Such a blast! Personally, I wasn't expecting much from <em>'Bullet Train'</em> at all. The (most overplayed) trailer didn't fill with me with much interest and I thought the bullet train aspect would be gimmicky and perhaps even too limiting. However, to my surprise it's the exact opposite to all that. It's supremely entertaining and very amusing! I love the whole style of the film, the editing is top notch. the bloody visuals are class and the music is superbly chosen - every track hits. Then you also have an excellent cast. I thought, again based on the trailer(s) that I saw, it would be a run-of-the-mill Brad Pitt feature, but his performance is terrific throughout. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry are a quality double act, I thought their accents and dynamic would get tiresome but if anything I enjoyed them the more I saw them - funny guys! Joey King was the only character I wasn't sold on during the film, though by the end I dug her performance too. Andrew Koji and Hiroyuki Sanada are also very good, while Michael Shannon, Benito A. Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny) and Zazie Beetz are welcomed cast members as well. There are also a few other noteworthy people involved, including two that Pitt knows well from a different <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/the-lost-city-2022/" rel="nofollow">2022 flick</a>. Seriously, what a cast! If I had to mention one gripe, it would be the run time/pacing - this is me nit-picking, though at like one or two (no more than that) moments I did feel like it wasn't paced incredibly. Again, no biggie though. All in all, I most definitely had a great time with this and would certainly recommend it.* *still, if you want an even greater film set entirely on a train then you gotta check out the outstanding <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/source-code/" rel="nofollow">Source Code</a>'</em> - one of my favourites!

Brad Pitt is "Ladybug" - a now zen-like, semi-retired, hitman brought out of retirement to appropriate a suitcase from a train. Easy enough task, you might think - especially as he obtains it relatively easily. It then transpires, though, that there is much more afoot. Also on the train are the two guys who own the suitcase - "Lemon" (Brian Tyree Henry) and his twin "Tangerine" (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who have been tasked with rescuing the recently kidnapped son of the legendary "White Death" crime lord and his ransom (in the suitcase). When the pair discover that their loot has gone missing and that their charge has developed a rather nasty habit of bleeding from the eyes, they have to keep their suspicious employer at bay and find their luggage whilst this high-speed train hurtles from Tokyo to Kyoto. Add to the mix the slightly enigmatic "Prince" (Joey King) - outwardly a charming, butter-wouldn't-melt, schoolgirl type, but really a gal who is also up to something with the rather hapless "Kimura" (Andrew Kohi) whose son she had recently pushed from a roof and, well... Yes, the plot is pretty convoluted at the start but with a monologue style narrative well delivered by an on-form Pitt, and an engaging repartee between the 'Thomas the Tank Engine" obsessed "Lemon" and his spiritual brother, this actually makes for quite a decent action adventure. It is way too long - it could comfortably shave twenty minutes from the character establishment phase, but the script is quickly paced and sometimes quite clever and there are plenty of action scenes that are fun to watch and don't take too long. It has shades of "Pulp Fiction" (1994) I thought - multiple characters with entertaining storylines that gradually involve and synergise all the characters. The ending isn't the best, and perhaps one might wonder about the complete lack of security not just on the train but at just about every station between the two cities. Carnage ensues pretty readily but no sign of a blue light. It's fun, throwaway, entertainment that follows on from "The Lost City" in which Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum allow Pitt the supporting role that he allows to both of them - and a tiny but of Ryan Reynolds too, if you are eagle-eyed, here. It's factory fodder, and you won't remember it by Christmas - but it's still nice to see some folks having fun on a big screen with no pretence whatsoever.

**Bullet Train combines all the action, expertise, and stunt work of John Wick with the pacing, goofiness, and fun of Hot Fuzz.** High energy, vibrant colors, funny characters, and excellent action fuel Bullet Train to take its audience on a wild and entertaining ride. Each character is larger than life and outrageous, but all fit perfectly in this vivid and comical world. Bullet Train feels like Edgar Wright’s version of John Wick - all the action is there, but so are all the comedy and quirky characters. Brad Pitt’s prowess as an actor shines as his ridiculous peace-loving assassin blunders through the film but never crosses the line into cliche or too much. Brian Tyree Henry’s Lemon is the most entertaining out of a cast of enthusiastic over-the-top characters that will have you laughing from the first second til the credits roll. Funny cameos and great action punctuate this already fun and colorful film. Bullet Train is a fun watch, but some poor visual effects distract from the ending and keep the rating from being higher. Even with its few faults, Bullet Train is a goofy, dynamic, and bright action flick that invents a fun world I wouldn’t mind exploring in future films.

A well-timed, funny, action packed train ride, I was not bored for a single second of this film.

I see there are a LOT of reviews of Bullet Train here, so I will be brief. I usually only watch action movies if they contain a large element of humor and, if possible, an actor I like. So I gave Bullet Train a try. I figured Brad Pitt wouldn’t get involved with a totally awful film. So yes, it was humorous and often entertaining, with the comic book violence action films often seem to include, I guess because the audience demands it. I almost gave up on it halfway through, not because it was boring but just because the story seemed so shallow and the subplots didn’t grab me. But the film’s action moved along fast enough for me to stick with it. Like I said, it is entertaining in places and witty overall, though I can’t imagine ever watching it a second time.