Bullet Train

Summary

“Want to make an easy 200 bucks?”

The last couple years have been pretty light in terms of content from major studios aimed at adult audiences. When Covid hit, the studios were taken off guard and had to change everything regarding their release plans and how they would approach making films during the pandemic. All of the movies that the studios held back to maximize their impact at the box office (No Time to Die, Top Gun: Maverick) have been released, so now we are starting to see the films that were created during the pandemic. There was not a big backlog of films left for the 2022 theatrical slate. Studios did not take a lot of risks on expensive R-rated material, while Marvel and Disney continued to pump out children’s films and comic book movies. This year has been a strong year for horror films due to the limited amount of films in theaters and the small investment it takes to make effective horror films. Six horror films have topped the box office this year, which is highly unusual. Released earlier this year, Bullet Train is a big budget R-rated ultra-violent action-comedy starring Brad Pitt. Bullet Train was directed by David Leitch, who is known for his energetic action films. I commend Sony for having the courage to drop their funds into a film as fun and ridiculous as Bullet Train during such strange times. For myself, the film was a welcome relief from the dearth of content geared towards my tastes. While critics were divisive about the film, it did around 250 million dollars worldwide against an 85 million dollar budget, so I think that Sony’s gamble paid off.

In Tokyo, a father grieves for his young hospitalized child. Kimura (Andrew Koji) sits in the hospital next to his father (Hiroyuki Sanada.) His father tells him that the most important thing for a father to do is protect his child. Kimura takes it upon himself to find the person who pushed his child off a roof. He grabs a gun and boards a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. A note has told him the assailant is onboard the train. Meanwhile, a retired hitman (Brad Pitt) decides to return to work by performing simple snatch and grab operations. He has been through some therapy and wants to shy away from the violent ways of his past. His handler, who talks in his ear, ironically dubs him with the code name of Ladybug due to his “luck.” Ladybug has survived numerous scrapes, but not without incident. He is working a job that was originally assigned to a second rate operative named Carver, who has passed on the job due to a stomach bug. The job is supposed to be fairly simple in order to ease Ladybug back into his work. All he needs to do is locate a silver briefcase with a train sticker on its handle and exit the train at the next stop. The handler directs ladybug to a train station locker where he picks up his supplies, which include sleeping powder and firecrackers, but against his handler’s advice he leaves the gun in the locker in hopes of avoiding violence. As he makes his way towards the train, he bumps into someone and his train ticket is lost. This is just the first of many unlucky occurrences Ladybug will need to manage. On the train, two trained assassins – Lemon and Tangerine (Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson) – sit next to the unconscious son (Logan Lerman) of the “White Death.” Lemon and Tangerine have been entrusted with returning the silver case and the son to the White Death in Kyoto. The White Death is a Russian who worked his way up the ladder of the Japanese Triad through his unparalleled brutality. If they fail on their mission they will certainly be killed. There are more assassins onboard the bullet train, but I don’t want to spoil too much.

When I was a kid there was a video game for Nintendo called Spy VS. Spy based on the old MAD Magazine comic strips. As the characters in the film jockeyed for different ways to avoid death from one another or cause death to one another through a variety of different means, Bullet Train reminded me of that game. Cause and effect is used for great comedic purposes throughout the film. An example would be – if you see a character put sleeping powder in a drink, you know that someone will eventually drink the drink – the questions are simply who? and when? This type of writing is something I really enjoy, whether on screen or in novels. Waiting to see how things would play out once dangers were introduced kept me consistently engaged. The script by Zak Olkewicz is an adaptation of a book by Kotaro Isaka. The script is interesting in that it has a lot of clever twists and turns with really well thought out plot devices, but the script does not concern itself with “realism.” From the exaggerated CGI of the train’s exterior sequences, to some truly silly looking sequences in the finale, this is not a film that aims to be anything but over-the-top. I had some issues with moments of the dialogue that didn’t ring true, but by the end of the film some of the dialogue I did not initially enjoy had won me over. People have discussed how some of the jokes in the film don’t land, but I think that will just come down to the viewer’s sense of humor. The movie is extremely violent, but in the somewhat exaggerated style of films like Kill Bill. Violence provides much of the humor in the film, so I can understand why the reviews for the movie were somewhat divisive. For myself, I had a few good laughs. I think that viewers should try to turn off any resistance they have to the film and just take the ride on Bullet Train if they have any hope of being won over by the film.

