Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Baby Driver Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 6, 2017

Baby Driver wouldn't appear to offer much of interest if one were to just glance at a quick plot outline: a young skilled driver, under the thumb of a dangerous criminal, is forced into duty as a getaway driver. He falls in love, wants out of the game, but he's forced back in, putting himself and everything and everyone he's ever cared for in danger. Indeed, Writer/Director Edgar Wright's (Hot Fuzz) film has all the makings of a drive-by sort of movie, a film that might throw a few good car chases and violent shootouts on the screen but ultimately crack under the weight of its own unoriginality. But Wright does something amazing: he gives the movie, and its lead character, a unique pulse and take on life. The lead is a character whose life is defined by music, who lives by soundtracks of his own mixing and even his own making. The story is told through both the visual and aural mediums, each complimenting and reinforcing the other, all the while shaping the character from the inside out, as if the music enters his ears, gets into his blood stream, and rewrites his DNA with each new beat. Music as a critical storytelling mechanic isn't unique to Baby Driver. Cameron Crowe is an expert, the Guardians of the Galaxy films have made the soundtrack the lifeblood of the movies. Baby Driver finds just the right beat, never feels self-aware, never crams the music in only because Wright seemed to like a song or had to stretch to make a scene work. Rarely does sight and sound compliment one another so well, so organically, with the character driven by his ears but ultimately guided by his heart.

Baby, yes, Baby, as in B-a-b-y (Ansel Elgort), is the best driver in Atlanta, and one would be hard-pressed to find one better than him anywhere. He's barely old enough to be considered an adult, he lives his life between his earbuds and functions fully only when fueled by his music. He drives with the grace of Mozart and the edge of Hendrix. But circumstances have led him to work with Doc (Kevin Spacey), a criminal and de facto father figure who has Baby under his thumb, forcing him to drive getaway for the various heists he plans and the criminals he employs. Baby is working to pay off a debt owed to Doc, and he's just about done. He's eager to start a new life for himself with the small sums Doc gives him out of his cut. He cares for an elderly deaf man named Joseph (CJ Jones) and falls for a young waitress named Debora (Lily James) who shares his passion for music and yearns to escape her mundane life. But just as Baby believes he's paid his debt to Doc and is free to go about his life, Doc forces him back into the game to pull off a heist at a post office. The strongmen on his crew -- Bats (Jamie Foxx), Buddy (Jon Hamm), and Darling (Eiza González) -- react strongly to Baby, even as he proves his intelligence and ability to not only drive but recite and execute every detail of the plan, flawlessly. But their mistrust remains, and as the group grows increasingly violent, Baby hatches a plan to run away with Debora before he can be dragged any deeper into lawlessness and life-threatening danger.

Baby Driver is contagious and fun, even considering the darkness that surrounds its characters and story. Violence, crime, heavily flawed characters, past tragedies, dangerous present circumstances, and bleak futures are all keystone plot points in the film, but Wright finds a tonal balance in his hero, a music lover whose life soundtrack not only defines a scene but sets a mood and counterbalances the darkness with toe-tapping fun. But the film does ensure its characters face their demons and foes and are placed in unenviable situations as their lives and realities and barriers and boundaries and hopes and dreams come crashing down, literally and figuratively both for Baby. All of them are much more than the sum of their exteriors, some more fully fleshed out than others, but the film, for all of its bleak plot points, takes care to give them all a voice, whether it's through music, their actions, or their relationships with one another. Few films enjoy such a fine-tuned balance of deeply personal characters, chaotic action, grim realities, and the hope that takes shape in love and understanding.

Ansel Elgort nails the title character, grasping with certainty and depth the role the music plays in his life, both as it propels him forward and as it's shaped the path behind him. The backstory is simple but layered by complexity that has come since, both in his personal and "professional" life as a getaway driver. He looks and feels natural behind the wheel; the audience never questions his talents, why he drives or how, his motivations, his unique ability to focus and see the road and command the vehicle with a grace of a seasoned professional. He's supported by a strong cast that melts into the background behind him, who certainly play key roles but never overwhelm the star, only enhance and move his story forward. The film is also the beneficiary of quality action, including expertly choreographed shootouts and some of the best car stunt work the screen has seen in some time. The film builds Baby as a natural behind the wheel, and Wright and company ensure that the moves fit his skill set without turning either him into superman or his cars into video game props. It's all grounded in a tangible reality that heightens character awareness and further hones Baby from beginning to end.

Baby Driver Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Baby Driver pulls onto Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer that doesn't often excite. Detailing is fine, but never exemplary. The transfer picks up peach fuzz on Baby's face, adequately reveals the texturing of scars on his cheek and forehead, and captures basic pores and clothing textures with suitable ease but not substantial depth or nuance. The image occasionally pushes a bit smudgy, and environmental or object details, like cars, building façades, or Baby's cassette tape or iPod collection, don't often find the sort of high yield crisp detailing one might expect the format and a new release to deliver. Colors are punchy but there's not often significant nuance or depth. A vibrant red car leads off the movie and other vehicles, blood, a glittery pink iPod case, and other color examples yield enough dazzle to please at a core level, but the palette often looks a little washed out. Black levels push somewhat murky, embrace a mildly purple shade at times, border on soupy crush at others, and are prone to noise; a dinner date scene around the 44-minute mark is a good example. Flesh tones don't show significant depth or saturation. Noise and mild blockiness may be seen throughout. This was a tough one to numerically score. It looks fine in places, looks rather poor in others. 3.0 might be a touch on the low end and 3.5 a touch on the high end; 3.25 is probably more representative of what to expect.

Baby Driver Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As is the Sony norm, Baby Driver's Blu-ray receives a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack while the companion day-and-date UHD release secures a Dolby Atmos presentation. The 5.1 track delivers a quality listen. Music engages the stage to begin the film, with lyrics and instrumental details poking out of every speaker, individualized elements playing within the greater harmonious presentation. Music doesn't alway offer so much pinpoint elemental positioning, usually playing with a fairly standard surround engagement, quality width, back end and subwoofer support, and clarity that suits the film's music-heavy presentation very well. Gunshots ring out with satisfying depth, whether muffled shotgun blasts heard at distance at the beginning of the film or more pronounced and up-close shots during a robbery of an armored car later in the film. The final act does up the ante considerably, with much heavier bass, spacing, and intensity than anything else heard in the film. Light atmospheric effects fill in some gaps. Dialogue is clear and detailed and always well prioritized. This is a very good track, but it does lack the fullness and greater precision found on the UHD's Atmos track.

Baby Driver Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Baby Driver contains two audio commentary tracks, deleted scenes, featurettes, and more. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Edgar Wright opens with some humorous anecdotes on the difference between American and British English and moves on to discuss project origins, music and its role in the film, research and outside help, inspirations, verbal communication, story structure, locations, film construction, and more.
• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Edgar Wright and Cinematographer Bill Pope begin with an interesting discussion of watching a movie wafter working on it for a prolonged period of time and follow to speak on shooting specifics, locations, production design, actors, photographic details, and plenty more. The track is a little more technical than the previous, but it does cover similar ground. Wright mentions "the other commentary track" a number of times, so discussions do circle back to things listeners have already heard. Still, both are well-rounded and informative.
• Extended & Deleted Scenes (1080p, 20:28 total runtime): First Heist, Kitchen Dance, Questions, Laundromat, Pizza!, Bacchanalia, Gas Station, Cops & Robbers, Foot Chase, Killer Track, and Behind Bars.
• Behind the Scenes (1080p): A six-part feature.
  
  
  • That's My Baby: Edgar Wright (9:18): A look at project origins and development, Wright's qualities as a filmmaker, animatics, combining music and visuals, and more.
  • Mozart In a Go-Kart: Ansel Drives (5:52): The young actor learns to perform many of his own driving stunts in the movie.
  • I Need a Killer Track: The Music (6:14): Exploring the role of music in the film and how it shapes the main character.
  • Meet Your New Crew: Doc's Gang (10:55): A closer look at several of the film's supporting cast and the characters they play.
  • Find Something Funky on There: The Choreography (6:08): More exploration of how music shapes the movie and how action is specifically executed to match the music.
  • Devil Behind the Wheel: The Car Chases (6:46): A detailed look at making several of the key car chase scenes.
• Selected Scene Animatics (1080p, 35:42 total runtime): Animated pre-visualizations for several scenes. Included are First Heist Original, First Heist Pre-Shoot, Killer Track Original, Killer Track Pre-Shoot, Masked Raiders, Farmer's Market Live Action, Farmer's Market Animated, and Foot Chase.
• Rehearsals & Pre-Production (1080p, 17:03): A collection of auditions, rehearsal footage clips, and screen tests. Included are Ansel Elgort Audition, Annotated Coffee Run Rehearsal, and Hair, Make Up & Costumes Test.
• Music Video (1080p, 4:15): "Blue Song" by Mint Royale.
• Complete Storyboard Gallery (1080p): A monumental collection of storyboard images divided into four parts.
• Promos and More (1080p, 21:10 total runtime): Trailers and TV spots. Includes Theatrical Trailer, International Trailer, Tekillya Trailer, Chase Me -- Danger Mouse Featuring Run the Jewels & Big Boi, Mike Relm 'Baby Driver' Remix, Mozart in a Go-Kart, Chase Me, Beyond, Skill, Head West, Finest Thugs, Beat, OK Go, Innocent Male, Three Things, Finally, Stories, and Stories Extended.
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.

Baby Driver Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Baby Driver strikes just the right chord. The film overcomes core story cliché not only by way of its finely tuned and lifeblood soundtrack but also its choreography, character depth, and performances. This is one of the top films of 2017. Its Blu-ray delivers a well above average allotment of bonus content, but video is troublesome and Blu-ray fans are shortchanged the much superior Atmos track found on the UHD. That UHD is a much better presentation of the film, visually and aurally. This one is adequate, but anyone who can should spring for the superior edition. Obviously, the film itself comes very highly recommended.