AbbyNormal Reviews EP17 - Bullet train

Welcome to the seventeenth episode of AbbyNormal Reviews where I share thoughts on movies I watch. 

Bullet Train is a 2022 film directed by David Leitch in which a group of assassins find themselves on the same train bound for Kyoto.

True to film clichés, the narrative revolves around the possession of the briefcase.

Ladybug, an unlucky hitman, is tasked with retrieving it but is constantly thwarted by other assassins.

His sole objective is to get off that cursed train, yet every time, he is unable to do so. Such as the first time, when he finds himself caught up in Wolf’s quest for revenge, which prevents him from leaving the train.

Among the assassins our Brad Pitt must battle are Hornet, a woman who likes poisoning people; Prince, a girl dressed in pink who framed a family man; and the twins Lemon and Tangerine, whose mission is to deliver a briefcase full of money to the ruthless White Death, along with his son.

The goal of all the characters is to get their hands on the briefcase. They all have a score to settle with the big bad, the White Death, who keeps a close watch on the twins throughout the film, as he doesn't trust them. And rightly so: the pair literally lose the briefcase at the very beginning of the movie.

Gunfights, fistfights, yet all accompanied by quips and comic moments, largely stemming from the streak of bad luck dogging the character of Ladybug, which nonetheless keeps him alive until the end.

Many disliked it due to the overuse of clichés and predictable misunderstandings. Perhaps this made the film feel a bit repetitive, as if the same old routine dragged on for too long, which is why I agree that it isn't the film of the year.  Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable watch.

What kept the story moving was the arc involving Prince and Yuichi, so the most unpredictable and interesting part, even though the film’s standout performances undoubtedly come from Lemon and Tangerine.

The duo provides much of the story's comedy, whether through Lemon’s train references or Tangerine’s swaggering bravado.

Having also seen The Fall Guy starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, I have to say that the role of the arrogant fool suits him perfectly.

Perhaps the fact that they are the only ones who are actually a couple gives them a slightly more human touch. All the other main characters are loners who work alone; they, however, have each other, a detail that reveals their human side, not just their nature as killers.

Chance or destiny? The film portrays this eternal clash between the two schools of thought.

Speaking of which, Ladybug has a sort of epiphany while hearing the story of Yuichi’s father, known as the Elder. As we listen to his words, the sun rises, bathing Brad Pitt’s face in a warm orange glow and silhouetting the wise man, making him appear almost like a mystical entity.

This is the only cinematographic choice that really stood out to me without any effort. The rest of the film didn't make much of an impression in terms of lighting or framing, except for one of the final scenes where Brad Pitt goes flying through the train in slow motion. I really liked the use of slow motion, the floating LED screens, and the coffee carafe hitting the character in the face. That would have made a great end credits sequence. 

A film that constantly pokes fun at its own genre. An action movie that turns into a slapstick comedy fueled by kung fu.

Although the action sequences make up the bulk of the film, they aren't particularly thrilling; they are heavily choreographed but lack intensity.

I was really disappointed after seeing the face of Carver, the hitman Ladybug replaced. I mean, are you telling me I could have watched two hours of Ryan Reynolds??? I would have loved that.

The screenplay was a bit empty, or rather, repetitive. Still, it’s an enjoyable film that’s easy to follow.