What do you get if you cross the slick action of John Wick, the comedic timing of Deadpool, and the fastest train in the world? No, not a bad dad joke, but Deadpool director David Leitch’s action comedy film Bullet Train. This film is exactly what it sets out to be, a (literal) bullet train which takes you at breakneck speed through its humour, violence and action. This style of filmmaking matches the engaging cinematic energy of the Deadpool films, but with a unique setting and premise. What else would you expect when you place nearly a dozen deadly assassins together on the world’s first high-speed train line?
The film’s plot is fairly straightforward; several assassins end up on a Japanese bullet train together and are forced to face each other in one way or another. For a film so focused on its action and humour, it doesn’t need to have a more complex plot. Brad Pitt portrays ‘Ladybug’, the assassin film’s plot pivots on. Not only does Pitt yet again prove himself to be one of the masters of cinematic action, but also of comedic timing. He’s hilarious in this film, mixing the goofiness of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor with the quips of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool. Aaron Taylor Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry and Joey King were also standouts, portraying assassins ‘Tangerine’, ‘Lemon’, and ‘The Prince’ respectively. Tangerine and Lemon were effectively a British gangster comedy duo, constantly arguing over Lemon’s unusual obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine, which was hilariously ironic given the film’s setting. Joey King’s ‘The Prince’ was a no-nonsense assassin posing as an innocent schoolgirl, who could seamlessly slip between the two. Being set in Japan, the film also boasted several Japanese actors, namely Andrew Koji as ‘The Father’ and the legendary Hiroyuki Sanada as ‘The Elder’ who only polished the film’s razor sharp slickness with their cut-throat Katana action. There is even a few surprise cameos along the way, which make you laugh purely at the fact that said actors agreed to take part in such a ridiculously fun film.
The cast and premise of the film are at the forefront of what make it a summer must-watch, but it’s the little things that make this film standout. The little details of the plot that eagle-eyed moviegoers will notice which are paid off later, the tight camerawork and gorgeously colourful lighting on each of the different train carriages and stations, all add to the visceral, exciting energy that Leitch pulls off. The film introduces each assassin with colourful neon lettering also dubbed in Japanese, creating a stylistic, almost comic-book feel to the film’s meticulous energy. The only times we aren’t on the bullet train are when the film provides flashbacks to characters’ past, which are brief enough to not take us out of the fun of the train, but just enough to weave the plot together. Thanks to the lighting and camerawork, the film convinces its audience that we are on the bullet train with the assassins experiencing the mayhem first hand.
Bullet Train excels mostly because it appeals to both the casual moviegoer and the serious moviegoer. It’s unique and accessible premise topped with its quip-filled humour make it an easily enjoyable summer film, but it’s meticulously sleek filmmaking style makes it stand out as a thoroughly enjoyable action film worthy of the John Wick hall of fame. It is a film about both good and bad luck, and about fate. Is it fate that decides who lives and who dies? Is it fate or skill which allows characters to survive? As Brad Pitt’s Ladybug says, ‘Fate is just bad luck’. The film addresses these types of conundrums in interesting ways, and makes you question whether there even is such thing as fate or luck. What better way to address them than on an assassin-filled 200mph train journey? If Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino agreed to make a film together on the condition it was full of Thomas the Tank Engine jokes, it would probably result in something like Bullet Train.
G does Films 