities. Here you have a character who seems real, organic and endearing who also happens to be black and deaf- you don't pay attention to these traits in his character because it isn't forced. I only draw attention to it to show how this is a very positive example of casting motivated by talent and not by politics which achieves more in the pursuit of equality.
I felt that Elgort's performance as Baby a bit lacking and he lacked energy and charisma. It was serviceable but not at the same level as the people around him. Kevin Spacey is Doc, Baby's boss, and it is a typical Spacey role that does not stand out in respect to his other characters of this "type" but works well in the context of the movie.
SPOILERS IN FOLLOWING TWO PARAGRAPHS
The ending feels completely rushed and lacks real credibility. Baby has intentionally ruined the final heist of the film and put his teammates in jeopardy. He returns to Doc and there is an expectation that there will be conflict between the two. Doc has told Baby before that he essentially owns him and forces him to drive in the heists claiming that he will break his legs and kill his loved ones if he disobeys him. He also knows by the time that they meet that Baby intentionally ruined the heist by crashing into the truck (which is entirely uncharacteristic of him). The expectation is that there will be a standoff but Doc inexplicably decides to help Baby at great cost. Then there is an overzealous climax with Buddy who is seeking revenge. The motivation is fine but it was a bit drawn out- I think it would have been better if Baby had killed him at the diner. Baby's romance with Debora is just slightly off as we don't fully understand her motivation to go with Baby when he is on the run and having just killed a man.
I think it would have made for a better ending if Baby had killed Buddy at the diner and we had better reason to believe that Debora would follow Baby. Then Baby has a final showdown with Doc and retrieves his cassette tapes which would perhaps exempt him from his role in the heists he took part in as it would be clear that he was being extorted. It could also have been interesting to see Debora choose not to follow Baby and see how the relationship would progress after everything has settled. How would they both come to terms with the fact that Baby killed a man and took part in those heists? Would she wait on Baby if he went to prison? Would Baby still love her after she chose to take no part?
Overall, I think I should end this review by praising the film more as it might seem I have quite a negative perception of it. General audience members will really enjoy this film. The idea behind the film had the makings of a great film but I don't think that it lived up to its potential.