Review: Bullet Train Is A Violent, Fast-Paced Workplace Comedy Of Death - Forbes

It’s never easy to take on a last-minute job. You’re thrown into an unfamiliar workplace situation with challenges aplenty and fewer resources than one may be accustomed to. It takes a while to get a handle on the parameters of the task. Oh, and your opposition may be some of the world’s most deadly assassins, all on a fast-moving train with little hope of getting off. Bullet Train is a more-than-mile-a-minute action-fest with memorable characters, but one held back by occasionally clunky structural and editing issues. That aside, it’s a colorful, fast-paced workplace comedy of death, and the cast are having so much fun it’s really hard not to have fun with them.

Bullet Train stars Brad Pitt as “Ladybug,” a criminal who has largely turned over a new leaf in an effort at bettering himself but who is hired (in lieu of another criminal) to steal a briefcase on board a Japanese bullet train. Also on the train are “Tangerine” (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and “Lemon” (Brian Tyree Henry), a tight-nit pair of operatives escorting said briefcase and the rescued son of the villainous “White Death” (Michael Shannon), a Russian criminal who has risen in the ranks of the Japanese underworld. These figures and a host of other assassins, all with differing motives, get in increasingly dire situations, all onboard a big ol’ neon death train.

It’s a high-octane action-comedy where everything is big, loud, fast, and action-packed. Almost every single performer in it appears to be having a blast, with a dialed-up absurdity that’s only held back by the seriousness of the combat. It’s a film with exceptional fight choreography and talented stunt work, all performed in brightly colored locales. It’s not surprising that the film’s fight sequences are thoughtfully constructed and well-executed, given that director David Leitsch was the (uncredited) co-director of a little-known action feature named John Wick (in addition to Atomic Blonde and others).

Pitt is unsurprisingly great as “Ladybug,” with loads of charisma, strong action chops, and effortless comedic timing. Also wonderful are Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry’s “Tangerine” and “Lemon,” a pair of assassins with very different personalities that play off each other nicely. As always, Hiroyuki Sanada and Michael Shannon excel, and Andrew Koji ably plays worried father Kimura (one of the film’s few purely dramatic characters). Joey King’s “Prince” (not to be confused with her turn as a deadly character named “The Princess” in a different film not so long ago) is a solid, menacing young character with mysterious motivations, and the film’s other characters are all similarly ably portrayed. Everyone seems to be having a good, no-holds-barred time.

Of course, Bullet Train isn’t without some relevant flaws. The editing on occasion cuts out of a scene too early, adding needless confusion and disrupting the pace, and the quick cuts sometimes also endanger the flow of individual moments in a few fight sequences. It’s a problem that mostly shows up in the beginning of the film, but once it gets going that issue largely subsides. There are also some pacing and structural issues at the film moves along, whereby it rolls along briskly as all the players come into and out of the narrative but seems to lose focus and momentum considerably as the third act pops up and characters go down. It’s also a near certainty that the whimsical tone doesn’t work for everyone, but it worked for this critic (largely because the cast of talented performers really, really sold it).

Bullet Train isn’t perfect, but at the end of the day it’s a whole lot of fun. The film’s combat really works and is a lot of fun to watch, while the talented cast fully leans into the colorful cast of characters they’re given to work with. It’s outlandish, a little hard to believe at times, and over-the-top in a way that never falls into full blown camp. Issues notwithstanding, if what you’re looking for is a bloody, adrenaline-filled romp, it might be just the ticket.

Bullet Train premieres August 5th in theaters.

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Review: Bullet Train Is A Violent, Fast-Paced Workplace Comedy Of Death - Forbes
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