Movie: Bang Bang Baby
My Rating: 3 stars
Now here’s something I’ve never seen before—a sci-fi, musical, set in 1960s. The residents of Lonely Arms, Canada don’t have many options when it comes to career, leisure, or life path. So if someone wants to get out, they really have to fight for it. And, that’s exactly what our bright, plucky heroine, Stepphy, plans to do. She’s a girl with dreams of stardom. She’s got the look, and she’s got the voice, but she still has a few hurdles in her way. There’s her controlling, alcoholic father who’s doesn’t want to lose his chief enabler. There’s her lack of financial means to travel to the big city. And then, there’s the creepy older man, Fabian, who is always lurking around the corner, determined to make Stepphy his. But, things are looking up when dreamy, teen idol, Bobby Shore, blows into town and sweeps Stepphy off her feet. Could Bobby be her ticket out of this dump?
Sounds like a pretty cute story, right? It sounds a bit like your standard, period, romantic comedy. But, just when we have this cute, little story set up, that’s when things start to get weird. There’s a sci-fi element, remember? And, that’s when this idyllic, teen romance story starts to go off the rails. There are strange things afoot in Lonely Arms. And, all the evidence points to the town’s mysterious chemical plant. That kind of thing is never good news for residents. But, Stepphy is still willing to fight for her freedom. And, she’s going to sing about it! This girl is going to make it big in show business, and if she has to get there on the coattails of a vain pop star, so be it.
I really thought this was a very fun movie. I liked the almost cartoonish depiction of small town life in the 60s. And, I really liked all the chipper musical numbers sprinkled throughout the film. And, the filmmakers even found a way to bring all the songs into the story naturally. Characters aren’t inexplicably bursting into song in their everyday life. The story just centers around the music industry so there are more than enough opportunities for group song. And, the songs are pretty catchy too. I was impressed by all the fun, original music. So, I do recommend that you seek out this film. It’s cute, and bizarre, and even a little unsettling in places. We get to feel so many different emotions. It’s definitely worth tracking this one down. You can see the trailer here.