Summer 2022 started out extraordinarily strong with the release of Top Gun: Maverick, but has since been rather lukewarm or “mid”, as the internet people say. The Marvel movies Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, while solid efforts, lacked that extra level of heightened excitement like their predecessors did. Bob’s Burgers was a charming entertainment comedy, but movies like Jurassic World: Dominion have been an okay experience, with Disney’s Lightyear becoming the most disappointing animated film of the year. Up next is Bullet Train.
Coming at the tail end of the summer is Bullet Train with Atomic Blonde and Hobbs & Shaw director David Leitsch at the helm, and front lining the flick is a down-to-Earth Brad Pitt. Based on the novel of the same name, penned by Kōtarō Isaka this R-rated action thriller, which developed into more of an action comedy during production, is a damn good ride throughout, breathing some life into the conclusion of Summer 2022 in movies.
Brad Pitt is Ladybug, his brand new codename, given to him as his first time back on the job. Maria Beetle (Sandra Bullock Ladybug is an assassin, who is brought back on the job, with a new view on life. The job is simple: Board the Japanese Bullet train heading to Kyoto and retrieve an important briefcase. It’s a simple grab job, where he even refrains from bringing aboard a loaded gun that was given to him for this mission. Unbeknownst to him, several other assassins board the train, with that case being central to their own mission objectives. Some need it protected. Others need it to bargain. For Ladybug, it’s going to be a wild ride filled with bullets, blood, and sparking water.
Production
During production, Bullet Train evolved from a dark R-rated thriller akin to Die Hard into an action comedy, and while I feel that we will get our Diehard on a train, Bullet Train succeeds in being a fine balance between hard-hitting action and good comedy, wrapped into a lean story that weaves memorable characters, almost like an anime you can’t stop watching, or a manga you can’t put down. While I haven’t read the novel, Bullet Train goes on to respect the source material, keeping the scenery squarely on the train and following the core themes of the novel, which are the themes of luck, self-worth, the many perspectives and deceptions of humans, and achieving a new outlook to the rigors of life.
Integral to such a tale is the characters. Brad Pitt as Ladybug is a character that the audience relates to, a happy-go-lucky guy that wants to live a life where giving peace brings peace back. He is found to be witty and smart, and constantly curious, wanting no harm done, unless given no other option. He comes off as a believable average man on a mission, winding up in a circle of violence and deception, but he is complimented by a good and solid performance.
Characters in Bullet Train
Brad does a fine job as the protagonist, but the supporting cast has their moments to shine. In particular, the assassins Tangerine and Lemon nearly steal the show, with their quick dialogue and humor, but it’s Lemon’s viewpoints that had me laughing hard in my seat. In a smart twist to eh story, Thomas The Tank Engine becomes not just a quick gag but a woven piece to the story. How and why is something you’ll have to see for yourself but I found it incredibly memorable and smart.
The additional talent does their jobs well. Sandra Bullock as Ladybug handles Marie Beetle, maintaining an unerring calm and intelligence to Ladybug’s unfortunate moments. Joey King becomes the cold and smart assassin The Prince, motiving through the shadows as an innocent-looking school girl. Michael Shannon, famously known as General Zod from Man of Steel, projects a deadly intimidation as The White Death. Coming off of her appearance as Diane Foxington in The Bad Guys, Zazie Beets is known as The Hornet, a deadly assassin with a penchant for chemistry. Hiroyuki Sanada and Andrew Koji, as The Elder and The Father respectively, provide gravity to the story’s central focus, and there are several surprise appearances throughout the movie.
Blending the Story
Bullet Train is careful in establishing its story beats, but when the action hits, it’s entertaining, physical, and raw, very similar to the personable action of Atomic Blonder and Deadpool 2. Brad Pitt, even at age 58, gets punched, kicked, and physical objects slammed into his face, a skill that he reciprocates. The fighting is tight, claustrophobic, and focused. There is no shaky cam but plenty of up-close shots, highlighting the tight environment in which our characters are fighting. With the exception of the finale Bullet Train often sees the protagonist and antagonists utilizing whatever they can in the train to survive and win. Blood spills and bones crunch throughout this train ride, making for a satisfying spectacle.
Between the laughs, story, and action, Bullet Train is a very good time, but it is hampered by certain choices that may affect other viewers. Bullet Train gets a little too friendly with CGI, which is understandable, given how difficult it would be to film such a movie in Japan, given COVID-19 restrictions and other factors. For much of the movie, the CGI is respectable, showing brief glimpses of Japanese scenery, as well as the actual train. However, towards the end, the finale takes place, and as amazing as it is, it gets too friendly with CGI, between fire effects and general destruction.
A defense I can make is that this use of CGI does lend to the movie’s aesthetic, having been based on a book. The movie gives the impression of a living graphic novel, and there were many moments where I felt Bullet Train felt like an anime or manga come to life. Still, it stands in contrast to the more practical undertaking of the rest of the movie. I do wish there was more of an attempt to film on-location and remain practical, at least as much as humanely possible.
Story Length
Length is also another factor, and I feel a director’s cut could turn the movie into a grand action-comedy epic. Benito A. Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, plays The Wolf, and while his role is welcome, it’s unexpectedly short. The same can be applied to Zazie Beets’s The Hornet, who has a short but enjoyable appearance.
Even Karen Fukuhara starred in Amazon’s The Boys and Netflix’s Kip and The Age of the Wonderbeasts has a minimal role as The Concession Girl. I do wish she, along with Heroes alumni Masi Oka as The Train Conductor, could have been further woven into the events of the story, perhaps not as assassins but at least enough to be featured more.
A longer runtime even by a half hour, could have made a bigger difference, but what is presented is polished, tight, and focused. Finally, there will be those that become irked by the fact that Brad Pitt leads in a movie made by a Japanese author. There has been a small amount of backlash at this fact, with the usual accusations of the white-washing present, but the author has gone on to say that the characters for the original novel aren’t necessarily Japanese, as the book is a work of fiction, and therefore can be anyone.
Final Thoughts
Having said that, this direction into an R-rated action comedy is a welcome one, respecting the material more than if the movie was more of a dark R-rated thriller.
Bullet Train is a damn good thrill ride, filled with bone-crunching action, a strong story, memorable characters, and a style all its own. David Leitsch has accomplished another stylistic action comedy thriller, one that is quite memorable. Be sure to pack your ticket and get a good seat because this ride keeps going until the end of the line.
