‘Bullet Train’: Kawaii prank with style and fun to stop a train

Destiny, in this case, has a very marked double meaning. The arrival after a journey and that set of coincidences that seem to lead us to a precise place, as if everything were written in the universe. The protagonist of ‘Bullet Train’ knows a lot, a very unfortunate hitman who embarks on a final mission inside a bullet train, one in which his fate has more than one surprise in store for him … before he reaches his destination. He forgives redundancy.

‘Bullet Train’ is the new film from David Leitch (‘Deadpool 2’), a fast train journey that takes place almost entirely inside a high-speed train that crosses Japanin which Brad Pitt will come across a group of criminals, each more eccentric and dangerous, with interconnected objectives that will lead them to do whatever it takes to carry out their respective missions.

Based on the successful novel “Bullet Train” by Japanese writer Kotaro Isaka, “Bullet Train” bursts into the summer season with a fresh and decisive cinematic proposal, proving to be a must for action lovers and an ideal alternative in a scenario where it is increasingly difficult to find productions of this type without associating pre-established intellectual properties. ‘Bullet Train’ arrives at the right time, between Marvel previews and off-season, hoping to earn the space it deserves in the audience.

the shots are felt

David Leitch’s career has always been associated with action, with a long career as a stuntman leading him to work, since the mid-90s, on things like ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, the ‘Matrix’ saga, ‘ V for Vendetta ‘. ‘or’ 300 ‘. His work in the “John Wick” saga was instrumental in the development and refinement of action in recent cinema., and from there he went on to direct with titles like “Atomic”, the furious spin-off “Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw” and the sequel to “Deadpool”. In ‘Bullet Train’, Leitch once again puts all that experience into practice in the service of a flawless action show where the seams are barely visible, where the choreography is virtuosic and the shots hurt us too.

As anticipated, the film follows an unfortunate hitman codenamed Ladybug (Ladybug in English), who decides to accept one last mission from his supervisor: to retrieve a mysterious briefcase and take it to a safe place. However, coincidence has it that he runs into other killers who have boarded the same train and whose past missions randomly link to his.

Mandarina (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Limón (Brian Tyree Henry), the British “twins” who guard the briefcase, a couple of assassins as brutal as they are eccentric, El Lobo (Bad Bunny), a Mexican thug hungry for revenge, El Principe (Joey King), a sociopathic and psychopathic teenager with a secret mission and a lot of daddy problems, or Yuichi Kimura (Andrew Koji), a Japanese hitman who fights against the criminal organization that threatens to kill his young daughter. All of them will see their faces (and fists) in the narrow corridors of the fastest train in the world, wreaking havoc on the tracks as Ladybug tries to find a way to get off, always missing the next stop.

It’s as if “The Exterminating Angel” and “Snowpiercer (Snowbreaker)” come together in a cocktail of “John Wick” action well mixed with comic and anime influences, a hint of Tarantino, stylized violence and large doses of irreverent and cheeky humor, a blend that he collects from various sources, but that Leitch manages to combine under a defined and marked style. And the key word here is that, “style”, something that ‘Bullet Train’ has, and you will forgive me, stop a train. Elegant in every shot, both in the fighting, both bestial and elegant, and in its impeccable visual section, full of bright colors, immersed in the omnipresent neon of recent action cinema and always playing with the surprising contrast between kawaii and hyper-violent.

Characters and dialogues, as important as the action

Contrast is, in fact, one of the main elements of the film. Leitch finds in the clash of disparate elements a gold mine to entertain and make an impact. And not just when it comes to action or visual extravagance. In fact, in ‘Bullet Train’, the contrast that works best is the one that defines the protagonists themselves. A group of characters who hide far more than they appear, who defy expectations and whose relationships are as elaborate as action. Because here, the absurd conversations between Mandarina and Limón, the sarcastic comments of a tired Mariquita who wants to retire, or the twisted pangs of El Príncipe are important, or even more so, of the pounding. Y this is what makes ‘Bullet Train’ rise above average, that beyond the show, there are layers in its characters.

