Director David Leitch offers another violent action romp with considerable heart and lots of laughs, bolstered by its tight ensemble.
★★★★✰
There’s always something sinister lurking in the air when a film is set on a train. Think Strangers on a Train, Murder on the Orient Express, Source Code. As David Leitch’s latest offering to the canon of action blockbusters, Bullet Train is no different. Revolving around three seemingly separate but inextricably interlinked cases on a Japanese high-speed train, Bullet Train takes us on a journey of sheer ridiculous proportions, as a stacked ensemble provide immersed performances that lean into its highly stylized nature.
Brad Pitt plays Ladybug, a self-proclaimed beacon of bad luck, who has returned to the world of shady dealings to do one simple grab-and-go job. However, once he is on the train, the job is seemingly less simple than he was led to believe. The briefcase he was sent to retrieve is in the custody of unlikely twins Lemon and Tangerine, played by Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. This pair work for The White Death, a Russian oligarch, who has risen up the ranks in the Japanese mafia, and whose presence looms over the entire film. Elsewhere on the train, Yuichi Kimura (Andrew Koji) seeks vengeance on the assassin who pushed his son off a roof, only to discover that the villain in question is The Prince, an unlikely figure given that she seems to be a schoolgirl, played by Joey King. Along the journey, Ladybug also finds himself entangled with The Wolf (Bad Bunny), a Mexican assassin, The Hornet (Zazie Beetz), an American Assassin, and a loose Boomslang snake.
If it sounds like there are a number of threads to follow, that’s because there are — at times to the film’s detriment. As is the case with any film containing multiple, interweaving stories, you are not given enough time with any of the characters. The moment you’ve settled into one narrative thread, the scene has cut to a different one. That being said, the use of a singular setting allows for containment that makes the overall story easier to follow. When the film was initially planned (based on the novel by Kotaro Isaka), it was conceived as an R-rated, violent action-thriller. However, during the course of production, it developed into the lighter-hearted action-comedy that it became. The genre change is the film’s saving grace, particularly when it comes to the sheer number of characters the audience is given to follow. The comedic undertones of the film allow an acknowledgement of the absurdity of the situation, with the reveal of each new assassin garnering a laugh rather than a gasp.
That is not to say that the action suffers due to Bullet Train‘s genre. Rather, the elaborate fight sequences, which incorporate standard Hollywood action-fare, but also Japanese fighting styles, have a comic-book feel to them. There is bloody, over-the-top violence, and there are deaths that are genuinely horrific, but the tone of the fight scenes never feel sombre or particularly serious. Even the film’s climax, in which ‘The White Death’ must be confronted, weaves elements of slapstick into the choreography.
The violence isn’t the only thing that feels melodramatic and over-the-top. The film leans into high stylization in its formal elements as well as its narrative ones. Each character is introduced with a freeze frame and a neon-lit title card with their code name. The cinematography relishes in abrupt panning shots and abstract angles, while paired with frenetic editing. The structure, whilst mostly linear, occasionally dips into flashbacks and montage sequences, the latter of which have knowing nods to the camera. The film’s pop soundtrack adds to this eclectic, neon-hazed tone, with Japanese covers of songs such as ‘Staying Alive’ and ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, but also an Englebert Humperdinck number.
The light-hearted nature of it all may be off-putting to some, especially when the overarching film doesn’t maintain the gravitas narratively. However, it also makes for a rip-roaring, super fun, blast of a time. The film is best appreciated when it’s not taken too seriously, and the cast and production team have understood that themselves. In fact, it’s the cast that makes this film the enjoyable time that makes it worth the price of admission. Brad Pitt, after decades of action heroism on the screen, retains the charm and dry wit that he has become beloved for, while also utilising his age to offer a more tired, mature approach to this assassin. However, it is some of the younger players in the film who provide the strongest performances, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry in particular gaining the most laughs from the audience. However, their strong chemistry means that they aren’t just comic relief, but present warm and compelling characters who you can’t help but root for, despite their profession. Joey King redeems herself from The Kissing Booth trilogy, even if her British accent is nothing to be desired and occasionally pulls viewers out of the film. Hiroyuki Sanada and Andrew Koji give this film the Japanese heart that befits its setting and allow the narrative’s explorations of themes such as fate and luck to be imbibed with genuineness and cultural specificity. There are also some cameos that are sure to be crowd-pleasers.
Bullet Train knows its own ridiculousness, and whilst it occasionally gets lost in it, the film genuinely wants its viewers to come along for the ride wherever it may lead. It’s a film in which its evident that the cast are having fun, and audiences can’t help but do the same.
The Verdict
With a wildly talented ensemble, some grandiose action sequences, and a solid central concept, Bullet Train is a welcome addition to the oeuvre of Summer blockbusters. It has its shortcomings, and loses itself in its winding narrative, but ultimately has tangible fun whilst doing so. If audiences can take it for what it is, they’ll walk away from the cinema with a smile on their face.
words by Rehana Nurmahi
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