What does David Leitch have in store for audiences with his latest directing effort?
His career as a director started off collaborating on one of the biggest surprise hits of the past decade…John Wick. Leitch went uncredited but worked directly with his pal Chad Stahelski. This was the springboard that he needed to launch a blossoming directorial career. Atomic Blonde might have been narratively confusing, but the action was inspired and better than 99% of action films out there. Things got bigger for him as he expanded to franchise pieces like Deadpool 2 and Hobbs & Shaw. Both films were elevated by the exciting and well-shot action. All the world-building and action that Leitch has ventured into has led him to this moment where we finally get to see Bullet Train.
What is Leitch able to deliver on the direction side of Bullet Train?
The action. Plain and simple. The choreography is impressive, and the filmmaking is top-notch. All the in-camera action is brutal and exciting. We get fist fights, knife fights, and sword fights along with plenty of bullets flying. When you have a whole story centered around assassins stuck together on a bullet train, you should know that there is going to be some wild action. But it is not always the best when the scale of the film becomes just too big. The special effects budget runs thin as the film races towards its finale leaving some visuals left to be desired.
Does Bullet Train deliver a quality adaptation of Kotaro Isaka’s novel?
This film has a LOT going on. There are also tons of bold ways the story is told. Leitch pulls the screenplay in and pulls out plenty of storytelling tricks. There are constant flashback sequences to add dimension and color to what is going on during that scene. Basically, each character gets flashback sequences that are shot with camera movements and quick edits making for an energy pacing through (and that is important for a film that is over two hours). Sometimes the story structure gets to be too much, and they are trying to jam way too much into this single narrative. The bloat becomes a problem when we are expected to keep a trap of plenty of characters and items that are essential to the story. Could some of the threads be cut out with some modifications? Absolutely.
Unfortunately, not all the characters are that interesting which are worth spending even more time to cut back and flesh out.
Bullet Train would have benefited from some trimming up.
What are some of those elements that feel undercooked?
Joey King plays “The Prince” who is a little con artist who has some convoluted plans that even the script calls out for being ridiculous. She has some interesting connections to some of the characters, but she is almost completely forgotten in the climax of the film. If that is possible, was “The Prince” that necessary? There is “The Hornet” (who I won’t divulge too much about) but let’s just say they are dispatched way too quickly. Were they really that essential? Even with those few undercooked elements removed, this would have felt even less convoluted.
But what are the elements that draw the audience in?
Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is obviously our focus, and his newfound world perspective makes him a refreshing element compared to the rest of the ruthless and violent characters. The ideas of luck and fate become the largest ideas in the film, and they channel right through Ladybug to the audience. Two of the biggest selling points of the film are Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry). Their brotherly dynamic is fun and endearing bringing in some of the best emotions in the film. The impressive amount of Thomas the Tank Engine references in this film is a fun dimension to the character of Lemon. The weaving web of “The White Death” and “The Elder” add a certain level of mythos to the story which adds more layers and stakes to the action.
Does Leitch get another big win under his belt?
The story might be messy but there is still plenty to enjoy about it.
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Not quite? This is one of his more flawed films. There is an over-reliance on CGI which doesn’t even look that great. There is zero logic to the film (especially in the climactic action sequence). There is just too much and not enough depth for some of the threads and characters. But there are buckets of style and great music choices that breathe so much life into the film. The cast is top-notch, and the action is incredibly thrilling.
