When we say, “starring Brad Pitt”, actually, he came pretty close to being out-acted, because the real star of Bullet Train, for me anyway, is English actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson. When he’s on screen, Brad visibly wilts in his presence – just my opinion. You could say he “kicked, ass” (see what I did there?).
You may recall Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. It felt like Leonardo had way more screen time but when Brad was in frame, well, the rest is history. You don’t get a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for just showing up. I’d go as far as to say some of Brad Pitt’s best performances have been when he’s in a supporting or cameo role. He seems to do his best work when the pressure is off. Twelve Monkeys and Snatch are great examples.
Director David Leitch was clearly channelling Quentin Tarantino for this but there are also more than a few nods to Guy Ritchie. Having said that, he doesn’t quite pull it off with the same panache.
Is it worth getting onboard for? I’d say yes. It’s not a brilliant movie. I’d struggle to say it’s a great one (realistically, it’s not a great one), but it is a romp, and it skips, punches, stabs and kicks its way along nicely, with plenty of action that’ll have you munching your popcorn, or whatever you consume at the cinema, with great abandon. That means your mouth will drop open at some points and fellow cinemagoers will see everything you’re eating.
So, what’s the plot?
Ah, don’t worry about such things. Honestly, it’s the usual hired killers all fighting over something or other but this time on a train in Japan. Hi! (wondering whether I should take the Hi! off – mmm, I’ll leave it there).
What we liked/loved…
Brad’s always easy on the eye.
It’s beautifully shot.
There are some genuinely funny moments.
Plenty of action.
Yes, it’s worth buying a ticket for… hop aboard.
MovieBox rating…
Somewhere between 7 and 7.32 out of 10.
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