Bullet Train Movie Review

Bullet Train (2022)

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Written by: Zak Olkewicz (screenplay by), Kôtarô Isaka (based on the book by)
Directed by: David Leitch
Starring: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Sandra Bullock, Logan Lerman, Zazie Beetz
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Five assassins aboard a swiftly-moving bullet train find out that their missions have something in common.

Verdict
What a fun ride. This movie is ridiculous, and then it gets more ridiculous. The plot moves almost as fast as the train on which this takes place. This features multiple characters with intertwining stories that develop and intersect as the movie progresses. Everything has a purpose. Almost anything introduced will likely come back later, be it a prop or a joke. It's certainly violent, but few films manage to combine action and humor so effectively for such an irreverent tone.
Watch It.

Review
Director Leitch's previous films, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and uncredited for John Wick, have me expecting impressive action. I was not disappointed. The action is fun, close quarters on a train using the environment and humor well.

Brad Pitt plays Ladybug

Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is an unlucky hitman back to work after a break. He must steal a briefcase from the train. He runs into more than a few people on that train with their own jobs. You being to wonder how all of these killers ended up on one train. It's easily forgivable for a movie like this. This is a fun, wild movie, but it does provide answers. Throughout the movie we discover that all of these characters are related in some fashion. Ladybug's luck is a topic he discusses frequently as he attributes it to his multiple misfortunes on the train.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry play Tangerine, Lemon

The plot moves quickly, and this feels surprisingly short. That's because there is rarely a slow moment. A lot of the exposition is during a fight, and if characters aren't fighting, and often when they are, this can be quite funny. Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are on their way to a drop point. They often argue as Lemon extols the virtues of Thomas the Tank Engine and how it's taught him to read people to Tangerine's ire. The movie gets a lot of mileage out of that joke. Few movies manage to be so violent and so funny at the same time. It's such a light tone despite the genre. Despite a lot of characters, this manages to develop them enough that they feel unique and interesting.

Joey King plays Prince

This has a metaphorical clock running nearly the entire time, with the chief one being the train and its final stop. Part of what makes this fun is that we realize everything introduced has a purpose, even a water bottle. We then begin to wonder how plot elements will be utilized later. All of these characters intersect, and that is done effectively. This movie has so many layers. I think I understand the story, and then it takes a step back to reveal another dimension and then another. When I think this movie can't get any more ridiculous, it does in the best possible way. This is literally on the rails action, and it's a lot of fun.