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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Baby Driver
Quote: Baby Driver is a 2017 action-comedy-crime film written and directed by Edgar Wright and starring Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Bernthal, Eiza González, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:56 pm |
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
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Re: Baby Driver
This movie is an absolute blast. It's like some insane cross between a jukebox musical, Bonnie & Clyde, Drive and The Fast and the Furious, and really establishes Edgar Wright as an auteur on top of his game. It's such well-directed movie - it's gorgeous to look at and every frame is bursting with color and energy. The whole thing seems to have been choreographed to a tee down to the balls-to-the-wall crazy final half hour. The actors are all great. Ansel Elgort delivers a strong performance but the scene stealers here are Eiza Gonzalez and Jon Hamm, who deliver great, scenery chewing performances. Lily James is incredibly charming and Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx are also great. The soundtrack is incredible and every song plays a part in the film's story and DNA. It runs a little too long and I don't know if I was necessarily a fan of the very end, but this movie is a spectacle for the senses and the climax in the parking garage is going to be hard to beat for the action sequence of the year. Such a good time. A-
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Mon Apr 10, 2017 10:02 pm |
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
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Re: Baby Driver
Oh, and this is totally Edgar Wright's most mainstream-accessible film. I think it's going to be a huge WOM hit. It's so much fun.
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Mon Apr 10, 2017 10:04 pm |
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Biggestgeekever
I heet the canadian!
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 12:58 am Posts: 5192 Location: The Great _______
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Re: Baby Driver
Goddamn this is a cool fucking movie.
I think it's easily the most accomplished film Edgar Wright has made to date. His style is on full display, but it also features moments of experimental filmmaking that I was shocked to see from him. Most notably, the film visually shows how our mind operates when we listen to music in our lives. This makes the car chases exciting and unique in a manner that blew me away. The characters themselves are all fantastically written and fun, even the ones that you hope get their comeuppance.
I'm still processing it, and I'm definitely going to catch another showing when it properly releases, but for now it's a solid A. I think my only negative is that I did not quite buy into the romance so much as simply being swept along with it due to just fun the film is.
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Wed May 24, 2017 12:43 am |
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MadGez
Dont Mess with the Gez
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 9:54 am Posts: 22680 Location: Melbourne Australia
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Re: Baby Driver
Awesome! Look forward to it!
_________________
What's your favourite movie summer? Let us know @
http://worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=85934
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Fri May 26, 2017 2:07 am |
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publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18880 Location: San Diego
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Re: Baby Driver
Yeah, this was great. The editing was terrific and there are some genuinely thrilling sequences.
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Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:27 am |
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Algren
now we know
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:31 pm Posts: 67043
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Re: Baby Driver
Hearing the main character being called "Baby" all the time is as annoying as hearing "Bee" every two minutes in the Transformers films.
_________________STOP UIGHUR GENOCIDE IN XINJIANG FIGHT FOR TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE FREE TIBET LIBERATE HONG KONG BOYCOTT MADE IN CHINA
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Tue Jun 27, 2017 9:36 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Baby Driver
Very entertaining. The ingenious use of music is the main attraction; not only in regard to the choreographic and technical wizardry deployed to realize the car-chase-as-musical-number idea, but also in the way Edgar Wright understands the way music is woven into life: the way we, perhaps, drive a bit faster to the right Rolling Stones or Guns N' Roses song or have a certain song we turn to when we are sad or angry or falling in (or out of) love. The eclectic song choices, ranging from Blur and T. Rex to the Commodores and Sam & Dave, feel deeply considered and personal.
The cast is great, too. Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, and Kevin Spacey are obviously having an incredible amount of fun as career criminals with varying capacities for savagery. Ansel Elgort proves charismatic, creating an odd and traumatized, yet entirely sympathetic protagonist, and his subtly sweet chemistry with Lily James elevates a thin-on-the-page love story.
I have one rather large complaint: I despise the final five or so minutes. It should have ended with Baby and Debora escaping west. This is the right ending. Maybe cut to the old man in the retirement home watching television: "two persons of interest still at large," he assumes Baby is safe and smiles, end credits. The way it plays out...it feels as if Wright and/or the studio believe we need to see Baby punished and redeemed, but it just lands with a thud. After being directly involved in so much theft, murder, and mayhem, he stays in prison for five years because a few character witnesses swear he has a great heart. The final scene, where he leaves prison and she is waiting for him (and has bought this incredible antique car...on a waitress' salary?*), feels removed from reality in a way the film in general, however heightened, does not. The prison epilogue creates, I feel, a sense of, "Why is this happening? This movie could have ended a few minutes ago. This feels shoehorned in and untidy."
