Review of Baby Driver (2017) by Nick C — 28 Jun 2017

This will surely go down in history as one of the best action movies ever made. And that spot in history will be well earned. This is one of the best action movies ever made. The sheer energy, charisma, and style, are enough to be worth the price of admissions, and that's just the appetizer - there's a great story, great characters, great stunts, great action scenes, great pretty much everything.

The film is written and directed by Edgar Wright, who has a Tarantino-esque flair with both his writing and directing. It stars Ansel Elgort as the title character, Baby, who works as a getaway driver to payback a debt with Doc (Kevin Spacey), an Atlanta crime boss. Baby is the best in the business at getaway driving, and listens to music while on his drives to drown out a constant noise in his brain from a childhood car accident. As Doc says, "that's what makes him the best.".

Of course there is a love interest, and it's Debora (Lily James), a waitress at a local diner. They both dream of something beyond their depraved workplaces; Baby, who is good at heart, dreams of no longer having for work for crooks like Doc, while Debora is ordered around by her overpowering boss. As they like to say, they dream of driving west, listening to music, with no plan whatsoever. Who wouldn't? But it won't be that easy, of course. Even after Baby pays down his debt with Doc, his boss isn't going to let him off the hook - after all, he's the best in the business, and Doc threatens to kill him and all whom he loves, should he try to leave.

All right, enough with the synopsis. That's what you go to see the movie for, and believe me, I don't want to give you any reasons not to see this movie. This film has wall-to-wall action, consisting of some of the best car chases ever put to screen. Most of the action in movies this year, and indeed, for the last decade or two, have been a cacophony of explosive, CGI-laden, destruction that is ultimately unsatisfying and ineffective. This is a true action movie; it is one that seeks to entertain rather than to overwhelm. And boy does it succeed. This is one of the most effective action movies ever made. It gets the job done, and with plenty of substance to spare.

Beyond great action, this movie has a lot of style, which is relatively rare in modern action movies, and strong characters and dialogue (again, relatively rare). The dialogue is snappy, smart, and funny, and all of the characters have unique and colorful personalities. Every villain, sidekick, acquaintance, and friend has a certain weight and presence exerted by their character, a testament both to the charismatic acting and strong writing. The music is great as well, as if this movie needed any more credentials. But the songs aren't on auto play here; Wright doesn't simply play them on top of an action scene like any other movie would do (although there are scarcely few movies to begin with that make the wise choice of playing catchy songs along with their action.) No, the songs are intertwined with the action rather than on top of it; Wright marries them perfectly together, and the audience is allowed both great action and great music. The songs feel as hand picked as the movie feels hand made, and make for a bumbling joyride of fun and excitement.

This is a nearly perfect film, from the opening chase to the final shot. There is, as I've already said, so much more to like here than merely action. If ever in need for a dose of classic entertainment, please, watch Baby Driver; it is hard to imagine a film more stylish, more energetic, and more fun than this one. Baby Driver is the most enjoyable and most fun movie of the year so far, and, you know what, it might just be the best.

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Rating: 4/4.