I Gotta Get Off This Train: Bullet Train Review

 Bullet Train is a thrilling ride filled with action and gore. The violence fills in for the plot at times, and the movie feels longer than necessary.

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Is Bullet Train a Remake?

Bullet Train is not a remake. The movie is based on a 2010 novel Maria Beetle, written by Kotaro Isaka. The novel is the second book in a series written by Isaska. The first book was also turned into a film, a 2015 project titled Grasshopper. Maria Beetle is translated to Bullet Train for the English versions of the novel, and was originally published in Japanese in 2010.

Why is Bullet Train Rated R?

The awesome action scenes and intense violence is part of what makes Bullet Train so much fun to watch. It’s also a large reason why this movie is rated R. The gore is pretty extreme at times, there are multiple deaths shown on screen, and lots of flesh wounds. Blood is flying in some direction for a large part of the movie, and while I really enjoyed this movie, if you can’t stomach the violence it is going to be a rough watch. There is a little bit of sexual conduct, but only for a couple of seconds early in the movie.

Bullet Train Review

Starring Brad Pitt, Bullet Train was a whirlwind of fun and violence. The movie was exactly as advertised, both funny and action packed. The violence was a bit intense at points. Blood flying everywhere, that kind of thing. The movie doesn’t explicitly show every death, but every act of violence that doesn’t kill someone is on full display. I really enjoyed it, it was a high tempo watch that lacked story at times but made up for it with great casting and funny dialogue.

Brad Pitt is awesome in this one. The reluctant ‘snatch-and-grab’ artist who seems to have no luck at all. His character is really quite funny, but there’s also more than meets the eye as you get deeper into the movie. Ladybug, Pitt’s character, has depth beyond the story and it always seems like there is more to the character than we are being told. Pitt’s ability to radiate calm, nonchalant vibes adds to the character and makes him the best choice for the role.

Joey King, The Prince, and Andrew Koji, Kimura, were both decent characters and they fit into the movie well. They don’t make my top 3 for Bullet Train, but they are honourable mentions. King does a great job of personifying her character, and I thought her performance was really convincing.

Far and way the second and third best characters in Bullet train are Lemon and Tangerine. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry are awesome and they play off each other so, so well. Henry was so funny, and the Thomas the tank engine thing had me reminiscing a bit. Johnson’s character is so, so different, and they clash in a hilarious way. The brothers fight, get sentimental, and have an itch for violence. They are awesome, and definitely a highlight of the film.

The plot of Bullet Train is pretty mediocre. It has some substance, it has some form of a storyline, but really the deeper meaning just isn’t present. The ending is really good, but the entire time on the train feels very similar. Everyone is chasing the briefcase and there is a pile of violence. The story is lacking on the train, and while it is entertaining, it feels empty at times. The movie does try to build a story, but it feels like it is put on the back burner too often.

I really enjoyed Bullet Train, and while the plot is nothing special, the rest of the movie is quite good. The action is creative, the idea behind the movie is really unique, and an entire movie set on a moving object was pretty cool. The visuals are well done, with some really interesting shots of different scenes, and I really enjoyed the watching side of this movie. Our characters bring the movie to another level, and I really enjoyed them. I do regret not seeing this in theatres, but it does make for a good watch from home.