Baby Driver

“Baby (Ansel Elgort) – a talented, young getaway driver – relies on the heat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. When he meets the girl of his dreams (Lily James), Baby sees a chance to ditch his criminal life and make a clean getaway. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.”

For me, Edgar Wright was synonymous with comedy for the longest time with his Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, consisting of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End. Each of these films was brilliantly written, with great character relationships that all take place during outlandish and extreme circumstances. Then, after seeing Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, that perception changed altogether. It was one of the most stylistically unique films I had ever seen, and although based on a graphic novel, it only proved how talented of a director he actually was, bringing this story to life on screen.

Rarely have I seen trailers that convey a movie so differently than Baby Driver did, yet still maintain the excitement going into it, not knowing what kind of movie to expect. Baby Driver provides a stylistic and unique method of storytelling in which Wright masterfully uses music to drive the film, much like in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Although the story and genre is very different, the use of music that directly influences the shot, or the actions of a character is used so well that it is awe inspiring, bringing a smile to your face as Baby dances through the streets in the midst of this violent world that he reluctantly has to be a part of.

It goes without saying that the action of the film is top notch, providing edge of your seat car chase scenes, several different heist sequences, and very intense and suspenseful scenes, especially in the third act. However, all of these are only secondary to the heart-warming love story between Baby and Debora, which rounds out the film as something much more than simply another heist movie.

Ansel Elgort does a fantastic job acting in the film, pretty much carrying the majority of the weight based on his solemn and silent demeanor, which can definitely be hard to pull off considering the lack of much dialogue from his character. As far as antagonists goes, all of the antagonists are sinister in their own way, with Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, and even Jamie Foxx, who I normally do not care for, delivering amazing performances that help propel Baby into trying to escape this world he has become part of.

Video

Baby Driver is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1. The transfer is flawless, with no defects noticed. Color is well balanced, very colorful, creating a beautiful canvas to accompany what is featured most prominently: the soundtrack.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. As mentioned, the soundtrack is the absolute best part of the film, which is much a part of the main character as the actor hired to play him is. Sound levels are great, with the soundtrack pumping through the surrounds which changes the direction and mood of the film at a moment’s notice.

Special Features

Much to the satisfaction of people who will love the film, the disc is packed with extras, including:

• Director Commentary
• Commentary with Edgar Wright and Bill Pope
• Extended & Deleted Scenes
• Behind the Scenes
• Selected Scene Animatics
• Rehearsals & Pre-Production
• Mint Royale – “Blue Song” Music Video
• Complete Storyboard Gallery
• Promos and More

Films like Baby Driver don’t come around very often, where style and music and the most prominent aspects of the production. A non-stop entertaining thrill ride, Baby Driver is definitely one to pick up this Tuesday.