Movie Review: Bullet Train (2022) *No Spoilers*

Movie Review: Bullet Train (2022) No Spoilers

I honestly don't understand why Bullet Train didn't do well in theaters? It's basically a live action, bonkers, cartoon but it's fun, has witty dialogue, quirky characters, and plenty of action. It's definitely underrated as something that very much reminds me of a cross between a Guy Ritchie and Edgar Wright film in terms of how it's written, filmed, and edited.

The plot centers around unlucky assassin, Ladybug (Brad Pitt) who is hired to retrieve a briefcase containing a ransom from on board a Japanese Bullet Train. Unfortunately he's not the only one after the case. Confusion and mayhem ensues.

The only thing that really bothered me is that the movie seems almost devoid of regular people on the train and at any of the stations. Those that are present, including the staff of the train, seem to be blissfully unaware of what is happening around them despite the interior of the train becoming increasingly more damaged and the body count climbing.

The further the train travels the emptier the train becomes yet we don't really see anyone from the general public getting off? At least not to remember them doing so.

That aside we still get some good interactions with one or two general passengers and the very few train staff present.

I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this, even with some of its more graphic violence that I'm not usually a fan of. I thought the dialogue was fun and witty. I particularly liked the banter between Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

In my opinion this is one of Aaron's better performances. I can see why his name appears to be in the mix for the next James Bond.

Overall the film doesn't make a lot of sense with everybody seemingly wanting to kill someone associated with the briefcase. At one point I felt sure this was a movie heading towards where everybody dies, except they don't - well not all of them anyway.

However it's really fun, semi surreal escapism, with plenty of action thrown in. Honestly, I'd watch a second movie in this series with Brad Pitt and his Handler as the focus... even if it was a Die Hard II type sequel where his character wonders, out loud within the movie itself, how could the same thing happen to the same guy twice?

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