Bullet Train Movie Review

Brad Pitt stars in Bullet Train

Faster (and Louder) Than a Speeding Bullet

Rotten Tomatoes Plot: In Bullet Train, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug's latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe - all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives - on the world's fastest train. From the director of Deadpool 2, David Leitch, the end of the line is only the beginning in a wild, non-stop thrill ride through modern-day Japan.

Starring: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, and Sandra Bullock.

What's Good: Pitt promises a "new, improved me," and delivers with a bang. Closing in on 60, the 2020 Oscar winner (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) dishes out as many one-liners as he does beatdowns, with equal aplomb. He's at times hysterical, and the perfect choice to focus on (through all the carnage.) Just as good? Taylor-Johnson and Henry as brothers-in-arms with a penchant for lemons, tangerines and Thomas the Tank Engine. Then there's the non-stop action, which is (dark) comical, graphic and...

What's Not: Bombastic. Bullet Train might be the loudest movie you've ever seen (yet alone heard.) It's appropriate in moderation, but Leitch appears to be driving with no breaks in this one. It's downright exhausting at times, and lasts just over two hours.

Budget: $90 million

Runtime: 126 minutes (100 would have been perfect.)

Target Audience: Fans of action, action, action.

Bottom Line: Ladybug smartly declares, "Let this be a lesson to the toxicity of anger." Bullet Train has more than its fair share of anger, testosterone and violence, but it's also jam-packed with a number of big-name cameos and laugh-out-loud moments. Truth be told, it has a lot of everything, which is a bit hard to handle over the course of two (nonstop) hours on an IMAX screen. If you like your movies shaken and stirred, you won't be disappointed. 

Grade: B (Loud and/but entertaining.)