by Jeffery Rahming, Contributing Writer
After being delayed four times in one year, Bullet Train has finally been released. Its trailers promised a high-octane action movie from the creators of John Wick and Deadpool, but the film doesn’t exactly deliver that promise. It is less a stylistic action movie and more like a Tarantino-pastiche with its multiple intersecting storylines, eccentric characters, sparse but intense violence, and clever needle drops. There’s a lot more talking in this movie than the marketing would have you believe, and while that can be a little off-putting at first, the story is fun enough to keep you entertained for the whole two-hour experience.
Director David Leitch is quietly one of the hardest working filmmakers in Hollywood, with over 100 credits across three decades in the industry as a director, producer, actor, and stunt man. In fact, he used to frequently stunt double for the star of this movie, Brad Pitt. Unlike other films he directed, Bullet Train is much more dialogue and plot-driven than action-driven. The script is a masterclass in setup and payoff, playing out like a symphony of chaos. Its plot grows ever more complex as the story takes you through multiple twists and turns in each scene. It’s a movie you may want to skip the soda on. Missing one minute risks missing an essential part of the story.
As fun as the plot is, the very thing that makes it entertaining is also what makes it somewhat frustrating. Between frequent flashbacks, frantic editing, and seven main characters, the film can sometimes be a chore to keep track of. There are also many times where the story leans too heavily on conveniences and lucky breaks, but funnily enough, there’s a thematic reason for it that I won’t spoil here. Whether or not that reason works depends on the person, but I thought it was at least a creative excuse to cover up some plot contrivances.
Bullet Train benefits from having one of the most stacked casts ever put on film. Almost everyone in this cast is a prolific actor, from the main characters to the minor roles. What’s fun about the casting is that none of the actors play their stereotypical roles. Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are witty and entertaining as two sibling assassins. Joey King makes for a surprisingly convincing villain as the manipulative Prince. And of course, Pitt is probably the best character actor to be in a leading man’s body and is excellent in his portrayal of Ladybug, an unlucky hitman who’s trying his best to be a zen pacifist. Even Bad Bunny is great in his small role as Mexican assassin “The Wolf”. In addition to the main cast, there’s a good amount of celebrity cameos who turn in brief, but impressive performances. It’s rare to see a movie where every single actor brought their A-game.
Obviously, Bullet Train isn’t going to be winning any Oscars. The film has a fair share of plot holes, and many of its Deadpool-style comedy attempts fall flat, but it’s still an undeniably good time. Though there may be a few jokes that don’t work, or a couple of action scenes that are less than stellar (though, to the film’s credit, it’s clear that a lot of the cast did their own stunts), Bullet Train keeps you glued to your seat. This is one ride you’ll want to catch.
Score: 7/10
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