Review: 'Bullet Train' is a hysterical action extravaganza with a shining Brad Pitt as the helm

Bullet Train is all kinds of banana town with some of the most fascinating characters, hysterical lines and jaw-dropping action sequences. But it is able to hold the runtime of over two hours? Let's find out.

Bullet Train

There is nothing better than some David Leitch-styled fun at the movies and the only way it can get better is having a star like Brad Pitt at the helm of things. Bullet Train is all kinds of banana town with some of the most fascinating characters, hysterical lines and jaw-dropping action sequences. But it is able to hold the runtime of over two hours? Let's find out. Having had the chance to see Bullet Train before hand, here's what I thought about it-

Humor Always Works

The kind of tongue-in-cheek humor that you expect from director David Leitch is there in Bullet Train and in abundance. In fact, if you thought Deadpool 2 was hilarious, Bullet Train is actually several notches higher in that respect. Much of the humor relies on Pitt's character of seasoned yet unlucky assassin, Ladybug. What is extremely interesting about Pitt's character is that he is the only one who doesn't experience a whirlwind of emotions throughout the film. He starts off as a goofy man and even in the darnest of situations till the climax, he stays that. Hence, the funny lines are at his expense which makes it a lot of fun. Apart from that, the running joke about the cartoon, Thomas Engine & His Friends, jokes on white and black folks and even some dark humor on feminism are a result of some smart lines where Leitch excels with his writer, Zak Olkewicz.

The Japanese Culture

As we know, the film is based on the book of the same name by Kotaro Isaka; the entire treatment is rooted in Japanese culture in the best way possible. Not once do you feel that the culture is being misrepresented or mocked upon; instead it is done with finesse. It helps that actors of Asian descent in the form of Andrew Koji and Hiroyuki Sanada play key roles and basically constitute the entire plot from start to finish.

Tarantino Influence

Even looking at the posters of the film earlier, and now having seen the entire film, I cannot help but be reminded of the Quentin Tarantino influence derived here. Be it the aesthetics, style of shooting and even the graphics that pop up introducing the characters to us, the film has an innovative way of engaging you. I mean, when was the last time you saw a water bottle having a character arc in a film? That happens here and it is even officially introduced as a character.

A Glorious Ensemble

Every actor in this large ensemble is top-notch with their performances. Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Lemon and Tangerine comprise for the best character arc and amazing bromance while Joey King as The Prince is fabulous with her innocent looks and devil intentions; Koji and Sanada provide depth and Bad Bunny and Zazie Beetz's cameos are a lot of fun as well. Leading them all is Pitt, who is at his hilarious and charming best. Some actors just have a natural charisma and Pitt exudes that with all his goofiness.

The only character I was a tad disappointed by was that of The White Death (Michael Shannon). It became one of the classic cases of building up the main bad guy so much that the end result wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be.

The Only Concern

And just like any film that is set in a closed setting getting monotonous, Bullet Train also suffers from that. It obviously makes total sense because the film and the book is set entirely inside the world's fastest train, they do not deviate from it. However, clocking over two hours of runtime, the train setting starts getting a little more monotonous than expected. And while, OTT action is always insane fun, there are some instances that leave you saying, 'wow! really?' But this isn't too much of a concern in its essence.

The Verdict

With a talented ensemble, charming lead man, hilarious jokes, stylised Deadpool-esque treatment and glorious fun, one amazing surprise cameo, Bullet Train is indeed a joyride at the movies this week.

Rating - ***1/2 (3.5/5)

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