B+
*I know what you are going to say: she bought it with the money he saved from the past heists. But the police so would have confiscated this after the arrest. And the film never shows them craftily hiding it away, so I can only assume it was still with them when they are stopped by the police.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Wed Jun 28, 2017 12:00 am |
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publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18880 Location: San Diego
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Re: Baby Driver
I got the impression that very last shot of Baby getting out of jail wasn't reality no?
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Wed Jun 28, 2017 12:38 am |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Baby Driver
I believe it is real. Because it starts in the Pleasantville-style B&W of his prior dream, but then it fades to color. I interpret this stylistic choice as, "It's now real." Plus, the courtroom scene carefully establishes he will eligible for parole in an extremely lenient five years.
I guess, though, one could interpret it as a Brazil-style only-in-his-head ending. And, of course, a film to which Baby Driver will surely be compared, Drive, has an ending many insist is the main character's dying dream (him coming to post-stabbing and leaving L.A. under cover of night).
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Wed Jun 28, 2017 12:42 am |
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Chippy
KJ's Leading Pundit
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:45 pm Posts: 63026 Location: Tonight... YOU!
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Re: Baby Driver
Algren wrote: Hearing the main character being called "Baby" all the time is as annoying as hearing "Bee" every two minutes in the Transformers films. How did you like the movie?
_________________trixster wrote: shut the fuck up zwackerm, you're out of your fucking element trixster wrote: chippy is correct
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Wed Jun 28, 2017 11:40 am |
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tree and a half
Cream of the Crop
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 11:38 am Posts: 2084
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Re: Baby Driver
Perhaps worst of all, Baby Driver wasn't funny enough. But there also wasn't enough action, nor enough romance. In fact the writing was well below standard for Edgar Wright. I just didn't care enough about any of the characters. And the movie had Jon Hamm in it for crap's sake. On the plus side, the driving sequences were reasonably well staged and Lily James was radiantly sublime. But all-in-all quite disappointing. *C+*
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Wed Jun 28, 2017 3:19 pm |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Baby Driver
I saw this Tuesday night and it was on a tiny screen. I was so disappointed about that. My theater didn't have it on their super screen until Wednesday. The movie was awesome. So inventive and fun. The choreography was so insanely good. Ansel Elgort was wonderful and charming in the lead. Spacey and Foxx were great. The romance was really cute thanks to the chemistry between Elgort and Lily James. The action is so well-done and exciting. This is THE movie of the summer! Wright deserves a Best Director nomination.
I even saw it again early Wednesday and this time on my theater's super screen and it made a HUGE difference. The movie was already great, but the sound was so much better and you could really feel the music and car action. See this on the biggest and best possible screen you can. I hope to see it again before it's off my theater's super screen.
9/10 (A)
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Thu Jun 29, 2017 3:05 pm |
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tree and a half
Cream of the Crop
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 11:38 am Posts: 2084
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Re: Baby Driver
1. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - A+ 2. Shaun of the Dead - A+ 3. Hot Fuzz - A+ 4. Baby Driver - C+ 5. The World's End - D
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 2:47 am |
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publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18880 Location: San Diego
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Re: Baby Driver
1. Baby Driver 2. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 3. Hot Fuzz 4. Shaun of the Dead 5. The World's End
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 4:30 am |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Baby Driver
Baby Driver - A Scott Pilgrim - A-/A (Haven't seen in a while so not sure) Shaun of the Dead - A- Hot Fuzz - B- World's End - C
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 10:11 am |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Baby Driver
1. Shaun of the Dead - A 2. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - A- 3. Hot Fuzz - B+ 4. Baby Driver - B+ 5. The World's End - C+
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 2:47 pm |
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tree and a half
Cream of the Crop
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 11:38 am Posts: 2084
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Re: Baby Driver
David wrote: The ingenious use of music is the main attraction This is a good point, which I failed to mention in my review. The music is indeed the film's saving grace.
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Sat Jul 01, 2017 5:07 am |
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Excel
Superfreak
Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:54 am Posts: 21890 Location: Places
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Re: Baby Driver
Couldn't get into this one at all. Baby has zero charisma, and tbh the plot is just bizarre. It starts off very well, and the music makes it engaging, but I had to completely stop thinking about an hour in.
C
_________________Ari Emmanuel wrote: I'd rather marry lindsay Lohan than represent Mel Gibson.
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Sat Jul 01, 2017 7:44 am |
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Speevy
Veteran
Joined: Wed May 11, 2005 9:12 am Posts: 3139
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Re: Baby Driver
David wrote: The ingenious use of music is the main attraction; not only in regard to the choreographic and technical wizardry deployed to realize the car-chase-as-musical-number idea, but also in the way Edgar Wright understands the way music is woven into life: the way we, perhaps, drive a bit faster to the right Rolling Stones or Guns N' Roses song or have a certain song we turn to when we are sad or angry or falling in (or out of) love. A couple extra periods in this 500 word sentence would have been helpful.