Layers that the actors remove with enthusiasm and dedication. With such a cast, it was easy to rest on our laurels, but Leitch brings out the best in everyone. Starting with Brad Pitt, who after winning the Oscar and having confessed to being him at the last stretch of his career before retiring, seems to have adopted a new philosophy: choosing projects above all to have fun. And in “Bullet Train” he has a lot of fun and it goes without saying. We had already seen Pitt shine in the comedy (in the Coen brothers’ ‘Burn after reading’ or more recently in his acclaimed cameo in ‘The Lost City’), but this is probably his funniest character to date. He is full, having fun and having fun with him.

And the best thing about his character is that he’s not only a funny and charismatic hero, he’s also a human anti-hero, a man who, deep down, wants to be a better person, and who accepts this (presumably) ultimate task of being able to undertake that. other vital mission. The same goes for the rest of the characters. Most of them are the worst, but at the same time they are full of humanity (like Wade Wilson). The dynamic duo of Mandarina and Limón, an utterly irresistible Aaron Taylor-Johnson and a hilarious Bryan Tyree Henry, exude chemistry from all four sides in a complementary interpretation full of connected, absurd moments (Limón’s obsession with children’s series’ Thomas and his friends runs for the entire movie) and even thrills. without forgetting to a bubbly Joey King, a fatal teen who, without getting into action, uses her good girl looks to land some of the film’s most ruthless (figurative) blowsin which, even so, we also find that humanity, a certain insecurity and a childish innocence that make her something more than just a villain.

A special mention deserves Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny. The famous Puerto Rican singer had already taken his first steps in acting with ‘Narcos: Mexico’, but ‘Bullet Train’ marks his big debut in Hollywood cinema, before putting himself in the shoes of El Muerto, the next anti-hero of the ‘Spider – L Sony man. All eyes are on him, wondering if he’ll be up to such a challenge with little acting experience. Well, in “Bullet Train”, his participation is short, but enough to verify it when it comes to action, pass the test with flying colors, thanks to a memorable fight with Brad Pitt.. Dramatically it’s another story, because most of the time we see it in flashbacks with very little dialogue, as if it were in a video clip, well. It therefore remains to be seen whether, when the time comes, he will be able to carry the weight of an entire film on his shoulders.

As for the rest of the cast, Andrew Koji stands out with good dramatic work and Hiroyuki Sanada, an eminence in action and samurai cinema; but Leitch is missing other players like Logan Lerman, Zazie Beetz or Karen Fukuhara. However, Watch out for cameos, because they have to beat their ears. Known (and beloved) faces get on the bullet train to leave us with some of the funniest moments from the film. Better not to reveal them to preserve the surprise, but let’s say that in Hollywood there is a close-knit gang and every time we see one of them appear in another’s film, it is a source of joy for the viewer.

Explosive cocktail with everything to conquer

“Bullet Train” is a wild and frantic ride full of insolence and brazenness, but even those strengths are momentarily diluted by a duration that extends more than the account. Due to her limited premise, which takes place in the same place most of the time and her story based on repetition and dilation (Ladybug wants to get off the train and continue with her life, but they won’t let her), the story perhaps required a more condensed film. However, with more than two hours, the story speeds up and slows down by stumbling, losing pace and momentum in several sections (especially towards the end) and stretching the gum – and a few beats – more than necessary.

Fortunately, that gum doesn’t lose flavor thanks to all of the previously mentioned ingredients. The humor, the good work of his cast, the alchemy between them all, his sparkling dialogue, his attractive visual section and a thunderous climax in which Leitch decides to end with a bang. Despite its ups and downs, ‘Bullet Train’ is an exemplary piece of entertainment, a careful work with personality that offers fun without complexes, a summer escape to forget the problems and let yourself go. But also a story with an occasional deep, and even tender touch, which contrasts madness, telling us about fate and luck, coincidences and chance, and how the roads sometimes cross in the most surprising and fortuitous ways. .

Though it has things to polish, ‘Bullet Train’ has a winning formula in hand and is one of those films that could very well indicate a prosperous future by word of mouth. Of course, if action, aesthetics and humor fascinate us, what really wins us over are his charactersthat we wouldn’t mind seeing again someday.

Note: 7

The best: That Leitch put as much importance on the characters as on the action, which is obviously top notch. Brad Pitt in his funnest comic role to date. Her vibrant aesthetic and his cheekiness.

Worse: A duration that sometimes gets lost and an approach with some logical gaps.

‘Bullet Train’ opens 5th August exclusively in theaters.