On Aug. 5, 2022, director David Leitch’s star-studded casted movie “Bullet Train” hit theaters at full force. It took me a while to get the motivation to watch this movie because the trailers made it look stupid and not worth the time. It felt like it was going to be another dumb fast-paced action movie with silly one-liners and obscure characters well-trained in the art of the katana. I expected the plot to be just Brad Pitt’s face. It was exactly that.
However, to my surprise, the movie was done incredibly well. All the features of an action movie were swept away by the speed of the train and what remained was an entertaining plot and stunning effects resulting in a surprisingly good movie.
Adapted from the Japanese book of the same name, “Bullet Train” follows a group of assassins on their way to Kyoto all with their own motives to either 1. Obtain a case that has a lot of money in it that they think is theirs 2. Kill the person that has the case, or 3. Kill someone on the train. Pitt’s character, Ladybug, happens to be down on his luck and finds himself in a situation he didn’t expect himself to be in multiple times over. Guided by the voice of Sandra Bullock, he makes you ask “why isn’t he dead yet?” But Pitt puts his southern charm to good use in this movie and makes a would-be annoying character charming and silly.
Alongside Pitt in the main cast of assassins with adjectives is Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry as Tangerine and Lemon. Having just finished watching the show “Atlanta,” Henry was a very pleasant surprise. The duo’s chemistry seeps through the floorboards. They play off of each other well and capture the annoyance of siblings in a way that hits just a little too close to home. Joey King portrays The Prince, a spoiled rich psychopath with some family issues. Normally, I find King’s performances in movies subpar, but she was tolerable in this movie. Andrew Koji and Hiroyuki Sanada play son and father and bring each of the assassins into the reality of their situation by being the piece that brings them all together. There are a few actors that have cameo appearances or help push the plot forward such as Channing Tatum and Bad Bunny, but their presence is short-lived.
The special effects of the movie are incredible and hypnotizing. Every fight scene is choreographed to be a strange dance of caution. The cinematography makes you feel like you’re on the train with them, with lights flashing and scenes spliced in here and there giving the film its wonderfully chaotic nature. What is nice about this movie too is that it gives audiences a pleasing ending that wraps everything up while maintaining the nature of the film.
The twist and turns of “Bullet Train” makes this a perfect movie to watch whenever you need a good laugh with a lot of action. You can catch “Bullet Train” on Netflix.
