Name: Bullet Train (2022)
Genres: Action Countries of origin: Japan, USA.
Cast: Brad Pitt as Ladybug, Joey King as The Little Prince, Mike Shannon as the White Death, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tangerine, Brian Tyree Henry as Lemon, Bad Bunny as the Wolf, Zazie Beetz as the Hornet, Andrew Koji as Kimura, Hiroyuki Sanada as The Elder, Sandra Bullock as Maria.
Directed by: David Leitch. Written by: Zack Olkewicz, Kotaro Isaka.
The Three Acts:
The initial tableaux:
Brad Pitt's character, Ladybug, talks to his handler, Maria, via cell phone. Ladybug is in Tokyo after time off after too many gigs gone wrong. He is replacing his colleague, Carver, whom he despises. His assignment is to snatch a steel briefcase on the bullet train headed to Kyoto, then get to a safe house. Simple enough, eh?
Getting in the way of his success is his monumental bad luck, which he discusses with Maria.
The initial tableaux:
Brad Pitt's character, Ladybug, talks to his handler, Maria, via cell phone. Ladybug is in Tokyo after time off after too many gigs gone wrong. He is replacing his colleague, Carver, whom he despises. His assignment is to snatch a steel briefcase on the bullet train headed to Kyoto, then get to a safe house. Simple enough, eh?
Getting in the way of his success is his monumental bad luck, which he discusses with Maria.
Delineation of conflicts:
Ladybug finds the case almost immediately. However, the case "belongs to" two British assassins, Tangerine and Lemon. Tangerine and Lemon had retrieved the case and the son of the crime boss, The White Death, from enemy Yakusa. After discovering the case is missing, Tangerine and Lemon return to the son, only to find him hideously killed...by a fourth assassin. Meanwhile, Prince, the daughter of The White Death, is extorting Kimura to kill her father in exchange for the life of his son.
Kimura's father (The Elder) has joined the train before Kyoto station. He has a score to settle with the White Death.
Ladybug has been prevented (again, and again) from exiting the train at its stops.
Fate pushes The Elder, Kimura, and Ladybug against The White Death and his gangsters at Kyoto station, the end of the line.
Statistics:
Cinematography: 10/10 Well lit and focused. The many action scenes were always well framed.
Sound: 10/10 The actors were miked sufficiently. The music soundtrack was marvelous.
Acting: 10/10 Aaron Taylor Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry were excellent as the mass murderers Tangerine and Lemon. Brad Pitt was fine as an assassin at the end of his career, trying to survive and trying to be a better person at the same time. Joey King was quite fun giving a new take on the word devious.
Screenplay: 7/10 The third act dragged a bit. However, I liked the film's sense of humor about deadly topics: fate and revenge. The fight choreography was excellent.
Final rating: 9/10
Cinematography: 10/10 Well lit and focused. The many action scenes were always well framed.
Sound: 10/10 The actors were miked sufficiently. The music soundtrack was marvelous.
Acting: 10/10 Aaron Taylor Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry were excellent as the mass murderers Tangerine and Lemon. Brad Pitt was fine as an assassin at the end of his career, trying to survive and trying to be a better person at the same time. Joey King was quite fun giving a new take on the word devious.
Screenplay: 7/10 The third act dragged a bit. However, I liked the film's sense of humor about deadly topics: fate and revenge. The fight choreography was excellent.
Final rating: 9/10
