Bullet Train (2022) Movie Review

The film “Bullet Train” is an action-packed movie that could easily have been an animated feature. It often looks and feels like one, taking place on a bullet train that is careening across Japan. The majority of the movie was shot on green-screened sets, and the cityscapes and countryside that the train rides through are mainly miniatures and CGI. The characters are a touch abstract, knowingly comic-bookish, and all are either paid killers or otherwise violent individuals connected with the world of crime.

The majority of the characters have grudges against one of the other characters or are the object of a grudge and trying to escape the consequences of past actions. Most of them are chatterboxes who will monologue at anyone who doesn't point a gun at their head and order them to shut up. The tone mixes winking black comedy and poker-faced pulp, and the characters tend to have tragic-sentimental backstories or be purely malevolent. The film's tone mixes winking black comedy and poker-faced pulp.

Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, a former assassin ordered to board the train, steal a briefcase, and get off. He's replacing another assassin who became unavailable at the last minute, and he refuses his handler's advice to carry a gun because he just got out of anger management and has renounced killing. Ladybug's fellow killers are a bomber crew of homicidal oddballs. Joey King is "The Prince," who poses as an innocent schoolgirl appalled by the cruelty of men, but immediately reveals herself as a clever and ruthless engine of destruction. Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are brothers who have gone from mission to mission racking up a body count seemingly in the triple digits, and now find themselves on the train protecting the briefcase and escorting the depressed twentysomething wastrel son (Logan Lerman) of a terrifying crime boss known as the White Death.

The White Death is a Russian who took over a Yakuza family. His face isn't shown until the end of the story, making it more fun for the audience to resist Googling who plays him because his casting is one of the best surprises in the whole movie. Hiroyuki Sanada is "The Elder," a greying but still lethal assassin connected to the White Death, and Andrew Koji is "The Father"—The Elder's son. They're out for vengeance because somebody pushed The Elder's grandson off a department store roof, putting him in a coma. They believe the person responsible is on the train, mingling with all the other agents of death.

The plot initially seems goal-driven, revolving around the comatose grandson and the metal briefcase. But as the script adds new fighters to the mix and establishes that they're all tangentially connected, "Bullet Train" morphs into a half-assed but sincere statement on fate, luck, and karma. Ladybug's constant comments on those subjects, voiced in discussions through a handler (Sandra Bullock's Maria Beetle, heard via earpiece), start to feel like an instruction manual for grokking what the movie is "actually" up to. Ladybug is kind of a post-credits Jules from "Pulp Fiction" after having repudiated violence; but he's still stuck in the life, and it has become more challenging because he has resolved never to pick up a gun again.

The characters are given the sorts of typeface-onscreen-followed-by-flashback-montage introductions that genre fans will recognize from directors like Quentin Tarantino ("Kill Bill" seems to be a primary influence) and Guy Ritchie (who pioneered a particular brand of "lad action" in which verbal insults become little fists and knives deployed against enemies). The fighters go after are genuinely affecting. But the other character arcs don't really land with the same impact. The movie tries to evoke emotional investment in its characters but never gives them enough depth or development to truly earn it.

That being said, "Bullet Train" is undeniably a fun ride. It's a stylish and over-the-top action flick that revels in its own absurdity. The film is a love letter to the action movies of the past, and it shows in the way that the fight scenes are choreographed and shot. The action is fast-paced and exciting, and the use of practical effects and miniatures adds a level of charm to the film.

The performances are also a highlight of the movie. Brad Pitt is clearly having a blast as Ladybug, and his chemistry with the rest of the cast is a joy to watch. Joey King is a standout as The Prince, bringing a level of intensity and charisma to the role that is captivating. Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson also shine as the bickering brothers, bringing a level of heart to the movie that elevates it above a simple action flick.

In conclusion, "Bullet Train" may not be a groundbreaking movie, but it's a fun and entertaining ride that is sure to please fans of the action genre. The film has its flaws, but the stylish action, fun characters, and standout performances make it a worthwhile watch. David Leitch has once again delivered a thrilling and visually impressive movie that is sure to leave audiences satisfied.