Early reviews for the Brad Pitt-starring bullet train have surfaced online – and critics are pretty unanimous in their assessment of director David Leitch’s high-speed action.
Based on the novel Maria Beetle (published in English as Bullet Train) by Kōtarō Isaka, the film follows Pitt’s cunning assassin Ladybug as he battles a group of mercenaries vying for the same prize aboard the fictional Nippon Speed Line. .
Joining Pitt on the treacherous engine are Michael Shannon, Sandra Bullock, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Zazie Beetz, Hiroyuki Sanada and many more stars – making Bullet Train one of the most anticipated new movies of 2022. are starting to arrive.
let’s start with Variety (opens in new tab)Peter Debruge, who described Bullet Train as “an over-the-top cartoonish action movie in which half a dozen killers shoot, stab and stab each other’s pretty faces in search of a briefcase full of cash.”
full movie (opens in new tab)Paul Bradshaw echoed that sentiment, writing that the film has “too many twists and tropes to let you slip into first class, but the mix of cast, comedy, and carnage ensure a quick and enjoyable ride.”
Collider’s Maggie Lovett was a little more complimentary in her assessment, tweet (opens in new tab) that Bullet Train is a “bomb-tastic comedy of errors designed to invigorate, entertain and surprise. The heart-pounding (and stopping) action is set to an incredible soundtrack that will leave you buzzing with excitement.”
#BulletTrain is a bombastic comedy of errors designed to invigorate, entertain and surprise. The heart-pounding (and stopping) action is set to an incredible soundtrack that will have you buzzing with excitement. Grab your bucket hat and hold on tight! @BulletTrain is a ticket to the fun!August 2, 2022
IndieWire (opens in new tab)David Ehrlich’s leading film critic was quick to denounce the film’s overall quality, but praised Pitt’s turn as its charismatic and surprisingly funny protagonist: “Bullet Train is not a good movie,” he wrote, “but the fun it radiates Brad Pitt is magnetic enough to convince him that you are having fun too.”
“Not a good movie” sounds similar to the opinion of Empire (opens in new tab)‘s Ben Travis, who said of the film: “Style over substance seems to be the main point here, but Bullet Train only operates on a surface level. […] Worth a one-way ticket, if not a return trip.”
And finally, noted film critic Courtney Howard summed up (opens in new tab) Bullet Train with a simple but vivid comparison describing the film as “Pulp Fiction on a train with some leftovers from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”.
So that’s it, folks. Sony’s Brad Pitt star vehicle sounds like a no doubt pleasant but largely normal movie moment. No John Wick – but no morbius, any. Bullet Train hits theaters worldwide on August 5th.