The film is buoyed by an all-star cast. Brad Pitt is one of my favorite actors. In my eyes, he is one of the last true movie stars. He strikes me as being in the same vein as Paul Newman or Robert Redford and continues to be one of the most enjoyable people to watch onscreen. For someone about to turn fifty years old, it is incredible to see how well he still can perform in action sequences that make a lot of physical demands. It seems that Pitt, Keanu, and Cruise have found some sort of fountain of youth reserved for babyfaced action heroes. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a lot of fun in the role of Tangerine. Taylor-Johnson has been solid in his prior roles, but he seemed to be able to let loose and have fun in this role. Brian Tyree Henry is hilarious as the Thomas the Tank Engine philosophizing Lemon. Joey King turns in a great performance as the doe eyed femme fatale Prince. Andrew Koji and Hiroyuki Sanada are both well cast for their parts. I was really impressed with musician Bad Bunny’s performance in the film as the Wolf. Same goes with Zazie Beetz in her role. I don’t want to ruin the cameo performances in the film, but all three are wonderful. Part of the fun of the film is waiting to see who will show up next in the picture. 

Director David Leitch had worked with Brad Pitt on Fight Club as the stunt coordinator, and it is obvious that they have a good working relationship based on the results in Bullet Train. Leitch has one of the best minds for fight scene coordination in the industry. His understanding of how to make the fights simultaneously visceral, fast paced, and funny helps his films stand out. Bullet Train largely takes place within the confines of a train, and Leitch was able to make the most out of the smaller spaces for some truly creative fights. Leitch paired with his usual cinematographer Jonathan Sela who has worked with Leitch on every film since working together on John Wick. Bullet Train is a really colorful and visually enticing film. The digital cinematography is excellent and probably the best cinematography of their collaborations thus far.

For my money, Bullet Train was exactly the type of R-rated action comedy film I was in the mood to watch. Fans of films like Bad Times at the El Royale, Kill Bill: Volume 1, Snatch, and John Wick should find plenty to enjoy about the film. If the film’s outrageous and unrealistic aspects don’t derail their enjoyment, they should have a blast watching the movie.

Video

Bullet Train arrives onto Blu-ray in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The film was shot on an Arri Alexa LF 4K camera with 4.5k Arriraw digital film. The mastering of the film was performed in 4K. This means that the 4K representation on the UHD is as perfect representation of the theatrical experience as possible with given technology, so if you have a 4K player, I would opt for that release. Thanks to Sony’s amazing quality control standards, the Blu-ray presentation is as close to perfect as the film can look on the format. The film looks absolutely phenomenal on Blu-ray and pushes the format’s capabilities as hard as seems possible. Leitch worked with cinematographer Jonathon Sela to create a wonderfully realized visual style for the film. The film is incredibly colorful and the set designs are excellent. While the CGI in the film looks pretty ridiculous, it never detracts from the film in a meaningful way. The digital film brings out a lot of detail in crisp definition. I would say, due to the amazing array of colors in the film, if you have the ability to watch the film on the UHD format, it is advisable to do so! Otherwise – this Blu-ray is visually perfect for what the format can do.

Audio

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is fantastic. That said – the UHD gets a Dolby Atmos track which expands the sound field significantly, so if you can splurge for the UHD, I would definitely do so. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is energetic and immersive. Clarity is exceptional. I can’t imagine that fans of the film who hear the 5.1 mix will be disappointed. Sony Pictures have provided a fantastic track that is only better when expanded into Dolby Atmos on the 4K UHD.

Supplements:

• Audio Commentary with Director David Leitch, Producer Kelly McCormick, and Screenwriter Zak Olkewicz 
• Mission Accomplished: Making of Bullet Train
• All Aboard the Pain Train: Stunts 
• Outtakes & Bloopers
• Trained Professionals: The Cast
• Catch What You Missed: Easter Eggs 
• Select Scene Stunt Previs 
• Bullet Train Goes Off the Rails
• Previews 

Overall Scores:

Video: 5/5

Audio: 4.5/5

Supplements: 3.25/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Bullet Train is exactly what I hoped it would be. The film is an over-the-top ultra-violent action film with some strong comedic moments and a wonderful cast. The film was divisive with critics and audiences, but I really had a blast watching it. The Sony Pictures Blu-ray release looks and sounds fantastic, but if you have a 4K UHD player, I would spring for the 4K UHD. The UHD features a Dolby Atmos track and Dolby Vision HDR to bring the very best out of this very colorful film. The Blu-ray presentation features one of the very best looking transfers on the format and shows exactly how far that format’s capabilities can be pushed. I highly recommend taking the ride with Bullet Train, whether on Blu-ray or 4K. It is some of the most fun I had with a new release this year.