Bullet Train - DVD + Digital

“Bullet Train” doesn’t take itself seriously, at all. It’s a somewhat goofy over-the-top bloody action adventure with scene chewing one-dimensional assassins. It’s like “Kill Bill” without the depth. It relies on several rapid “gotcha” reveals all near or at the end of the movie to make itself seem like it’s clever and/or funny but it’s all merely in service for brutal bantery battles. Does Brad Pitt pull off a kinder, gentler John Wick? No because his character is all about bad luck and not intentionally killing other killers. As an R-rated actioner (there is a lot of blood and a fair amount of cursing) it’s a passable diversion but you may just get the feeling that the actors and principles involved in making the movie were having more fun making it than you watching it.

This movie was great! If you liked Kill Bill, you will love Bullet Train. It started good... got better all the way through and was a laugh a minute. Lemon and Tangerine (two of the main characters) could make a fortune as stand-up comics. Brad Pitt is hilarious. The vignette story development is wonderful. And while Sandra Bullock has a small role - every second she has is simply brilliant. THIS MOVIE IS PURE FUN!

Saw this twice in theaters and had to pre-order the DVD. I absolutely love this movie. In a time where most Hollywood releases have an agenda and must focus on THE MESSAGE rather than story, Bullet Train is a breath of fresh air. While there are a few throwaway lines that hint at woke culture, it is an overall excellent movie that seeks to simply entertain and not preach. There are a few instances in the movie that fail to suspend disbelief, but it is easy to re-emerge into the story and enjoy.If you're looking for an entertaining film that has plenty of action and quite a few decent laughs, and one that isn't pushing any sort of agenda in either direction, then Bullet Train is for you.

Saw this movie in theater yesterday and it was a non-stop roller coaster of action and comedy. I will be buying the 4k once it's out. Fantastic film, highly recommended.

Bullet Train is a two hour thrill ride with lots of action and laughs. Great cast but the cameos rocked. Brad Pitt is the main character Ladybug - filling in for Carver (Ryan Reynolds) but the entire cast was phenomenal. Aaron Perry Taylor-Johnson along with Brian Tyree Henry are brothers Tangerine and Lemon. Everyone is an assassin and everyone is trying to survive the ride. Plot twists along the way made me gasp with shock. Great movie, lots of fun and I will be buying this movie the moment it is available on streaming.

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this movie as much as I did. Plot twists and crazy action all throughout kept my attention as the story all finally fit together from start to finish. Crazy fun, crazy story, crazy characters and crazy violent but in a somewhat Deadpool cartoonish way. Don’t take the kids but if you like the Deadpool movies then this one is a winner. I want to see it again.

I’ve often felt it’s impossible to make a really awful movie that’s primarily set on a train. The cramped confines and constant motion make for increased suspense and intense action scenes even if the plot is subpar. But with the demise of train travel as a contemporary means of transportation, those movies are rare today. “Bullet Train” is a welcome and major exception. Unfortunately, while the cast and much of the action are first-rate, an overly complicated plot and mediocre CGI effects derail the film at the end.“Bullet Train” has a ridiculously complex plot that will remind many viewers of early Guy Ritchie films. Brad Pitt heads an ensemble cast as a covert operative known as Ladybug. (Pitt appeared in some of those Guy Ritchie movies.) He’s undergone recent extensive therapy that has left him with a more relaxed, Zen-like outlook on life. So, he refuses to carry a gun anymore. His handler (Sandra Bullock) gives him what should be a simple assignment for his initial return to fieldwork. He is supposed to retrieve a briefcase from a high-speed bullet train going from Tokyo to Kyoto. The briefcase is guarded by a very mismatched set of mercenary assassins dubbed the Twins (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry).The briefcase is the film’s McGuffin, although it serves as a helpful prop for Pitt and others to wield in the movie’s various hand-to-hand combats. Almost everyone on the train is trying to steal the briefcase, kill somebody else on the train, or both. They include an actual snake, an escaped deadly boomslang from a local zoo that has slithered its way onboard and makes its presence known in several action scenes. The most interesting character on the train is a teenage female assassin known as the Prince (Joey King). Her shtick is to pose as a frightened, innocent schoolgirl (a deception aided by attire that seems to come from a manga anime film) who is threatened by the various killers on board. This is one of King’s best roles and one of the movie’s highlights.The screenplay explains each character’s backstory and motivation through a series of flashbacks. The plot eventually proves to be as complex as a Quentin Tarantino storyline. Unlike Tarantino’s films, however, “Bullet Train” becomes less interesting as the audience learns more about the plot. The story also becomes quite repetitive, as various bits of business get recycled with decreasing effect. A prime example is Henry’s obsession with the children’s book character, Thomas the Tank Engine. He tries to place each person he encounters somewhere in the Thomas universe. Seeing the rather massive Henry philosophizing about a children’s storybook is amusing the first time. By the fifth or sixth repetition, it becomes annoyingly stale.For many viewers, the highlight of “Bullet Train” is the action, specifically the numerous fight scenes. Director David Leitch previously helmed “Atomic Blonde” and “Hobbs & Shaw” and knows how to stage intricate fight sequences. The action in these scenes is elaborate and carefully choreographed to use every inch of space on the train and weave the inherent limitations of its cramped quarters into the combat. The result is fun to watch, especially when the combatants must pause because an innocent bystander enters the scene. Leitch also takes full advantage of one of the movie’s best and most unique plot points. The train makes several stops en route but only stays at each station for one minute. During the film, various characters try to board or leave the train at different stops. That one-minute deadline leads to a few entertaining fast shuffles and characters being left behind as the train leaves the station.At the 90-minute mark, “Bullet Train” has exhausted its supply of clever dialogue and decent combat sequences. So, the script from Zak Olkewicz takes the action outside the train. In the earlier part of the movie, viewers were only given occasional stock-footage establishing shots of the train in motion. But at the climax, the train barrels out of control with various characters clinging to the sides and top of cars. They also crawl around and enter the control car through a convenient shattered front windshield. Similar scenes in older train movies used actual railroad cars and stunt people for maximum realism and a sense of danger. Here, it’s clear that the actors are in no real jeopardy, and the train and its cars are just 21st-century CGI updates of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends. The train may be out of control in this sequence, but audience interest chugs to a halt.“Bullet Train” was adapted from an acclaimed Japanese novel with much more depth than the movie. Instead, the film substitutes glitz, a solid cast, and nearly non-stop action for any substance. The result is an initially entertaining film that later wears out its welcome. I would rate this movie 2.5 stars if I could, but I’m raising it to a three-star mild recommendation for the well-staged interior action sequences and a couple of surprise cameos. However, “Bullet Train” doesn’t travel anywhere near that speed.

A great action comedy. Great character writing. Not for everyone. But anyone who is a fan of Tarentino or Guy Richie will love this.