Bullet Train: Film Review
I have been looking forward to Bullet Train for ages as its mix of action and comedy felt perfectly pitched for me. I mostly enjoyed it but it didn’t quite reach the heights I had been hoping for.
The film stars Brad Pitt as Ladybug, an assassin tasked with retrieving a briefcase from a bullet train going between Tokyo and Kyoto. Seems like a simple enough job, right? Wrong! It turns out there are a bunch of other assassins on board, each with their own connection to the case. Let the games begin!
If action and witty banter are what you’re in the mood for, you’ve come to the right place. Bullet Train doesn’t take itself seriously and you shouldn’t either. It is very silly and ridiculous and sometimes breaks the rules of gravity and logic so you just have to roll with it and suspend your disbelief when the time comes.
Bullet Train has some freaking cool, creative and often violent fight sequences – to be expected with former stuntman David Leitch in the director’s chair – and the screenplay is packed to the rafters with jokes and one-liners. It doesn’t always work but the film is a lot of fun and I laughed out loud often.
Unfortunately, the film has plenty of issues too. There was no need for it to be 126 minutes; it should have been 15-20 shorter as it outstays its welcome. Plus, there were a few too many asides and flashbacks away from the train which killed the momentum and some jokes were reused to the point where the novelty wore off and they were no longer funny. It’s not as slick and polished as it hopes to be and the handful of serious, dramatic moments don’t gel particularly well with the tongue-in-cheek vibe. The CGI gets a bit questionable towards the end too.
Pitt seems to be having an amazing time here and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him spouting his self-help advice and fighting the bad guys only when absolutely necessary. He just seemed so cool and effortless and it was a joy watching him being so goofy and performing lots of cool stunts.
But the real scene-stealer here is Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tangerine, a Cockney assassin who works with his brother Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry). He had the best dialogue and his straight-talking potty-mouth attitude cracked me up. Henry is also great fun although his British accent was very patchy, which can also be said for Joey King as Prince. The star-studded cast list also includes Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Sandra Bullock, Bad Bunny and Zazie Beetz, while there are a couple more uncredited cameos so keep your eyes peeled.
Bullet Train is a real mixed bag. The different ideas don’t come together seamlessly, but I enjoyed the ride for the most part.
In cinemas from Wednesday 3rd August