The mixed martial arts star denied the allegation and said he had 'fully consensual sex' with the plaintiff Nikita Hand
world5 hours ago
For a 'Bullet Train' hurtling from Tokyo to Kyoto at breakneck speed with five deadly assassins onboard, there’s hardly any sense of terror that accompanies the harrowing ride to make the trip worthwhile. Credit to the high tech Japanese rail system perhaps?
But then right from the onset the artifice of the entire premise is laid bare and to be fair we jump onboard giddily beckoned by the ever charming golden haired Brad Pitt. The Hollywood star's charisma, we are glad to report, can’t be hidden under the bucket hat and black rimmed glasses which he endearingly puts on to read the fine print.
There’s nothing like a middle aged gun-shy assassin who loves to spout philosophical one-liners and breathe in and breathe out during trying moments to headline an action thriller, is there?
Based on Maria Beetle, the 2010 novel by Japanese author Kotaro Isaka, the action-comedy sees Pitt playing a reluctant hit man codenamed Ladybird, entrusted with the task of retrieving a briefcase (TUMI branding done well) stuffed with cash, off the high-speed train.
Little does he know he is merely part of destiny’s play with the strings manipulated by a mysterious puppet master (Michael Shannon) as the train with four other deadly assassins onboard glides towards the climax. As the movie's tag line so aptly puts it; The end of the line is just the beginning.
Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson enjoy a lot of screen time courtesy their bickering ‘British twin’ act as Lemon and Tangerine and the former’s childlike obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine is all over the place. Though, for an action movie where the proceedings sizzle during the high octane heavily stylised fight sequences, the tendency to fixate on the British humour can be a bit tiresome.
Joey King (The Kissing Booth) as the psychopathic co-passenger with daddy issues is stellar. The movie has been accused of cultural misappropriation even before its release, but Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat) and Andrew Koji (Warrior, Snake Eyes) do a decent enough job to make a case for representation.
Puerto Rican rapper Baby Bunny adds to the diversity with his stylish appearance as the Wolf and showcases his heft in one of the film’s most well choreographed action sequences.
At times, all the verbosity can be extremely yawn inducing, like a persistently annoying co-passenger who insists on regaling you with their personal history when all you want to do is bury your head in an action thriller.
Midway through the ride, there are even moments when you seriously wish you could hop off the train. As if to circumvent this, stuntman-turned-director David Leitch peppers the proceedings with a series of high profile cameos that will have you sit up for a bit, only to sink back into your seats when the action goes south.
Bullet Train’s USP could have been its originality (despite being based on a bestselling Japanese novel there is still that element of exotic novelty) except for its heavy Guy Ritchie-meets-Quentin Tarantino vibe.
But as if to elevate it from mere bullets and fistfights territory, Leitch (Deadpool 2) and screenwriter Zak Olkewicz weighs it down with existential questions about the role of luck/destiny in one’s life. Like a central character says; “If you do not control fate, fate will control you.”
But all this doesn’t help save Bullet Train from being a blingy vacuous ‘Shoot first and come up with the answers later’ kind of movie.
Whatever complaints you may have about Bullet Train - it is sluggish, talk-heavy - one thing can’t be denied. And that is Brad Pitt’s magnetism.
The Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood actor’s turn as an unlucky, gun shy hit man who glibly mouths lines like - ‘Karma is a b***h’, or a smug ‘Let this be a lesson in the toxicity of anger’ to his embittered co-passengers, is classic old school Hollywood appeal at its best.
But would that be reason enough to hop onboard the Bullet Train?
Bullet Train
Director: David Leitch
Cast: Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Joey King,
Rating: 2.5 out of 4
The mixed martial arts star denied the allegation and said he had 'fully consensual sex' with the plaintiff Nikita Hand
world5 hours ago
Modi lost his majority in parliamentary elections held between April and June and had to depend on fickle allies to form a government
asia5 hours ago
Sporadic fighting between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has killed around 150 over the past months
asia6 hours ago
Imagine if a nurse or doctor didn't feel safe to report an error seen by colleagues — consider how many patients could be at risk
jobs7 hours ago
Trump has plucked a number of presidential appointments from Fox News programs, both in his first term from 2017-2021 and since being elected again on November 5
world7 hours ago
This place also offers golden karak tea for Dh150 and if you want to buy gold-infused water, get ready to shell out Dh300
food7 hours ago
A unified platform for drone operations will also be launched, streamlining registration and operational procedures
uae7 hours ago
The US prosecutor charges are the biggest setback for India's $143 billion Adani Group, which was last year hit by Hindenburg Research's allegations of improper use of offshore tax havens
asia8 hours ago