In Sony Pictures’ Bullet Train, Brad Pitt leads an eccentric cast of characters for director David Leitch. Zak Olkewicz pens the screenplay for the film, an adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka’s same-titled novel, which introduces us to Ladybug, a trained assassin who wants to give up the killing life. Ladybug unexpectedly finds himself back in action by his handler Maria Beetle (Sandra Bullock), to collect a briefcase on a bullet train heading from Tokyo to Kyoto. Onboard the train, he and other competing assassins discover their objectives are all connected.
Pitt stars as Ladybug, the 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.
Going into Bullet Train, I had a general idea of the film’s plot but avoided trailers and behind-the-scenes footage as much as possible. The man behind Bullet Train is Stuntman turned director David Leitch. He was behind the lens of two enjoyable flicks from the last few years Hobbs & Shaw and Deadpool 2. And while I wasn’t a huge fan of 2017’s Atomic Blonde, one of that film’s action sequences was the best of the year.
We get an early introduction to Brad Pitt’s lead character and his current nickname, Ladybug, with the plot kicking off into full gear. Kudos to writer Zak Olkewicz who knows the premise is silly but establishes the other killers on the train tactfully. The other hired guns on the train include twin brothers Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), cunning Prince (Joey King), and mysterious Wolf (Bad Bunny). Each actor fully commits to their roles and is having a blast. There are also some great cameos in the film, which I won’t spoil, but took me off guard.
Throughout Bullet Train’s run time, I either laughed at the silliness or applauded the glorious action sequences. While everything comes together in the end, I want to let potential viewers know that the storyline is remarkably coherent. In any case, Leitch knows precisely what it takes to make an action film that aims to do nothing more than entertain its audience.
Final Grade: A-
Bullet Train opens in theaters tomorrow.
After an eight-year hiatus, cult director Eli Craig returns to the horror-comedy genre with his latest film, “Clown in a Cornfield,” from RLJE Films.
First-time director Felipe Vargas explores the consequences of forgetting one’s roots in the chilling horror film “Rosario,” produced by Highland Film Group and Muchio Mass Media. Alan Trezza wrote the screenplay, which begins with our titular character, a Mexican immigrant, receiving her first communion. After a spooky incident involving her eerie grandmother, it becomes evident that Rosario is destined to move on when she grows older.
Director Duncan Skiles taps into the buddy pic genre for his feature debut in “Neighborhood Watch” from RJLE Films. Simon (Jack Quaid) is a young man grappling with mental illness who becomes convinced that he has witnessed an abduction. When he reports it to the police, and they refuse to believe him, he reluctantly seeks the help of his neighbor Ed (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a jaded, retired security guard with a troubled past. As the unlikely duo delves deeper into the mystery, their pursuit of the truth forces them to confront the disappearance’s dark secrets and the unspoken wounds that haunt them.