Speeding Into The Charts - Our Review Of 'Bullet Train'

“Delivers at every stop.”

Adapting Kotaro Isaka's book of the same name, Bullet Train follows the story of the assassin Ladybug (Brad Pitt) as he is determined to peacefully execute a job which unfortunately may need to be handled in any way but that.

Seeing Pitt in an action role like this certainly isn't out of the ordinary, but the pacing and humor he brings to the role is an excellent infrequent quality.

(L-R) Lemon (Bryan Tyree Henry) & Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) in Bullet Train (2022) © Sony Pictures all rights reserved.

The entire cast has phenomenal chemistry, but our favorite duo was hands down the brothers Lemon (Bryan Tyree Henry) & Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Director David Leitch (John Wick, Deadpool 2) brings stylistic flare to the film, creating a guideline of title cards and flashy overlays and uses them well. Incorporating the Japanese language into the film was a wise choice, not only because it is almost entirely set on the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, but because of how well it works with the movie's look.

The film also paces incredibly well, finding its stance a few minutes into the first act. This coupled with the intensely emotional opening sequence, rapidly draws viewers in.

Additionally, the film uses flashbacks as a storytelling device and allows them to be the guiding motivation for some characters and comedic bits for others. While this is done well, we wish there could've been less repetition in some cases to allow for different scenes to be shown, which may have provided external depth and motives that we hadn’t already learned.

Brad Pitt in Bullet Train (2022) © Sony Pictures all rights reserved.

The entire ensemble provided excellent performances, but the highlights were undoubtedly Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Joey King. Another noteworthy feature is Bryan Tyree Henry's surprisingly good British accent, which would make most Brits proud.

As the film reaches its climax and delivers a montage of connections, audiences can finally get a glimpse of the planning and masterful organization that reaches every individual on the train. It does feel like the film could’ve been 5-10 minutes shorter, as the third act felt slightly long.

On top of all of this, the movie doesn't take itself too seriously but knows when it's time for a joke or when it's time to settle in for suspenseful action.

Although this may not be the best movie of the year, it is an extremely enjoyable and entertaining theatrical experience.

Our official rating is 8.5/10 cameras.

Bullet Train hits theaters on August 5.

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