Baby Driver follows "Baby" (Ansel Elgort), a kid in his 20s who plays getaway driver for local criminal "Doc" (Kevin Spacey). "Baby" is Mozart behind the wheel, and the secret behind his success are his non-stop iPod songs, which he curates for the different situations he finds himself in. When "Baby" fall for waitress Deborah (Lily James), everything changes. As his jobs get more and more dangerous, "Baby" decides it's time for him to leave the game. Naturally, "Doc" and the crew ( "Bats" played by Jamie Foxx, "Buddy" played by Jon Hamm, and "Darling" played by Eiza Gonzalez) of what was supposed to be "Baby's" last job aren't pleased.
Edgar Wright has been the master behind some beloved films of the modern day: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (I wasn't a huge fan of At World's End, but I will definitely say it wasn't weak). Now, we can add Baby Driver to that list. Baby Driver is a joyous ode to music and car chases that Wright first dreamt up twenty-two years ago. It was his being fired off Marvel's Ant-Man that inspired him to finally make the film. I'd say we're better off for it.
Wright crafts a new cinematic icon in Ansel Elgort's "Baby". As a kid, "Baby" was left with Tinnitus after a car crash that killed his parents. With a constant ringing in his ears, "Baby" turns to music to help him cope and soon it's fueling, moving and inspiring him. He has a clear love for music, as does the film itself (music plays a key role in the film). Elgort has had starring roles before (in Carrie and The Fault In Our Stars), but for my money I'd say this is the best he has ever been. He manages to convey a vulnerability, an earnestness and sincerity, and an irresistible youthful charm. Armed with his shades and trusty iPod, he just seems so darned cool. I'd like to think we can all relate to "Baby". Who hasn't jammed out to music while walking or driving (or wearing shades), and who hasn't felt "cool" while doing so?
The film is peppered with fantastic supporting performances. Jamie Foxx is delightfully insane as the unpredictable psycho "Bats". He acts as our antagonist for most of the film. Jon Hamm is very likable as the nice guy of the group, "Buddy". He has a fantastic arc that sees Hamm get to really show off his acting chops. Eiza Gonzalez (from the From Dusk Till Dawn tv series) is drop dead sexy as his sweet girlfriend, "Darling". Flea is memorable as Eddie No-No's, a wacky member of an earlier job. Kevin Spacey is great as "Doc", the Fagin to Elgort's Oliver. Lily James is very pretty and cute as "Baby's" main squeeze, Deborah. I did like their romance, but I didn't feel fully invested in their whole running away together idea. CJ Jones makes a good impression as "Baby's" deaf adoptive guardian, who is worried about the criminal underworld "Baby" has gotten involved in. Everyone here is just about perfectly cast, and they all seem to be enjoying the hell out of their roles.
Baby Driver acts as a semi-musical. Just as music moves "Baby", so does music fuel the film. A good deal of the scenes in the film are semi-choreographed to songs, whether they be a car chase, "Doc" spelling out a plan for a heist, or "Baby" going to pick up coffee for the crew. These scenes almost resemble musical numbers in a way. The songs chosen are pretty great as well, and a soundtrack buy is an obvious recommendation. It's also worth noting that Wright has reported that the whole film was done practically, and there wasn't a single CG shot in the film. What a breath of fresh air!
The only negatives I could say about Baby Driver is that the plot is cliche'd and trope-y (but this seems to be done in an homage to classic old-fashioned Hollywood), and "Baby" eventually does something that had me somewhat re-think my opinion of him. Baby Driver is Edgar Wright having fun and enjoying himself, while still throwing himself into his work. Just as in Shaun of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, his love for whatever he's paying homage to (in this case, music and car chases) shines through and feels genuinely sincere. When Edgar Wright has fun, it's hard not to have fun with him. Indeed, this film is a genuine blast from beginning to end. Baby Driver is a joyous ode to music, car chases, and old-school Hollywood. It's guaranteed to make you boogie in your seat.
5 STARS
Friday, June 30, 2017
Friday, June 23, 2017
TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT IS DEFINITELY A TRANSFORMERS FILM
After the events of Transformers: Age of Extinction, Optimus Prime has left Earth to confront his makers. In the far reaches of space, he finds Quintessa, a god-like being who claims to be his sole creator. She convinces Optimus that if they are to save Cybertron (his home planet, now in ruins) he must help her destroy Earth. Back on Earth, Humanity is still at war with Transformers. The TRF (Transformers Reaction Force) has been formed to hunt and destroy all Transformers. What's worse, Autobots have been falling from the sky like crazy, which humanity has come to see as an invasion of sorts. Amid all this, a mysterious new character named Sir Edmund Burton (Anthony Hopkins) whisks Cade Yaeger (Mark Whalberg) away from his life of protecting Autobots from the TRF. Burton claims that Humanity and Earth's salvation lie in our past, and an ancient secret involving a powerful Arthurian artifact.
