Bullet Train: Directed by David Leitch
SYNOPSIS: Unlucky assassin Ladybug is determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe—all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives—on the world’s fastest train.
Bullet Train is the latest film from director David Leitch starring the likes of Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bad Bunny and Joey King. A film that follows Brad Pitt as an unlucky assassin looking to get back into the game after a string of bad luck. This was a very intriguing release to drop at the end of the summer blockbuster season with an original story not attached to any IP and a surprisingly solid cast. With all of that said, I was very excited to give this one a watch.
There are a lot of very strong good points throughout the runtime of this film. To start, the comedy is actually extremely effective. If you walk into this project open-minded to the absolute bonkers nature of the story, action and said comedy, then you should find the comedy to work really well. Brad Pitt is at the center of this, playing the most peaceful assassin alive. The conversations between him and these other ruthless assassins are hilarious, bringing a nice palate cleanser between action pieces.
Speaking of the action, it really is badass and fun. The editing of the action is both fast-paced, giving a mix of both wide shot and close up. You can feel every punch and see every bullet. Is it highly stylized, yes, but just like the comedy, if you fully buy into the comedy and the bonkers nature, it really works out well. Just have the time of your life and you will not regret it. This is one of the most bonkers experiences of the year and you really just have to buy in. If you don’t you might really hate it.
While there is a lot of good to go around there are also some things that didn’t completely work for good. This film is far too long and with it only being two hours long, it felt like I was sitting in the theater for over four hours. Now, for a majority of the time I enjoyed myself, but it just continued to drag on and on. I must apologize to Mr. Bad Bunny, but his whole storyline is rather pointless, except to give us the identity of one of the assassins. If you trim that story, the film might flow a bit better.
FINAL: Bullet Train is an absolute thrill ride with awesome action sequences, a really stellar cast and some of the most bonkers comedy of the year. If you buy into the nature of this film and suspend disbelief just a little bit, you will walk out with a huge smile on your face and one of the best experiences that you will have in a theater. The most important part of this whole thing, watch it in a theater. You will have such a great experience and be wanting more once it ends.
Point Breakdown:
15 for Writing: 11
15 for Performances: 14
10 for Entertainment: 9
10 for Direction: 8
10 for Emotions: 7
5 for Cinematography: 4
5 for Score: 4
5 for Pacing: 2
15 for Technical: 12
5 for Rewatchability: 4
5 for Automatic: 5
Bullet Train: 81/100
Jack Lautaret is a film critic for Music City Drive-In and a Banana Meter Approved Critic. He is the Host of the Jack Lautaret YouTube Channel and Jack Lautaret Reviews. He is a member of the Online Film and Television Association. Twitter: @JackLautaret
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