Bullet Train

 Ephraim Belnap

    Bullet Train is the latest from high-class director David Leitch, director of such blockbusters as Deadpool 2, Hobbs and Shaw, and John Wick. Based on a 2010 Japanese novel, Bullet Train is the story of a train full of assassins all vying for the same thing. And in the midst of it, the unassuming snatch-and-grabber Ladybug (played by Brad Pitt) simply tries to survive and get off it. But things will not be that simple. 

    However, the film proves a bit of a letdown. Despite the awesome pedigree of its director, Bullet Train suffers from an insufficient script and wonky storytelling. Its ensemble of quirky criminals, each with their own story, feels more at home in the hands of a comedian, not an action director. And while its presentation is razor-sharp - beautiful, efficient, appealing, colorful - all the good presentation in the world doesn't matter if the story doesn't make sense. Like all crime ensemble tales, the story is about the nature of good and evil and the the complexity of doing the right thing. But its insistence on bouncing around and its lack of follow-through hamstrings it. A possible ten out of ten is just a six or seven out of ten. 

    Brad Pitt brings a new charm as a Jackie Chan-like courier who doesn't want no trouble. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry shine as a bickering pair of hitmen best friends. And Joey King and Hiroyuki Sanada bring gravitas and poise. But all the good casting in the world can't save a story that doesn't squeeze the lemon from its premise.