Review of Baby Driver (2017) by Matt G — 12 Jul 2017

Baby Driver in a nutshell: born of a cool, general idea for a movie that ties together common themes in an uncommon way using the thread of musicality to an extent that makes Guardians of the Galaxy look like a silent film, but that relies almost exclusively on the presentation of that theme without bothering to develop a compelling, plausible script.

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First off, I will say that I fully understand why so many critics and moviegoers are taken with this film. The acting, directing, camerawork, and integration of musicality into all of the above are fresh compared to the average movie coming out of Hollywood. Many will be tricked into thinking these things make this a good movie whereas they merely mean there are fresh, creative, enjoyable elements in an otherwise sub-par movie.

Whether or not you find it to be sub-par depends on what aspects of movies typically present hang-ups for you. For me, implausibility and weak writing are unforgiveable in any genre intended to portray real-life events. This movie is riddled with such head-scratchers.

In the opening scene, robbers walk up to a bank without masks on and then put masks on just before entering, as if there are no cameras on the street. This oversight extends to the entire plot.

The police force of ATL is suddenly superhuman in several ways and utterly inept in others. The extent to which police vehicles appear around every corner and follow baby down every street strains credulity to such an extent that the movie was a lost cause in the first 10 minutes. But drive into a tunnel! Drive into a tunnel and suddenly the throngs of omnipresent police cruisers hit a magical barrier that prevented them from entering. Later on, the police are nowhere to be found when you'd definitely expect the opposite based on their track record earlier in the film.

Character/plot-development was weak and hurried. For some unknown, unexplained reason, several of the criminals who end up on a team with Baby have an implausibly overdeveloped sense of animosity toward him.

It's as if Edgar Wright thought to himself "some of these other criminals are going to have an issue with Baby," but got lazy when it came time to lay out a logical progression toward that animosity.

Kevin Spacey is bad in a way that suggests he could never be good, but then righteous in a way that was seemingly precluded by his previous actions.

Jamie Foxx's character is a walking paradox. I can confidently say that any individual in America that exhibited his M.O. would either be incarcerated or dead before ever becoming part of a team of criminals.

John Hamm's character could give Wolverine a run for his money in terms of durability. It's comically unrealistic. I can suspend disbelief for Wolverine, but not as much for a regular old human.