Baby Driver

Within the span of a decade, Edgar Wright has become one of the most popular directors working today. His spark of creativity has yet to either falter or disappoint (and hopefully never will). It's safe to say he has nowhere to go but up.

So how has he fare with his American debut Baby Driver? Being more action-based than his Cornetto Trilogy or his TV series Spaced, it has car chases that would make Steve McQueen proud, a soundtrack of variety, and a rather solid lineup of actors involved. (Again, it's a testament of how Wright works that gives the film industry a much-needed spark of originality.)

As he showed with his more British-oriented productions, Wright has the editing play just as crucial of a role as the script. Thanks to the work from editors Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos and sound editors Mary J. Ellis and James Peterson, what Wright had envisioned becomes reality. That said, it's not without its bumps in the road. (That wasn't intentional, honest.)

Wright doesn't exactly have the best track record with female characters, and Baby Driver only furthers that claim. (The only reason Spaced worked was because Jessica Hynes was both co-creator and co-writer of it.) Granted, Wright still has time to rectify this but when will it actually happen?

Baby Driver continues to prove Wright's worth as a writer-director. Yes, it has some flaws that were also found in his works with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost but in the long run, who cares? It's rad as hell.

My Rating: ****1/2

The World's End

It's that time of year again. The summer movie season is coming to an end, and this is when studios just basically dump certain releases. Often times, there are a few hidden gems amid the low-brow comedies and over-blown action movies.

What's one such movie from this year's roster? Edgar Wright's The World's End certainly qualifies. The third entry in his unofficial trilogy with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (the other two movies, for those not in the know, are Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), it's a fitting finale for a funny franchise. (Try saying that three times fast.)

I liked the small call backs to Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz throughout The World's End. (They're easy to catch if you've seen the other two.) In fact, the elements from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz seem to have merged to make The World's End. (That's not a bad thing in the slightest.)

But there are a few distinct differences in The World's End that slightly separate it from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. For starters, there are the roles Pegg and Frost are in. Usually it's Pegg as the straight man with Frost providing most of the movie's humor. Here, it's the four other leads (Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan) as the straight men while Pegg is practically bouncing off the walls. I like it.

Anyway, I really enjoyed The World's End though Shaun of the Dead is my favorite of the three. The ending may not work for some people I liked it. If you want to be a real sport, go and see this. You'll have a lot of fun with this one.

My Rating: ****1/2

Hot Fuzz

I'm fairly certain that Edgar Wright is slowly becoming a favorite. After all, just this summer I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Shaun of the Dead, and pretty much loved them both.

Was the third time also the charm when I saw Hot Fuzz? You bet it was. Featuring Shaun of the Dead duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, it's perhaps even better than their previous work with Wright.

Pegg and Frost are basically the British modern day equivalents of Lemmon and Matthau. (You know it's true.) Every scene of theirs just radiates comedy gold. Pegg tries to keep the peace while Frost has all hell break loose. They ain't kidding when they say opposites attract.

It's the small details that make Hot Fuzz all the worthwhile. There are those small references to Shaun of the Dead. There's the fact there's a superbly sly Timothy Dalton among the cast. (He ain't James Bond here.) But I think my favorite aspect is that the guy who did the music for this also does the music for Sherlock.

It takes a while to warm up but when it does, Hot Fuzz is damn funny. (The final half hour is all sorts of ridiculous perfection.) Oh, I need to venture into the comedic minds of Wright, Pegg and Frost more often. They're good at what they do.

My Rating: ****1/2

Shaun of the Dead

Who doesn't like a good comedy? It can either be in the story, the script or the actors that can make it hilarious.

In the case of Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead, it's all three. It's also a spoof of the films that made George A. Romero a household name, so that's a nice touch. You need a good spoof every now and again.

Wright I was already familiar with from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and star Simon Pegg from Star Trek. I figured I should see an earlier work of theirs sooner or later, so I opted for Shaun of the Dead.

I think one of the best things about Shaun of the Dead was that the zombie infestation isn't treated as a big deal for the first half hour. News reports get ignored, odd behavior in people is viewed as drinking too much, things like that. It's a sneaky move by Wright.

It loses its way towards the end, but Shaun of the Dead is still funny as hell. There are a few moments that might make weak stomachs ill, but I suppose that's a good thing for a zombie movie. Oh, and Pegg is damn hilarious. (Why didn't I discover him sooner?)

My Rating: ****1/2

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

There are always those misunderstood movies that come around about every year or so. Sometimes the critics don't like them. Other times they just don't capture the right audience. The result either way is that these movies deserve a second chance.

Take Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World as an example. I was already familiar with Wright from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (although I shamefully admit I've yet to actually see them). I figured an appropriate introduction to his work would be his most recent movie.

Did I get what I wanted out of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World? You bet I did, and more. It's pretty much the most awesome movie I saw this year. (Well, next to The Avengers.) Also, I can't be the only one who thought it was amusing that Ramona used to date Captain America AND Superman.

It's the many aspects that went into the movie that I like, such as the actors (Kieran Culkin was my favorite) and the fight scenes (Wright likened them to song and dance numbers in musicals but with more punching and ass-kicking). However, my favorite thing about Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was its many quotable lines. (I pretty much lost it at "Chicken isn't vegan?")

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is pretty awesome. Sure, there were a few flaws here and there, but it's still really fun to watch. Oh, and if you're buying this on DVD, Blu-ray is a must.

My Rating: ****