The action extravaganza Bullet Train chugs along at full-speed, and you won't ever want to slow down

Though it’s based off a book of the same title, this is a blockbuster willing to take original dramatic risks that won’t cater to a broad audience.

Aug 09, 2022

Bullet Train: How Super Tight Spaces Contributed To The Badass Fight Scenes Of The New Action Movie | Cinemablend

Synopsis: Ladybug is an unlucky assassin who's determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs has gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans as his latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe -- all with connected yet conflicting objectives -- on the world's fastest train.

Where to watch: Exclusively playing in theaters

Here’s the recipe for Bullet Train.

First, you start with 2 cups of Guy Ritchie’s visual style (definitely don’t skimp on the nonlinear narrative and odd character names that will pop up on screen during their introductions). Add a cup of violence from John Wick, mixed with a cup of over-the-top bloodshed from Kill Bill. Speaking of, pour a teaspoon of Quentin Tarantino’s snippy banter to make everyone more lively, and make sure to stir some pop culture references in the mix to make it even tastier. Throw in a stick of a Murder on the Orient Express train setting, plus place it in a Japan background so there’s some neon lighting. Put the ingredients in the oven, then frost it with charismatic actors that the audience will love to see onscreen. When it’s done, you should have an extremely sugary cake that blends everything in a way that actually seems refreshing.

Luckily, these elements are tasty enough to produce one final product that, like the cake analogy above, will give you the exact sugar rush you desire in the dog days of summer. Bullet Train proudly wears its inspiration from all of the best genres and directors on its sleeve to make sure it’s winking at the viewers just enough so you can’t help but chuckle. Filled to the brim with energy, David Leitch, who has proved his talent with high-profile actioners like Deadpool 2 and co-directing the first John Wick directs a firecracker of a ride with an endless barrage of style to keep the film so damn entertaining. In full transparency, I’m a sucker for this type of plot, an ensemble cast of mysterious figures shooting their way through double-crosses and usually in a non-linear format. This one was right up my alley, and was delighted from the opening moments that this was better executed than any other entry in this genre since the criminally underrated Bad Times at the El Royale.

Luckily, the sleek direction is paired with a script that’s always a few steps ahead of the audience, most impressive because this is only writer Zak Olkewicz’s second work after Fear Street: Part Two—1978. The narrative is filled with complex plotting that restrains itself from descending into convolution, settling for an intriguing web of question marks that you want to unravel as each scene concludes. Subtle hints of foreshadowing earn the revelations that come later, and brief flashbacks plant details about the characters that efficiently reveal their investing motivations. Within the smaller moments, the rat-a-tat dialogue is playfully amusing at its worst and packed with hilarious one-liners at its best. Plenty of the humor does land (mostly from the one-two punch of Lemon and Tangerine, who we’ll get to later), but even the bits that don’t are respectable efforts to brighten up the typical quips. The writing even tries to delve into themes about fate as well as the inevitable luck surrounding some of the characters, and though it may be an excuse to make the action as over-the-top as possible, it works to add an extra layer of chaos, comedy and payoff to the leading arcs.

Bullet Train at CinemaCon: Bad Bunny Tries to Kill Brad Pitt

Speaking of those arcs, the perfect ensemble was assembled for a fun array of (mostly) assassins to fight through. Brad Pitt as Ladybug twists his usual badass formula into a hitman who desires a new life path into pacifism, allowing him to flaunt his comedic chops while being just as charming as he consistently is. The clear highlights are Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), the sniping (verbally and literally) twins who get all the best lines and have chemistry that seamlessly bounces off each other. Lemon’s obsession with Thomas the Train is as goofy as it sounds but one that’s mined for plenty of chuckle-worthy material, and Taylor-Johnson shines in his best role yet as a magnetic presence with the mouth of a joking sailor. Andrew Koji carries the emotion weight as a father out for revenge for his child, and Joey King chews up the scenery as his perfect foil. To cap it off, three cameos act as unexpected punchlines that will work better for those who haven’t seen the spoilery second trailer.

A mantra repeated by Ladybug throughout his frequent attempts to save his life is “Hurt people hurt people”. They most certainly on this choo-choo gone wrong, where barely five minutes passes by without someone being mangled, strangled, or entangled in some sort of weaponry. As in Leitch’s previous efforts, his former experience as a stuntman comes in handy as a creative who knows how to stage white-knuckled fight sequences. The contained settings of a speeding train uses confined locations for numerous duels to occur at a heart-pounding rate, and the cast was clearly involved in some wild stunts that stand out as creative clashes. Another advantage is that the film doesn’t skimp on the blood, avoiding a watered-down PG-13 in favor of a gorier skirmishes that make a much larger impact. Granted, the final minutes are the portion that pales in comparison to the other acts by resembling that caution, as it ditches the practical stuntwork for a CGI extravaganza that feels more generic in comparison to the other set pieces. Luckily, it’s late enough that it doesn’t drag down what proceeded it, and stands as one fumble amidst their inflated ambition.

Bullet Train' actors Hiroyuki Sanada and Andrew Koji say Japanese characters are 'heart' of film

As much as Bullet Train resembles so many pre-established works, it expertly meshes the influences into something not only cohesive, but definitively individualistic. Not to contradict the opening paragraph, but other critics have already written this film off as a hollow Tarantino ripoff when the execution transcends that. It’s not inherently negative to take influence from other works (especially when those films and directors are so admirable in their own right) when you’re using them to make something creative in and of itself. Leitch has too much flair for action to phone this in, similarly to the soulless conventions of The Gray Man, and managed to transcend studio trappings with more than just an R-rating and the gorgeous fluorescent lighting of Japan. Though it’s based off a book of the same title, this is a blockbuster willing to take original dramatic risks that won’t cater to a broad audience. With the releases of Top Gun: Maverick, Prey, and now this, signs have pointed to the welcome return of old-school action. If they’re all like Bullet Train, then sign me up for another ride.

Grade: A-

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