Bullet Train – Movie Review
Director: David Leitch (Hobbs and Shaw)
Writer: Zak Olkewicz (Screenplay)
Writer: Kotaro Isaka (Novel)
Cast
- Brad Pitt (Fight Club)
- Joey King (The Conjuring)
- Sandra Bullock (The Lost City)
- Zazie Beetz (Joker)
- Michael Shannon (Man of Steel)
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Tenet)
- Hiroyuki Sanada (Life)
- Brian Tyree Henry (Eternals)
Plot: Five assassins aboard a fast-moving bullet train find out their missions have something in common.
Runtime: 2 Hour 6 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Bullet Train starts when Ladybug (Pitt) is given one more assignment from his handler Maria (Bullock). The assignment is to pick up a briefcase on a bullet train and get off. Not everything goes to plan, as fellow assassins Tangerine (Taylor-Johnson), Lemon (Henry), Prince (King), Wolf (Bunny), Hornet (Beetz) and Kimura (Koji) are on board.
As the journey unfolds, the assassins start clashing, leading to Ladybug getting himself into battles he wasn’t expecting. The journey becomes a battle to survive for everyone involved.
Verdict on Bullet Train
Characters
Ladybug is the reluctant assassin; he is trying to go about his job without needing to kill anyone. He wants a simple job, which this is meant to be. Ladybug finds himself caught up fighting with other assassins, some he has clashed with before, others he hasn’t ever met. He tries his best to calmly talk out situations rather than dive into fights.
Tangerine & Lemon are known as the twins, they bicker like brothers, with Lemon being obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine. They have a massive reputation for getting the job done and have been hired for their own mission on the train.
Prince comes off like an innocent schoolgirl, this has helped her get the advantage over many people in the past. She has her own plan on the train, one that will see her manipulate people to get what she wants.
Wolf and Hornet are individual assassins that have boarded the train, they have their own reasons for being there. They each show their own strength in fights and the ways they look to kill people.
The White Death is the mysterious person they often find themselves talking about. Being a mysterious person leaves us to wonder who this could end up being.
Performances
Brad Pitt is excellent in the leading role, he keeps his character relaxed despite the stress the situation puts him in. this shows us the character that is dealing with a lot outside of his work.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry are brilliant together, as the twins who work perfectly together, despite the bickering that seems natural for brothers.
Joey King gives us her most adult performance to date, showing a character that can get away with anything because of the image.
Hiroyuki Sanada is as badass as we have come to expect from him. He leads an excellent supporting cast that brings every one of the characters to life.
Story
The story follows a group of assassins that find themselves on a collision course on a train that is hurtling through Japan. As they approach each stop, something else happens to keep them in a position where they need to remain on top of everything.
The story is put together like a smoother version of ‘Smokin’ Aces’. It uses the assassin’s skill set for a different fight along the way, which keeps each interaction fresh. The story does well to dive into the backstory of the characters, giving them motivation in the battles. It is a lot of fun and will keep you guessing until the final act.
Themes
Bullet Train is an action thriller that doesn’t want to let its foot off the gas. It will bring together different assassins, with different styles who have clashed before. It shows us how they have come to end up on this train and what the mission they have been assigned is. Each fight will see something different happening, using the contained environment of the train, to show it will include whatever they can get their hands on.
Final Thoughts –Bullet Train is just the ticket for all the action movie fans out there.
