Filmmaker David Leitch started out as a stuntman for films such as The Matrix and also became quite close with actor Brad Pitt. Over his career, he has learnt a lot about the making of films and how stunts can help improve a film to the point that he co-created the John Wick franchise, and not only that he’s made some impressive action films too such as Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2 and Hobbs and Shaw, a Fast and Furious spin-off. His latest film, Bullet Train, seems to improve on what he has done before by combining action with storytelling to create a film that is entirely engrossing.
Bullet Train starts with Brad Pitt’s character Ladybug, ironically named because he suffers a lot of bad karma, as he does a job for his handler who is voiced by Sandra Bullock throughout the film. All he is asked to do is find a suitcase on the train and bring it to her. It’s a simple task right? It turns out there are other people on the train after that same suitcase. The reason why everyone is on the train is slowly unravelled throughout the film and the result at the end, as to the true nature of the suitcase, is uncovered to be something bigger than Ladybug ever realised.
It’s a great concept and the majority of the film is shot on the train, with different carriages such as a quiet carriage, a carriage which is endorsed by a big white cat-like mascot and a bar carriage which serves as the location for one of the films stand-out fight scenes. The story and characters have a certain homage to Quentin Tarantino’s films, most notably Reservoir Dogs in terms of who do you trust, and Pulp Fiction with the colourful set designs and the violence that ensues. There is a lot of violence in the film and David Leitch has done a fantastic job to make each fight sequence feel different and unique.
There’s a lot of twists and turns in the film and they’re pulled off perfectly thanks to a cast of characters that all feel as silly and hyper-violent as the film itself. Two of the best characters are supposed twins Lemon and Tangerine played by Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Their back-story and their sub-plot is hilarious with a lot of mentions to Thomas the Tank Engine, which actually has an important role to play in the story too! The comedy is perfectly balanced with the action and the other characters all play with the fun aspect of the film by creating a light-hearted action thriller.
The only downside is the pacing, we are constantly going back and forth from character to character that some story points are repeated for the audience’s sake as there is a lot to remember as you attempt to join the dots as the mystery behind the suitcase gets resolved. Tarantino does this a lot better, but Leitch does a great job at managing the story and making you invested in the characters to the point that when someone does die you do feel sorry for them, in a small way.
★★★★☆
4/5
Bullet Train is a fast film, with a lot of character that it is easily one of the best action films of the year and stands out above the rest. The cast all has a lot of fun and Brad Pitt is back in fine form as Ladybug, a man caught in the middle of a bigger mystery. There’s a comedy, there are hijinks and there’s a lot of violence that would bring a smile to Quentin Tarantino’s face. The music, the style and the story all deserve praise but the film could have been paced a little better. That’s not a big issue though as the end result proves that this is a film that every action fan will enjoy!
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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