BABY DRIVER

(2017) Baby (Golden Globe-nominated Ansel Elgort) is a young, good-looking man with one particular talent: due to having tinnitus in both ears, after surviving a car accident as a child that killed both his parents, Baby is constantly plugged into his iPod so the music will drown it out ... and through that music, has become one hell of a getaway driver. He works for crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey), to pay off a debt he owes him, by driving various members of Doc's crew to help commit their crimes and escape without capture - and damn, Baby is good, Atlanta authorities in an uproar with the gang's escapades. Baby's life only seems to finally be on track again when he meets a pretty waitress named Debora (Lily James) at around the same time finally paying off his debt to Doc ... until Doc comes back seeking Baby's help for yet another run, and vaguely threatens Debora's safety if Baby refuses. Worse, this time around Doc has put together a crew that includes the short-fused, hot-tempered Bats - a hyped-up, paranoid thug who lives up to his name, and whose dangerous mental state threatens to expose them all and kill off any chance of Baby's happiness for good. While the film has its moments (particularly the driving/chase sequences), I admit to not get all the hype behind Baby Driver. Most of it, to me, comes off as a cookie cutter compilation of everything we've already seen in similar films; the nice guy pulled into one "last" heist, the working class romance, rebellious teens breaking free to run away together, the highly-stylized robbery sequences and chase scenes - it's all not only been done before, but been done repeatedly before, to the point you already know, here, where things were going halfway through the film. Foxx is good but sometimes hams it up for the camera and spoils the effect - and while I've always liked Elgort, and this should (especially with the Golden Globe nomination) be his breakout role, I didn't find him a hundred percent believable as Baby, either. Not throughout the entire film. Aside from the whole tinnitus/obsession with music aspects of Baby's character, Baby Driver just feels like a retread of highway we've traveled - often - before. (rated R)  5/10 stars