An unlucky assassin known only as Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is determined to do his job peacefully and properly, after one too many missions have recently gone off the rails. Fate, however, has other plans, with the latest task putting him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from all around the globe. An enjoyable comic-book-like flick that is certainly recommended. It’s worth noting that Bullet Train is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Director: David Leitch
Writers: Zak Olkewicz
Starring: Brad Pitt, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Joey King

Based on the Japanese novel titled Maria Beetle, released by Kotaro Isaka in 2010, Bullet Train is widely known as the first feature film to enter production after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While production of other movies had stopped and restarted, this was the first to have pandemic guidelines introduced at the beginning of filming. Consequently, the flick was released to audiences in August of 2022.

One of, if not the primary strengths of Bullet Train, must be the relentless nature of the action scenes constructed by the filmmakers. The action-based choreography is clean and engaging throughout, perhaps more importantly, however, it’s thoroughly entertaining – not the easiest of accomplishments considering that the majority had to occur within the confines of a Japanese train carriage. The film’s cinematography was also a highlight, with a plethora of vibrant colours being utilised, and the occasional slow-motion shot also being deployed.

With the positives, however, come some drawbacks. As a viewer, I felt like the flick tried to include far too much humour, with only a small percentage being effective. There’s also the issue of the story being somewhat convoluted and complex at times, with multiple characters just appearing out of thin air with very little background information.

In terms of the cast, Brad Pitt adopted the role of Ladybug, commanding a large majority of screentime, while support reigned in primarily from Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry and Joey King, portraying White Death, Tangerine, Lemon and Prince, respectively. There were also several surprising appearances included, with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum being the two most noteworthy, despite only appearing for short periods of time.

All in all, Bullet Train manages to provide the viewer with a wealth of mindless action scenes, as well as a number of unexpected twists and turns, enough to keep things from becoming too stale throughout the somewhat excessive one-hundred and twenty-seven minute runtime. Probably not a flick worthy of a second viewing, but certainly one I’d recommend. As previously noted, Bullet Train is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

“I know who killed the kid!”

Ladybug – Bullet Train