Brad Pitt's comedic chops are what saves an otherwise exhausting Bullet Train. He stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin who is assigned to a case aboard a high-speed train en route to Kyoto by his handler, Maria (Sandra Bullock).
While his job seems simple, it's not simple enough. There are over half a dozen assassins on board, including "twin" hitmen Lemon and Tangerine (Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively).
Also on board is the Prince (Joey King), a cunning young high schooler who can cry at the drop of a hat; Lemon jokes that white girl tears never fool him. Prince pushed the young son of Japanese killer Kimura (Andrew Koji) off the roof and lured him on the train for her own agenda.
Other assassins include the Wolf (Bad Bunny), who has a grudge against Ladybug, and another named the Hornet (Zazie Beetz). Each character is introduced before we get a quick flashback of their backstory — which gets convoluted and formulaic at times.
Stuntman-turned-director David Leitch weaves together some interesting fight scenes that are well-choreographed for the most part, as violent deaths keep happening aboard the train.
The film sells itself as an action comedy, with some well-written jokes that take advantage of the actors' comic timings. Not all the jokes land and some get over-used, but there is one scene with Pitt that lives rent-free in my mind and still makes me laugh out loud. The cameos are also pretty solid — especially one actor in particular.
The film does, however, go off the rails and simply gets exhausting toward its end. It is Pitt's incredible comedic deliveries and charisma that carry the film. He proves that, even with a poor script, he has the talent to keep the film on track.
Pitt is the conductor of this Bullet Train, but everyone else is just along for the ride.
(Sony)While his job seems simple, it's not simple enough. There are over half a dozen assassins on board, including "twin" hitmen Lemon and Tangerine (Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively).
Also on board is the Prince (Joey King), a cunning young high schooler who can cry at the drop of a hat; Lemon jokes that white girl tears never fool him. Prince pushed the young son of Japanese killer Kimura (Andrew Koji) off the roof and lured him on the train for her own agenda.
Other assassins include the Wolf (Bad Bunny), who has a grudge against Ladybug, and another named the Hornet (Zazie Beetz). Each character is introduced before we get a quick flashback of their backstory — which gets convoluted and formulaic at times.
Stuntman-turned-director David Leitch weaves together some interesting fight scenes that are well-choreographed for the most part, as violent deaths keep happening aboard the train.
The film sells itself as an action comedy, with some well-written jokes that take advantage of the actors' comic timings. Not all the jokes land and some get over-used, but there is one scene with Pitt that lives rent-free in my mind and still makes me laugh out loud. The cameos are also pretty solid — especially one actor in particular.
The film does, however, go off the rails and simply gets exhausting toward its end. It is Pitt's incredible comedic deliveries and charisma that carry the film. He proves that, even with a poor script, he has the talent to keep the film on track.
Pitt is the conductor of this Bullet Train, but everyone else is just along for the ride.
