After getting fired from the Anti-Villain League, Gru (Steve Carell) gets an unexpected visitor, his twin brother Dru (also Steve Carell). The siblings return to a life of crime to bring down ’80s TV star Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker) in Despicable Me 3.
A young getaway driver named Baby (Ansel Elgort) lives his life with headphones on, listening to a private, constant soundtrack. He wants out of the life, to drive away with his girl, but the boss (Kevin Spacey) isn’t ready to give up his Baby Driver.
We say, “It’s Baby Driver by a knockout.”
HOWE: Well, I think we all know who drew the short straw this week in the choice of films. Despicable Me 3 is a bad movie. I thought the first installment was bad enough, the second was terrible, and there are no words to describe this last one.
FENIN: Oh come on dad, it wasn’t that bad.
HOWE: Really, Fenin? How many times did you hear me laugh?
FENIN: Errr…
HOWE: Exactly. I don’t think I chuckled, let alone laughed, at this once. The storyline was weak, the laughs that were meant to be there are not, and don’t get me started on the Minions — they are about as funny as getting stung by stinging nettle. Tell me then Fenin, what was so good about it?
FENIN: Well it wasn’t great. I have seen better movies. It did make me laugh once or twice, but my drink and candy were better.
TAYLOR: Wow, sucks to be you guys. I went to Baby Driver, and it is awesome. It’s funny, cute, clever, violent, fast, and exciting. It pays homage to other movies, particularly violent films from the ’90s, in terms of style and substance, but it does so well, entertainingly, and just lightly enough. Perhaps some will find it a bit brash and silly, but it is markedly less so than the previous films of Edgar Wright (The World’s End, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead). I was hoping it would be music non-stop, where the soundtrack would tell the story. It isn’t and it doesn’t, but there’s still the thread of music throughout to provide a unique cinematic experience worthy of forking over your hard earned cash to catch this one in the theatre. In fact, as long as they can tolerate some gangster violence, everyone should see Baby Driver.
Fenin gives Despicable Me 3 2.5 coconuts out of 5.
Howe gives it 1, being really kind to it, out of 5.
Taylor gives Baby Driver 5 Subaru’s out of 5.
— Brian Taylor and Peter Howe are film reviewers based in Vernon. Their column, Reel Reviews, appears every Friday.