Baby Driver Is Proof That 2017 Is Driven By Smaller Budget Films

The year 2017 in regards to Cinema, has come and gone for the most part with movies either meeting and exceeding expectations, films that fell far below expectations with the end result being a financial and critical dud, and films in between those that caught audiences by surprise and managed to deliver both in regards to being entertaining, as well as being a surprise box office smash. While the underwhelming box office performances of War For The Planet Of The Apes and Transformers: The Last Knight are surprising given the performances of the previous installments in both series, it is the performances of the smaller budget films such as John Wick ll, Get Out, Atomic Blonde, Annabelle: Creation, and Happy Death Day, that have become the true Cinema stories of 2017 both critically and financially. With Baby Driver, the resume of smaller films dominating the box office proves to be even more impressive as the film managed to be more of a success than the fifth installment in Michael Bay's popular yet overblown CGI-driven franchise. Baby Driver is not only a solid film, but manages to entertain it's audience and give them a genuinely fun time at the Cinema than many big budget films this year tried to, but ultimately failed at generating the same kind of reaction. Perhaps it's a sign that Hollywood's reign of excessive sequel tent poles, are steadily declining as experimentation with newer ideas, smaller budget films, and concepts are slowly taking over.

      Baby Driver is stylish, exciting, hilarious, well-acted, and boasts a killer soundtrack, that makes the whole experience of watching it even more special. Driver is proof that action-movies can be brilliantly written, fast-paced, and not need to rely on explosions and CGI to satisfy audiences as it uses its strong scriptwriting and character development to do the work in terms of drawing the audience in. The storyline for the film is creative and original with the audience becoming intrigued with the main character, as he tries to juggle the situation he finds himself stuck in. Baby Driver centers around a young getaway driver finding himself becoming apart of a bank heist, that's doomed to fail after being forced into working for a crime boss. What makes the concept of Baby Driver so appealing to audiences, is that the film delivers a main character the audience can grow to care about, rooting for his blossoming romance with a young waitress at a diner, while wanting him to break loose from the situation that he's in. Ansel Elgort's performance as Baby is spot-on as he brings a sense of charm to the part, while making the audience believe that he's really this character. Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm, Elza Gonzalez, and Lily James all give strong supporting performances as Baby's heist crew and female love interest. Kevin Spacey does a terrific job at playing Driver's crime boss as Spacey feels perfect for the role given that he does a terrific job at playing sleazy roles. 

      With its quick pacing and well-choreographed action sequences, Baby Driver remains one of the most thrilling action-packed movies of the year, and just happens to be one that has alot going for it in regards to both character development and story thanks to Edgar Wright's brilliant scriptwriting and directing. What makes the film a surprise treat, that struck a chord with audiences over the summer is how flat-out cool the film comes across with its stylish cinematography, rapid editing, and believable performances, that make the audience convinced what's happening on the big screen is reality. The car chases are stunning and Elgort's performance, is one that can potentially be a star-breaking moment as he gives life to a character, that the audience becomes engaged with from the beginning to applauding at the very end. What's most impressive about Baby Driver, is how it takes a generic heist genre and adds it's own unique and stylish approach to it with references to modern pop culture. As far as heist movies go and the movies released in the summer 2017, Baby Driver is easily a much welcomed breath of fresh air, as well as a reminder that story always come first before action and visuals, which also is what makes a film memorable to audiences.

      In terms of style and substance, Baby Driver delivers a great deal of it unapologetically. The film is quite the catch with audiences because of how it beautifully blends action with comedy, romance, and a hip style that will attract teens and young adults to the main character. Baby Driver is the type of blockbuster, that doesn't need explosions and overuse of CGI effects to make it a hit with audiences. The film is proof that a good story, strong characters, hit soundtrack, and slick editing can make a highly enjoyable film for audiences, and not need to have an enormous budget in order to appease the crowd. Baby Driver is not only one of the best movies of the past summer, but one of the best films of the year period. With Baby Driver, the hope is there that Hollywood will take a lesson from all the smaller films this year, and how they performed above expectations, even managing to outdo some of the bigger blockbusters for the year. The film is proof that audiences still care for original stories and characters they will become invested in for two hours, while just happening to be taken on a thrill ride that includes laughter, well-filmed car chases, and strong characters that are appealing, particularly the films lead character whose intriguing. Films like Baby Driver, as fun as they come across as being, are proof that audiences continue to desire story over high budget effects.

                                                                                                                           Final Verdict: Buy It