Transformers: The Last Knight is the fifth (and hopefully last, though I doubt it) installment in The Transformers franchise. I started out as a big fan of this property, but ten years later even I have to admit this whole this is getting tiring. How many times can one review a Transformers film before you run out of things to say? After all, these films are all so similar to each other and each offer nothing of real value except spectacle. That said, despite all my whining I must admit I did enjoy my time with this latest run in the series.
Mark Whalberg is back as Cade Yaeger and doing his Mark Whalberg thing. He has sent his daughter Tessa away to college while he lies low from the government with his Autobot buddies. I like that, while Tessa doesn't appear in this one, The Last Knight still makes Cade's relationship with his daughter one of the key parts of the film. Anthony Hopkins seems to enjoy getting to play a cranky, foul-mouthed old man and I got some entertainment out of his performance. Laura Haddock is fine as Vivian Wembley, Yaeger's love interest who has ties to the past.
Josh Duhamel, Glenn Morshower and John Tuturro reprise their roles of William Lennox (Who now reluctantly heads the TRF along with Santiago Cabrera as Santos), General Morshower (Lennox's superior), and Seymour Simmons (Who has been hiding out in Cuba and assisting Sir Edmund Burton). It was cool to get to see Josh Duhamel go from playing a hero in the first film, to what is essentially our main human antagonist in this one. I also really enjoyed when Lennox and Morshower got to share a few scenes. Unfortunately, John Tuturro doesn't have much of a role to play and could have easily been excised without losing anything.
Peter Cullen is back again as Optimus Prime, and does his usual bang-up job (He is only in around 2 scenes in the first 2 acts and doesn't really appear until right before the climax). There is a reason his Optimus Prime has become an icon. Frank Welker FINALLY gets to voice Megatron (Here he makes a deal with TRF where he and his crew will help them track down Cade and crew). His first scene gave me chills. He is easily the best, definitive Megatron we've gotten on the big screen (Obviously, since he is the original voice of Megatron in the 80's animated series).
To this film's credit, The Last Knight does try to give us some new things while hearkening back to the legacy and tone of the first three films. I found it's take on Arthurian legend silly but interesting (definitely more interesting than anything the previous three sequels gave us), that said this aspect doesn't rear it's head until the 2nd act or so. Most of The Last Knight is Cade and crew being chased by the TRF. The Last Knight definitely has more good moments than the other sequels did. I found the opening action sequence, the fight between Bumblebee and Optimus, and the big climax to be the most impressive action scenes in the film.
Unfortunately, The Last Knight is still not a great film. At two hours and twenty-nine minutes, it's the shortest of the sequels (Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen ran at two hours and thirty minutes) but is still too long and feels overstuffed. There is too much going on, too many characters (Isabella Moner and Jerrod Carmichael could have been cut completely as they don't add much to the film) , too many plots and sub-plots. There is also a Transformer named Cogman (voiced by Jim Carter), who is an unhinged, sociopathic butler to Sir Edmund Burton. Cogman is just annoying, and is in the film too much (he winds up being one of the main Transformers). They also mess with the lore in a weird way. That said, this is basically what the fourth film should have been (and I LIKED the fourth film!).
Michael Bay shot 98% of The Last Knight on IMAX 3D cameras? Does it show? How does that affect the viewing experience? It feels like Bay shot every thing to fully engulf the audience. Lots and lots of stuff come flying into the theater (debris, swords, guns, fire, etc), and most of the shots of action are close-up, so the effect is that you are right in front of it. For most of the film, it felt like you were in the movie. It definitely showed that he filmed primarily with IMAX 3D cameras, and I'd say IMAX is the best way to see this film (It's what Bay clearly intended).
Transformers: The Last Knight does get a few extra points for trying to do something a little different, but overall it's still another Transformers movie. It's big, loud, dumb, action-filled, hollow, mind-numbing, and entertaining (exactly like every other one). There are definitely more good parts here than in the other sequels, but the bad parts are still pretty bad. I guess you could say I liked it (It's definitely the best of the sequels). That said, the only reason to see this one would be for the spectacle (or if you are a fan) or to sample some top notch, impressive visual effects. I'd say unless you are seeing it in IMAX 3D, wait for it on blu-ray.
