Bullet Train Movie Review by Josh Davis : Pop Culture Leftovers

Bullet Train Movie Review by Josh Davis

August 13, 2022 7:41 am |

Modern trailers often give movies away, but if you’ve seen the trailer for “Bullet Train” you get the gist. Brad Pitt’s character is hired for some sort of heist on a train. Things go awry. Wackiness ensues. There’s not much more to it.

Pitt plays Ladybug, a man of indeterminate criminal background who reluctantly takes a job after some time off. He finds himself on a bullet train in Japan with several assassins, brought together for unknown reasons.

The film’s MacGuffin is a briefcase full of money, which Ladybug must recover. The catch? About half a dozen other rogues are also vying for the same prize.

What follows is basically a fun but predictable video game. There are well choreographed fights, quippy villains, and an interesting array of weapons and fatalities.

What sometimes keeps the movie from moving like a — er — bullet train — are the series of flashbacks that come with the introduction of each new character as a way to tell their backstories without too much exposition.

There are Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, two of Hollywood’s best young actors with three names, playing assassin brothers Tangerine and Lemon. They’re hired to deliver both the briefcase and the son of a powerful mob boss, played by Logan Lerman.

Henry and Taylor-Johnson’s chemistry is a highlight of the movie and they’re clearly having a blast, even if Henry’s British accent could use a little work.

Joey King plays Prince, an assassin with unknown motives who uses her schoolgirl appearance as a disguise, which works more often that it should. For such a clever script, “Bullet Train” does not feature many clever characters.

Bad Bunny plays yet another assassin, named The Wolf, who has a personal stake in the game. He doesn’t get much screen time, but is serviceable enough in the role.

The big bad is The White Death (an almost unrecognizable Michael Shannon), a mysterious Russian man who rose through the ranks of the Japanese mob.

There are also about a dozen cameos — some blink and you’ll miss them — which this review won’t spoil. But the movie is self aware enough to know how the audience will react when a very, very famous person comes onscreen, and it repeatedly has fun with that notion.

As the bullet train races through the landscape, Pitt’s hapless character becomes tangled up in the stories of the other assassins, much to his chagrin. What he had hoped would be a simple snatch and grab gets literally and figuratively messy, as the body count piles higher and higher.

Pitt always had a knack for comedy and his delivery in the film is top notch, something a lesser actor might not have been able to pull off.

Along with the stars themselves, the casting director deserves a lot of credit. At the very least, everyone in the film seems to be having fun with their part.

The direction by David Leitch (“John Wick,” “Deadpool 2”) is solid, but not groundbreaking. His trademark brand of action and stunt choreography is stellar as usual, and there are so many nods and references that the movie barely has a fourth wall.

Screenwriter Zak Olkewicz generally keeps things moving, even if the script treads on a few too many cliches.

If you buy a ticket for “Bullet Train,” you probably already know what you’re getting. There are bright colors, rapid-fire jokes and frenetic action, and things generally move pretty fast.

Whether you enjoy the ride will ultimately depend on your own expectations. But those looking for a fun way to spend two hours could do a lot worse.

PCL Rating: Taste It

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH