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Bullet Train tells the interconnected stories of five assassins that find themselves marooned on a bullet train heading from Tokyo to Kyoto. These characters all have individual missions that they are focused on completing, and whether the reward is money, revenge, or being spared from death, they are not giving up. The starring actors in this film include Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Joey King, and Brian Tyree Henry. The director of this movie, David Leitch, is also known for directing Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde, and co-directing John Wick. This comedic action thriller has a similar feel to Leitch’s previous movies, it is gory, filled with talent, and undeniably hilarious.
As with many movies, the reviews are filled with lovers as well as haters. IMDb’s website carries the reviews of FeastMode, who claims “This is a highly entertaining action-comedy that oozes style. It's extremely fun and a bit on the outrageous side, not meant to be taken too seriously. It's filled with funny and memorable moments,”(IMDb). It also carries the commentary of pgeary6001, “This film felt like it ran for days on end. It reminded me of a dinner we had in a tourist restaurant in Morocco where the courses kept coming and coming until we began to despair. And yet on it went...just [like] this movie,”(IMDb). The positive reviews were enthusiastic about the incredible acting and flair of the film, but was criticized for losing substance with the addition of its style. Bullet Train also only scored 53 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which is lower than many films released around the same time, such as Lightyear and Prey.
The following paragraphs may contain spoilers for this movie.
This movie was good. I entered the theatre not really knowing what to expect or even what I wanted to get out of it, but I had a lot of fun. It felt effortlessly talented and almost flashy, but held enough substance to pull heartstrings and make the audience think. It didn’t take itself overly seriously, and was overall just really sweet. There was enough action to entertain the audience, all of which was incredibly choreographed, especially considering the limited space of the train cars on which this movie was filmed, but there was still some humor and connection with the characters through Thomas the Tank Engine similes and an incredible Percy Jackson joke. Although it remains an action thriller, there was a level of depth with the characters and their relationships to make it worth watching even if you aren’t big on action movies. I would still caution potential viewers that it is pretty graphic and gory, and if that kind of content isn’t your jam, I would avoid it. However, if you are, the characters are extremely well written, and although a lot about them and their stories or missions are kept hidden, the true motivations behind their actions are easily influenced, but there’s enough mystery to them that it’s still interesting. Although Bullet Train hit theatres this past August, it is still available to see in theatres, which I highly recommend if this review has piqued your interest even in the slightest.
Works Cited
“BULLET TRAIN.” Sony Pictures Entertainment, https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/bullettrain. Accessed 7 October 2022.
“Bullet Train.” Rotten Tomatoes, https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bullet_train_2022. Accessed 7 October 2022.
“Bullet Train (2022) - Tickets & Showtimes Near You.” Fandango, https://www.fandango.com/bullet-train-2022-227184/movie-overview. Accessed 7 October 2022.
“David Leitch.” IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500610/. Accessed 7 October 2022.
Gibb, Barry, et al. “Bullet Train (2022).” IMDb, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12593682/. Accessed 7 October 2022.
Isaka, Kōtarō. “Bullet Train (film).” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_Train_(film). Accessed 7 October 2022.
Elizabeth Bentley is a senior at Poudre High School, and this is her first year at the Poudre Press. She writes a blog that you can check out here!