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Sat Jul 01, 2017 11:26 pm |
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tree and a half
Cream of the Crop
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 11:38 am Posts: 2084
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Re: Baby Driver
This review from IMDb provides an astute analysis of Baby Driver. Trailer showcases high potential, wasted in the actual film
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
The trailer held great potential for this movie - smartly timed moves to energetic music, explosive car chase scenes, a budding romance.
The actual movie - worth one discounted movie ticket for viewing at the theaters at most.
Why?
You start off with a catchy title 'Baby DRIVER' - so you'd think you'll be seeing Fast & Furious-style chases and such throughout, just like the trailer teases. Yet, the latter 1/2 of the movie is filled with long, long scenes of Baby.... RUNNING?!?
Then, add on all the lost potential - You can easily sing away to the ending song of FF7, but here in Baby Driver, you can barely put together a La La Land-like soundtrack. It's a total scramble of odd songs from across genres that don't really fit together - more like the ramblings of the director's mind - and what you get is nothing that reaches as high as the very first bank robbery scene, which setup lots of anticipation for it's timed wipers, etc.
Tack on paper-thin characterization - the assembled 'team' is barely interesting versus the FF team. Unmotivated and silly scenes.
eg. Right, you go into a building to get weapons, hear a super long blab about port cuts, and only get offered 9 weapons?! And instead of picking the 'best', Jamie starts a shootout, picks up random weapons, and blows the rest up?!? So -stupid- versus FF, where the team is offered the best, and they build and take the best to offer the audience a truly awesome race/fight scene later on. In Baby, it's an aborted effort. Why offer the goods if you're just going to waste it all?
eg. So many scenes are merely Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk.... all in the MIDDLE of an exciting fight/chase/etc. scene. Why, oh, why wasn't all this cut??
And you end up with a miserable ending versus the 'enemy' at the end. Baby steals one car, crashes it into the bad guy's car. Then, Baby gets out, steals another in the parking lot, crashes it again into the bad guy's car. Then, gets out.... you get the idea. Just how fast can one kid get out of a car, break into another, jack it, and drive it into the bad guy?! So unbelievable.... not only for the changing of cars, but now it's become "Baby Car Crash" rather than "Baby Driver".
Spacey dies in an equally lame way in the end - simply shot dead. Not even uses the full potential of Baby here at all, who stands with his girl looking all stupid at the men coming to shoot him dead instead of 'Running' so well like he did earlier in the movie. Why, Baby, Why don't you RUN???? Because it's not a Driver movie anymore and you're facing death.
The movie does stick with you afterwards and you do wonder, what if the fullest potential of the idea had been written into the movie? Imagine if it had Top 10 hits, rocking cameos by top singers, FF-style car chases, an amazing team fighting to escape the cops, etc. Yes, it would have broken Wonder Woman records and become a cult legend.
Instead, Baby Driver slowly deflates after the first bank robbery and leaves everyone with a yawn at the end for the immature ending. (It's also unbelievable how the the girl is characterized - every girl I've talked to who watched it rolls her eyes at the unbelievable way she 'falls in love' all so suddenly.)
You're also left with the tapes. Such unbelievable potential, wasted. It could have had Spacey listen to the 'Mom' tape, setting up the reason he protects Baby in the end and his life changes, realizing the 'love' he once had, but nope. Nothing done with it that would have moved the viewers.
7/10 because it's unique enough to stick in your brain for a day or two after. Otherwise, I'd rank it lower for the fragmented plot, weak characterization of most of the characters, poor pacing, etc.
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Sun Jul 02, 2017 5:22 am |
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movies35
Forum General
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:53 pm Posts: 8626 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Re: Baby Driver
As silly as it sounds, Baby Driver has really awakened my recent dying love of film. Don't get me wrong, I will always love film and it will always be one of my passions but in the past year or so, I just haven't felt much need to go to the theater as often as I used to or see as many movies as I have. Every once in awhile a movie will come around and will make you say "oh yeah, this is why I love film so much" and I'm happy to say that Baby Driver is one of those movies for me.
It's a total blast from beginning to end and the car chase sequences were fantastic. Honestly, the opening may end up becoming one of my favorite film openings ever. The choreography was wonderful, the acting was great all around and the direction and editing was all top notch.
I've seen Baby Driver twice so far and I enjoyed it even more the second time. I think it's an absolutely perfect film and I'm excited to see it again and again.
A+
As for lists...
1. Baby Driver 2. Shaun of the Dead 3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World 4. Hot Fuzz 5. The World's End
The top three are all great movies, IMO. I didn't care much for Hot Fuzz, though I haven't seen it in years and I HATED The World's End.
