Baby Driver

Blu-Ray Review by Kam Williams

This Critic's Favorite Film of the Year Arrives on Home Video

All you really need to know about Baby Driver is that it's still this critic's favorite film of the year so far. The picture was written and directed by Edgar Wright, who is best known for a trio of British comedies starring Simon Pegg: Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007) and The World's End (2013).

Wright ventured across the Atlantic to Atlanta to shoot his latest offering, a labor of love a couple of decades in the making. For, this genre-defying tour de force had its genesis in "Bellbottoms," a discordant punk anthem he considered a song in search of a car chase from the moment he first heard it way back in 1995. 

 

And that cult classic isn't the only obscure tune on Baby Driver's eclectic soundtrack featuring rarities ranging from T. Rex's "Debora," to Blur's "Intermission," to The Damned's "Neat Neat Neat." But the adrenaline-fueled blockbuster has its share of readily-recognizable hits, too, like the Commodores' "Easy," Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "Nowhere to Run" and "Hocus Pocus" by Focus, famous for its yodeling. 

 

The music-driven masterpiece has an A-list cast that includes Oscar-winners Jamie Foxx (for Ray) and Kevin Spacey (for American Beauty and The Usual Suspects), Emmy-winner Jon Hamm (for Mad Men) and two-time, SAG Award-winner Lily James (for Downton Abbey). However, the film is carried by an up-and-coming thespian, Ansel Elgort.

He plays Baby, a deaf getaway driver extraordinarily adept at eluding the authorities. He is reluctantly married to the mob by virtue of a debt owed manipulative crime boss, Doc (Kevin Spacey). Baby wants out of the business badly, so he can drive off into the sunset with Deborah (James), the waitress he falls in love with across an empty diner.

Unfortunately, Machiavellian Doc insists he first serve as wheelman for the proverbial "last big heist" being pulled by a trio of certifiable lunatics in Bats (Foxx), Buddy (Hamm) and Darling (Eiza Gonzalez). When the robbery goes wrong, the ever-resourceful Baby's survival instincts kick-in in a primal urge for self-preservation.

A mind-blowing, roller coaster ride you'll never want to end!

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for violence and pervasive profanity
Running time: 113 minutes
Production Studio: Working Title Films
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Blu-ray Extras:

• Extended/Deleted Scenes – 20 minutes of extended scenes and a few moments that were dropped from the final cut.
• Mozart In A Go-Kart: Ansel Drives – Ride shotgun with star Ansel Elgort as he works with the talented stunt drivers to become the ultimate getaway driver.
• I Need A Killer Track: The Music – Explore how the film’s phenomenal soundtrack dictated both the writing process and all aspects of production on Baby Driver.
• That’s My Baby: Edgar Wright – Follow Edgar Wright’s vision of Baby Driver from its inception two decades ago, to its ultimate realization on the big screen.
• Meet Your New Crew: Doc’s Gang – Led by powerhouse Kevin Spacey, the cast assembled to form Doc’s gang is perfectly constructed with stars like Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm as well as up and coming talent like Eiza González and Jon Bernthal. Go behind the scenes to see this talented group at work as they bring these characters to life.
• Find Something Funky On There: The Choreography – With every frame of Baby Driver set to a specific beat it took precise choreography by the cast, crew and editors to create a cinematic dance like nothing that’s been done before. Hear from the choreographer and filmmakers on this groundbreaking process.
• Devil Behind The Wheel: The Car Chases – From closing down Atlanta’s interstates to creating eyepopping maneuvers for a variety of vehicles, witness the amazing craftsmanship and sheer determination that made the film’s incredible car chases possible.
• Animatics – Check out over 35 minutes of the numerous pre-vis animatics developed by Edgar Wright as part of his meticulous preparation.
• Ansel Elgort Audition – See firsthand the audition that proved without a doubt that Ansel Elgort was the perfect choice for Baby.
• Annotated Coffee Run Rehearsal – Day one of production involved one of the film’s most elaborately choreographed sequences where every movement is carefully crafted. Check out the preliminary rehearsal and see the behind the scenes movement in concert with Ansel Elgort’s on camera choreography.
• Hair, Make Up & Costume Tests – In this stylized montage, witness the transformation of the actors through costume, hair and make-up tests.
• Mint Royale – “Blue Song” Music Video – This music video directed by Edgar years ago for the band Mint Royale showcases some early inspiration for Baby Driver.
• Complete Storyboard Gallery – See the elaborate storyboards developed for the film in this gallery featuring storyboards for the entire film.
• Director Commentary
• Filmmaker Commentary (Edgar Wright and Director of Photography Bill Pope)
  

To see a trailer for Baby Driver, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2z857RSfhk
 

To order a copy of Baby Driver on Blu-ray, visit: