Killer Car Chases... "Baby Driver"

Baby Driver (2017)

Rated R

Starring Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm, Eliza Gonzalez, Jamie Foxx,

Written and Directed by Edgar Wright

The Story:

Baby (Elgort) is the getaway driver for a crime boss (Spacey). He's trying to work his way out of debt, one job at a time, hoping to buy his freedom. But when his girl (James) needs medical attention, Baby's got to go back to the one thing he was good at. Maybe with one more job, he'll finally be free, and can be with his true love again. Of course nothing can be that easy, right?

I love a good heist film, possibly more than many others do.

However, Baby Driver and I never really clicked.

Perhaps I listened to all of the other critical hype that made this out to be a cinematic masterpiece.

Meh.

:)

It was alright.

You know how in most movies, during a certain scene they'll give you a killer soundtrack to lay over the action?

Imagine that is done with every scene of the film, for 90 minutes.

Granted, yes, there are breathers in between the musical interludes, but that seemed to be the selling point of this movie:

We will make an action film that every action scene will have a cool song attached to it. We'll also do the same for much of the narrative as well.

Gotcha.

Now, don't get me wrong: the car chase scenes in this film are phenomenal.

However, once everyone is out of the car... that's when the attention begins to wane.

Or more specifically, when the supporting cast isn't featured, and it's just Baby and Debora.

Sorry,  again, just calling it like I saw it.

I also will not be one of the cool kids in the corner that's conflicted over this movie because Kevin Spacey is in it.

Kevin Spacey the actor is, was, and always will be, amazing.

Kevin Spacey the human being, he's got some problems.

I figure if I'm not going to overly praise a critical darling, I may as well go all in with my review.

:)

Final Grade: B-

Criminal "Masterminds" Indeed!

Masterminds (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Jones

Directed by Jared Hess

The Story:

In 1997, David Ghantt (Galifianakis) pulled off one of the largest bank heists in American history when he robbed the Loomis Fargo armored car company of $17 million dollars. This is pretty much his story, and it's mostly all true.

Ghantt meets the lovely Kelly (Wiig) and he is so smitten with her that he would do anything. When Kelly leaves the company, Ghantt is depressed until she contacts him again about the possibility of robbing Loomis of all that money just sitting in the vault.

Ghantt agrees, and becomes the inside man that gets the money and passes it along to Kelly and Steve (Wilson), the brains behind the operation. They take the money, send David to Mexico with a few thousand dollars to lay low, and then plan to cut the guy loose while they keep the rest.

There are a few laugh out loud moments, but for the most part, this is a retelling of a true story that punches up some of the humorous aspects of what really happened, and pads the rest with creative story devices and characters to add meat to the story.

Sudeikis pumps some much needed fun and energy when he arrives as a hitman that is to eliminate Ghantt, but even that doesn't go right.

Nothing that reinvents the comedy genre, but it's harmless enough, and gets a lot of extra mileage from an enjoyable cast of characters.

Final Grade:  C+

I'm Always Up For A "Heist" Film

Heist (2015)

Rated R

Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Gina Carano, Dave Bautista, Robert DeNiro, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Morris Chestnut, Kate Bosworth, D.B. Sweeney, Stephen Sepher

Directed by Scott Mann

The Story:

Vaughn (Morgan) needs a ton of money to save his little girl. So he goes to see his old boss, The Pope (DeNiro) who feels bad, but not bad enough to compromise on his principles to never give money to charity. Vaughn then turns to Cox (Bautista) who works at the casino and they hatch a plan to rob the casino. When the driver bails on them, the criminals end up hijacking a bus and taking the passengers hostage. Now it's a high stakes game of cat and mouse as they must elude the authorities and The Pope's men for a clean getaway.

Okay, so if you're going to make a heist film and call it Heist, it better be good.

From my point of view, it was.

: )

Your mileage may vary of course, but I quite liked this one from start to finish.

It starts with a strong cast, and there isn't much of a problem with that in this film. DeNiro can do the tough mob boss in his sleep, but he puts just enough heart and remorse to his character that you can understand why he makes the decisions that he does as the film moves forward.

Morgan is the emotional anchor and focal point of the film. Faced with the prospect of losing his daughter, he is determined to do whatever it takes, by any means necessary. Bautista doesn't get to do much acting like he did in Guardians of the Galaxy, here he mostly yells and spits a lot.

While this would be typecasting or typical of most WWE wrestlers turned actors, Dave has already shown much potential and heart as an actor and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.

That said, he will grate on your nerves in this film, and that is both intentional, and necessary, to the overall narrative.

As you'll notice by the cast listed above, they all have numerous parts which all play pivotal roles in the film.

But remember, this is a heist film, so any plot twists and turns that you're expecting, or not expecting, are best enjoyed as spoiler-free as possible.

A few tweaks here and there, this movie could have been in contention for best of the year honors.

That said, it's a solid movie and I'd be willing to own it or watch it again in the future.

Final Grade: B

Your Review, Should You Choose To Read It..."Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation"

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin

Written and Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

The Story:

CIA Director Hunley (Baldwin) convinces the Senate to disband the Impossible Mission force because they are reckless and are doing more harm than good. While this is happening, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) realizes that there is a sinister agency known as The Syndicate out to destroy the IM Force. He is now alone, but calls in those he trusts the most (Pegg, Rhames) to help him track the mysterious Isla Faust (Ferguson) and stop the Syndicate once and for all.

Over the past few years, the Mission Impossible movies have been getting better and better.

I prefer this series to the Bourne franchise, and I hate to say it, but even Bond is beginning to take a backseat to the IMF.

Sacrilege, I know.

I think a lot of it may be in the handling of the spies themselves.

Whereas Bourne and Bond are unstoppable machines that can pretty much do anything unassisted (gadgets notwithstanding), Hunt relies on the teammates to help him overcome the odds and win the day.

This allows others to shine in the series and make Cruise look good, but vulnerable as our main character.

Twists and turns abound, and these movies take on an air of con-man/heist film in addition to being a spy thriller.

That works for me.

The teamwork required to pull off the elaborate ruse is always a joy, and the addition to Pegg as comic relief has elevated this series nicely.

I enjoyed Ghost Protocol, but I may have to give a tip of the hate to Rogue Nation for being the best of the series.

Like the Fast and Furious franchise, the Mission Impossible series is simply getting better with each installment.

Looking forward to # 6

Final Grade: B+