So I recently got pushed into a theater to go see the movie by Edgar Wright. I kinda felt like going to go see it, but the alternate feeling of both trailers left me conflicted. Wasn't until a friend of mine, hyped it up and said it's in his top 10. So surely it must be really good..... right?
The Good
I think one of the aspects that this movie is getting praised for, is it's blend of music and action. I hear it's based on a music video, and it shows. Unlike having a giant studio produce theme music to the movements, Edgar brilliantly makes the characters move to the songs hes picked.
I think for the most part the Heist Aspect and the action scenes are all top notch. The driving scenes are some of the best I've seen in terms of choreography, and as stated before they flow well with the music. The planning and how the heist all go down are good.
Occasionally throughout the film you get both humorous moments and great dialogue. What we see mostly is how dark the world Baby has gotten himself into and it makes him want to get out. I think the strongest relationship in this movie, is the one between Baby and his Foster Dad. While Short, it did get to me a bit near the end.
The Bad
So.... I was told that this movie was great. but that it's a simple movie. I'm not one to shit on a simple movie, since John Wick is probably in my top 10. and that's as simple as it gets. I had watched the first trailer (one in the top). and thought it would be a cool take on a Heist/Get Way driver story. That it would be funny and epic. After seeing the second trailer, the Girlfriend aspect played a bigger part in that trailer, and I sorta lost interest in the movie. But after so much prodding, I went in hoping that maybe she was likable in the movie or whatever. And low an behold I was right, she was easily the worst part of the movie. Not just as a romantic interest (I haven't seen chemistry this bad since Twilight), but as the movie built up to the climax, her being their just made me wanna put my head through a well.
The difference between this movie and John Wick, is that this movie had a ton of fat. All that fat being every scene with Baby and this girl. Now most of you guys are probably saying "Saint, you're too cruel on this girl, surely she's not as big a factor as your claiming". and you'd be wrong to assume that. This Girl is not just a bland character, but she is consistently thrown into the crime world as a reason for Baby to do dumb things, and she later becomes an asset (in the most hamfisted Deus Ex Machina way) just by being their in the end. The decisions she makes near the end, are unjustified and are there cus "plot".
Conclusion
I have zero problems with a movie being simple, because even a movie like that can be great. The issue with this movie is, that there isn't enough enjoyable moments to counter act the bad. I thought it was going to be a cool movie about a Special Driver but the romantic angle and not as many funny/epic Heist moments, left it lacking. I think the movie would have been a ton better had they just focused on the dynamic between him and the Foster Dad, and cut her out entirely, or at the very least don't bring her into the Conflict near the end.
In the end, aside from a few jokes and some really cool driving sequences, Baby Driver is the most disappointing movie I've seen in 2017.
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