3 STARS
I'm expecting there to be more Transformers films based on the way this one ends, hopefully Michael Bay will actually stick to his word for once and let some new blood have a go at this franchise.
Transformers: The Last Knight is the fifth (and hopefully last, though I doubt it) installment in The Transformers franchise. I started out as a big fan of this property, but ten years later even I have to admit this whole this is getting tiring. How many times can one review a Transformers film before you run out of things to say? After all, these films are all so similar to each other and each offer nothing of real value except spectacle. That said, despite all my whining I must admit I did enjoy my time with this latest run in the series.
Mark Whalberg is back as Cade Yaeger and doing his Mark Whalberg thing. He has sent his daughter Tessa away to college while he lies low from the government with his Autobot buddies. I like that, while Tessa doesn't appear in this one, The Last Knight still makes Cade's relationship with his daughter one of the key parts of the film. Anthony Hopkins seems to enjoy getting to play a cranky, foul-mouthed old man and I got some entertainment out of his performance. Laura Haddock is fine as Vivian Wembley, Yaeger's love interest who has ties to the past.
Josh Duhamel, Glenn Morshower and John Tuturro reprise their roles of William Lennox (Who now reluctantly heads the TRF along with Santiago Cabrera as Santos), General Morshower (Lennox's superior), and Seymour Simmons (Who has been hiding out in Cuba and assisting Sir Edmund Burton). It was cool to get to see Josh Duhamel go from playing a hero in the first film, to what is essentially our main human antagonist in this one. I also really enjoyed when Lennox and Morshower got to share a few scenes. Unfortunately, John Tuturro doesn't have much of a role to play and could have easily been excised without losing anything.
Peter Cullen is back again as Optimus Prime, and does his usual bang-up job (He is only in around 2 scenes in the first 2 acts and doesn't really appear until right before the climax). There is a reason his Optimus Prime has become an icon. Frank Welker FINALLY gets to voice Megatron (Here he makes a deal with TRF where he and his crew will help them track down Cade and crew). His first scene gave me chills. He is easily the best, definitive Megatron we've gotten on the big screen (Obviously, since he is the original voice of Megatron in the 80's animated series).
To this film's credit, The Last Knight does try to give us some new things while hearkening back to the legacy and tone of the first three films. I found it's take on Arthurian legend silly but interesting (definitely more interesting than anything the previous three sequels gave us), that said this aspect doesn't rear it's head until the 2nd act or so. Most of The Last Knight is Cade and crew being chased by the TRF. The Last Knight definitely has more good moments than the other sequels did. I found the opening action sequence, the fight between Bumblebee and Optimus, and the big climax to be the most impressive action scenes in the film.
Unfortunately, The Last Knight is still not a great film. At two hours and twenty-nine minutes, it's the shortest of the sequels (Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen ran at two hours and thirty minutes) but is still too long and feels overstuffed. There is too much going on, too many characters (Isabella Moner and Jerrod Carmichael could have been cut completely as they don't add much to the film) , too many plots and sub-plots. There is also a Transformer named Cogman (voiced by Jim Carter), who is an unhinged, sociopathic butler to Sir Edmund Burton. Cogman is just annoying, and is in the film too much (he winds up being one of the main Transformers). They also mess with the lore in a weird way. That said, this is basically what the fourth film should have been (and I LIKED the fourth film!).
Michael Bay shot 98% of The Last Knight on IMAX 3D cameras? Does it show? How does that affect the viewing experience? It feels like Bay shot every thing to fully engulf the audience. Lots and lots of stuff come flying into the theater (debris, swords, guns, fire, etc), and most of the shots of action are close-up, so the effect is that you are right in front of it. For most of the film, it felt like you were in the movie. It definitely showed that he filmed primarily with IMAX 3D cameras, and I'd say IMAX is the best way to see this film (It's what Bay clearly intended).
Transformers: The Last Knight does get a few extra points for trying to do something a little different, but overall it's still another Transformers movie. It's big, loud, dumb, action-filled, hollow, mind-numbing, and entertaining (exactly like every other one). There are definitely more good parts here than in the other sequels, but the bad parts are still pretty bad. I guess you could say I liked it (It's definitely the best of the sequels). That said, the only reason to see this one would be for the spectacle (or if you are a fan) or to sample some top notch, impressive visual effects. I'd say unless you are seeing it in IMAX 3D, wait for it on blu-ray.
3 STARS
I'm expecting there to be more Transformers films based on the way this one ends, hopefully Michael Bay will actually stick to his word for once and let some new blood have a go at this franchise.
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