‘Bullet Train’ Review
Stars: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Sandra Bullock, Bad Bunny, Logan Lerman, Zadie Beetz, Masi Oka | Written by Zak Olkewicz | Directed by David Leitch
In a lot of ways, Bullet Train shouldn’t work. It’s over the top on exposition and flashback sequences that I usually hate. It tries to weave its way through a story that is a mix of Tarantino and Guy Ritchie, soaked in the coat of a loud, erratic, goofy, and gory picture that somehow delivers a sugar rush of entertainment and excitement.
The story sounds simple, Brad Pitt is ‘Ladybug’, an assassin trying to make his life better by just taking the simpler jobs, like taking a briefcase from a bullet train and delivering it to his handler. Of course, this isn’t as simple as it would seem. The train is filled with a colourful cast of assassins, a few heroes, and plenty of villains. They’re all shoved on the train for what seems like a bigger purpose, perhaps fate, perhaps good luck, or more likely, bad luck. The train sets off at a breathtaking pace and so does the film. From the moment the train doors shut carnage and chaos ensue, hardly giving you time to rest and take a moment. From gory and exciting action pieces to hilariously brilliant cameos, Bullet Train was a blast.
It did take its time to fully allow me to have fun with this however. The film isn’t shy or subtle at what it wants to be and fully embraces its style from minute one. Freeze frames and name tags on every new character, needle drops to rival any film this year, and stylised flashbacks that felt like I was watching a Robert Rodriguez movie. It’s almost like I had to catch up with the speed of the film, it shoots off in such a style and with such confidence that it almost shouts at the audience to catch up, I can imagine if you aren’t willing to run with it the film will feel like a bit of a mess for a lot of people. Its style and comedy will definitely divide audiences, but if you are willing to run with it, willing to sit back with your popcorn and enjoy the ride it soon becomes a lot of fun.
That fun even comes exploding off screen from the performance of everyone involved. Watching Bullet Train makes it look like everyone had the most fun making this, Brad Pitt is having so much fun that even if you’re not enjoying this film I can imagine his energy is enough to convince you you’re having fun. It’s like if you’re at a birthday party and when you look around everyone seems like they’re having the greatest time. If you’re the one person bored out of your brains you’ll soon enough start to question if everyone else is right and you’re wrong, and before you know it you’ll be having a slightly better time. And if Brad Pitt and the action aren’t enough there are some of the best star-studded cameos that I can remember in recent years.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry are the other two standouts. Playing two cockney brothers named ‘Tangerine’ and ‘Lemon’, they chase Brad Pitt from carriage to carriage, trying to kill him with any item they can get their hands on. They’re mean and nasty, yet loveable and funny. There’s a charm to them that makes you think, maybe if assassins ever did try and kill me, it would be nice if they were this charming and fun. However, I doubt Brad Pitts’s ‘Ladybug’ is feeling that with the number of fight sequences he’s put through. The action hits hard and fast, with an over-the-top style that matches perfectly with the tone of the rest of the film.
There’s been a lot of action comedies released this year that all follow the same boring and predictable formula, they don’t offer up any real fun or anything to distinguish them from each other. Bullet Train, however, does just that. It stands out from others and of all the action films I’ve seen this year, this is the one I most look forward to buying on release and rewatching many times.
**** 4/5
Bullet Train is in cinemas now.
