Bullet Train (2022)

The action and cast chemistry deliver a slick, cartoonish ride with fun set-pieces, but it stays surface-level with shallow themes and tokenistic elements.

The critic praises the film's verve and craft in blending action with humorous digressions and empathetic characterizations that humanize the violent psychopaths. It notes the narrative momentum and heart beneath the carnage, though the climax becomes overly bombastic.

Too many twists and tropes make it flabby, but the cast, comedy, and carnage create a zippy, enjoyable ride buoyed by stylish violence and a disposable A-list ensemble.

The critic sees the film as elaborate, ridiculous, compelling and fun, with impressive choreography and verve that embraces its artificiality. It highlights the expert staging of action and the film's refusal to take itself too seriously.

The critic calls it a mixed bag that settles affably into its stride thanks to charming performances from Pitt, Henry and Taylor-Johnson, but notes the script isn’t always the sharpest and points out issues with whitewashing the source material.

It delivers a cartoonishly over-the-top high-speed battle royal with eccentric assassins and hot-potato plotting choreographed by a former stuntman. The film wears its pop style on its sleeve but lacks the vision or wit of its influences.

The critic notes some accomplished fight sequences, atmospheric lighting and a game performance from Brad Pitt, but finds the film’s reliance on modern blockbuster tropes grows tiring and its final act drives it off the rails.

The film is fun up to a point with contrived battles and strong cast moments, but lacks comic snap and the action becomes too insistent and repetitive.

The movie is sleek and shiny on the outside but empty and shallow on the inside, a glib slice of action entertainment that resists revealing any inner life from its characters. The appealing global cast and nonstop action provide some appeal.

The comic nihilism feels labored and the film comes across as a juiced-up version of Murder on the Orient Express without a narrative puzzle to solve. Brad Pitt drifts through the carnage with unbothered charm, the only element to emerge with credit.

The critic calls the film bloated, tedious, dim-witted, and glib, saying it falls short in mimicking Tarantino and Ritchie styles. Pitt's performance drags the film along amid predictability and lack of personality from the director.

The critic finds Pitt’s comic chops cannot save an ultra-violent crime caper stuffed with self-delighted banter and meandering execution. They single out the lack of snap and slow-moving pace for complaint despite the star’s nimble performance.

The critic finds the self-consciously hip action-comedy bolstered by a game cast led by Brad Pitt but criticises Leitch for indulging in a pseudo-Tarantino mix of outlandish violence and quirky character beats that can’t hide its lack of originality.

The critic finds the film an exhausting and overwhelmingly unfunny gonzo-violent action comedy that feels like a sub-Guy Ritchie clanger. They single out the placeholder dialogue, unexciting fights and cursory Japanese setting for complaint.

The critic finds the film a high-octane bore, criticizing its tedious plotting, one-note characters, and soulless action despite Pitt's charisma. The review notes the director's stunt background but faults the overall execution and lack of engaging characters.

It has glimmers of amusement and inventive fight choreography but is too smarmy, convoluted, and assumes viewer stupidity with repetitive exposition and obnoxious tone.

The critic calls the film a watchable but predictably stupid and giddily violent bummer set on a high-speed train turned theater of death. The likable cast and stunt choreography stand out as attractions.

The critic says even Brad Pitt’s swagger is derailed by the film’s emotional emptiness, describing it as little more than a series of fights on a train. They single out the utter lack of depth in characters and story for complaint.

The critic dismisses the film as derivative of Tarantino with recycled clichés, smugness-as-comedy and a facile relationship to Japanese cultural signifiers, concluding that the whole thing has run out of steam.

The critic calls the film a runaway wreck and the cinematic equivalent of a delayed, broken-down train. They single out the miscast Brad Pitt, bloated running time and lack of propulsion for complaint.

The critic finds Bullet Train knowingly absurd and fun overall, praising the cast's chemistry and action sequences, especially those featuring Pitt, Taylor-Johnson, and Henry, while noting repetitive and convoluted plot elements.

The critic describes it as a Looney Tunes-esque action-comedy with strong, characterful action staging and fun performances, particularly Pitt's, though it over-relies on hit-or-miss jokes and could benefit from more focus on its Japanese characters.

The critic calls it an entertaining action-packed ride with inventive fights and a strong ensemble cast that ultimately falls short of an action classic in the final act. The contained setting and darkly funny beats are singled out for praise.

Bullet Train is a slick but glib and only moderately entertaining adventure that feels indebted to Guy Ritchie films. The critic singles out its light tone and lack of superheroes as a mild positive while noting it falls short of better similar movies.

The film is an entertaining but ultimately underwhelming action-comedy that fails to fully capitalize on its premise or source material. The critic praises the Shinkansen setting and some strong supporting performances but criticizes the misjudged tone and lack of depth.

The critic sees it as a raucous ’90s throwback that delivers cracking fight scenes and gleeful gore when Leitch sticks to his strengths, but loses momentum with too many twists and a sloppy CGI ending. Brad Pitt’s charismatic performance is the main highlight.

The critic finds the film a frenetic but cartoonish live-action anime that never quite stays on track, with relentless action scenes and a game cast undermined by repetitive plotting and characters lacking any human credibility. Pitt's charisma and strong production values provide some entertainment value.

The critic finds the film an overlong, tedious and self-satisfied Tarantino knockoff that fails to land its gags or story. Some praise goes to the hard-working performances of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Joey King and Brian Tyree Henry plus striking design and cinematography.