_________________ Top 10 Films of 2016
1. La La Land 2. Other People 3. Nocturnal Animals 4. Swiss Army Man 5. Manchester by the Sea 6. The Edge of Seventeen 7. Sing Street 8. Indignation 9. The Lobster 10. Hell or High Water
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Sun Jul 02, 2017 5:33 pm |
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Excel
Superfreak
Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:54 am Posts: 21890 Location: Places
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Re: Baby Driver
tree and a half wrote: This review from IMDb provides an astute analysis of Baby Driver. Trailer showcases high potential, wasted in the actual film
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
The trailer held great potential for this movie - smartly timed moves to energetic music, explosive car chase scenes, a budding romance.
The actual movie - worth one discounted movie ticket for viewing at the theaters at most.
Why?
You start off with a catchy title 'Baby DRIVER' - so you'd think you'll be seeing Fast & Furious-style chases and such throughout, just like the trailer teases. Yet, the latter 1/2 of the movie is filled with long, long scenes of Baby.... RUNNING?!?
Then, add on all the lost potential - You can easily sing away to the ending song of FF7, but here in Baby Driver, you can barely put together a La La Land-like soundtrack. It's a total scramble of odd songs from across genres that don't really fit together - more like the ramblings of the director's mind - and what you get is nothing that reaches as high as the very first bank robbery scene, which setup lots of anticipation for it's timed wipers, etc.
Tack on paper-thin characterization - the assembled 'team' is barely interesting versus the FF team. Unmotivated and silly scenes.
eg. Right, you go into a building to get weapons, hear a super long blab about port cuts, and only get offered 9 weapons?! And instead of picking the 'best', Jamie starts a shootout, picks up random weapons, and blows the rest up?!? So -stupid- versus FF, where the team is offered the best, and they build and take the best to offer the audience a truly awesome race/fight scene later on. In Baby, it's an aborted effort. Why offer the goods if you're just going to waste it all?
eg. So many scenes are merely Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk.... all in the MIDDLE of an exciting fight/chase/etc. scene. Why, oh, why wasn't all this cut??
And you end up with a miserable ending versus the 'enemy' at the end. Baby steals one car, crashes it into the bad guy's car. Then, Baby gets out, steals another in the parking lot, crashes it again into the bad guy's car. Then, gets out.... you get the idea. Just how fast can one kid get out of a car, break into another, jack it, and drive it into the bad guy?! So unbelievable.... not only for the changing of cars, but now it's become "Baby Car Crash" rather than "Baby Driver".
Spacey dies in an equally lame way in the end - simply shot dead. Not even uses the full potential of Baby here at all, who stands with his girl looking all stupid at the men coming to shoot him dead instead of 'Running' so well like he did earlier in the movie. Why, Baby, Why don't you RUN???? Because it's not a Driver movie anymore and you're facing death.
The movie does stick with you afterwards and you do wonder, what if the fullest potential of the idea had been written into the movie? Imagine if it had Top 10 hits, rocking cameos by top singers, FF-style car chases, an amazing team fighting to escape the cops, etc. Yes, it would have broken Wonder Woman records and become a cult legend.
Instead, Baby Driver slowly deflates after the first bank robbery and leaves everyone with a yawn at the end for the immature ending. (It's also unbelievable how the the girl is characterized - every girl I've talked to who watched it rolls her eyes at the unbelievable way she 'falls in love' all so suddenly.)
You're also left with the tapes. Such unbelievable potential, wasted. It could have had Spacey listen to the 'Mom' tape, setting up the reason he protects Baby in the end and his life changes, realizing the 'love' he once had, but nope. Nothing done with it that would have moved the viewers.
7/10 because it's unique enough to stick in your brain for a day or two after. Otherwise, I'd rank it lower for the fragmented plot, weak characterization of most of the characters, poor pacing, etc. I'm inclined to agree with this. Movies with these ultra forced motivations generate the instant eye roll in me.
_________________Ari Emmanuel wrote: I'd rather marry lindsay Lohan than represent Mel Gibson.
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Sun Jul 02, 2017 6:05 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Baby Driver
Speevy wrote: David wrote: The ingenious use of music is the main attraction; not only in regard to the choreographic and technical wizardry deployed to realize the car-chase-as-musical-number idea, but also in the way Edgar Wright understands the way music is woven into life: the way we, perhaps, drive a bit faster to the right Rolling Stones or Guns N' Roses song or have a certain song we turn to when we are sad or angry or falling in (or out of) love. A couple extra periods in this 500 word sentence would have been helpful. I'm the Baby of run-on sentences.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sun Jul 02, 2017 8:48 pm |
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El Maskado
Arrrrrrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhh!
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 8:17 pm Posts: 21572
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Re: Baby Driver
1. Shaun of the Dead 2. Baby Driver 3. The World's End 4. Hot Fuzz
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Sun Jul 02, 2017 10:03 pm |
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