“Bullet Train” is an exciting action-thriller directed by David Leitch, hailed for movies like “Atomic Blonde,” “Deadpool 2,” and more. The film stars Brad Pitt as Ladybug, Andrew Koji as Yuichi, Joey King as Prince, and Michael Shannon as the antagonist, “The White Death.” The story begins at a Tokyo medical facility. Wataru Kimura, Yuichi’s kid, was shoved over a balcony while his dad was out of the house. The Elder, Yuichi’s father, shows up there and tells him he has a responsibility to keep his family safe. Yuichi leaves to track down the perpetrators of his son’s assault. The scene shifts, and we see a hitman by the moniker of Ladybug is finally ready to return to his old job after taking some time off. The title’s irony is not lost on him since he does not deem himself as fortunate as ladybugs. In addition, he is covering for a fellow hitman who goes by the name of Carver.
Ladybug is on a call with his handler, who instructs him to board the upcoming bullet train heading towards Kyoto. The mission requires him to find a certain suitcase containing tons of cash. Ladybug walks over to the station when he is accidentally shoved by Yuichi, who drops the keys to his locker and the train ticket. After breaking into the locker, Ladybug discovers a pistol; however, he refuses to carry it, much to Maria’s chagrin.
Spoilers Ahead
The Case Of The ‘Suitcase’
Yuichi boarded the train, having uncovered potential evidence of who shoved his son. A shooter known only as “The Prince” tases him while posing as a sweet young girl in order to fool everyone. She reveals to him that it was her men who had hurt Wataru to make him come to her since he was the one who had given the suitcase to Lemon and Tangerine. She demands the grieving Yuichi to aid her by planting explosives in the case and delivering it to the White Death to blow him to bits. To coerce Yuichi into helping her, Prince threatens to have a lackey murder his kid in the hospital.
In a short time after boarding the train, Ladybug locates the suitcase that has been stolen by the mercenary duo of Tangerine and Lemon. Tangerine and Lemon have been tasked with delivering the wayward son of a notorious mafia leader called the White Death. The Ladybug snatches the suitcase from the duo without their knowledge and immediately plans to get off at the next station. But before he can leave, another crook named The Wolf enters, and it becomes crystal clear that Ladybug’s simple snatch-and-grab has grown much more difficult than expected.
The Hunt For The Case!!!
The duo comes back, realizes the theft, and begins to search the train for the thief, Ladybug. However, while they are away, another hitman kills the White Death’s son, adding another layer of chaos to an already complicated job. In the next few minutes, we see Ladybug killing “The Wolf,” running from the murderous duo and hiding the briefcase in the first-class compartment.
Prince and Yuichi recover the suitcase from the first-class compartment and plant explosives into both the briefcase and Yuichi’s pistol. The White Death will be suspected of having the bomb in the suitcase but will not bother to check the weapon and will blow his head to kingdom come once he pulls the trigger! Great plan!! Thinking the suitcase is secure, Ladybug seeks refuge in a restroom, where Lemon unexpectedly encounters Prince and Yuichi. Lemon fires on Yuichi and then tries to murder Prince, who he has deduced is responsible for much of the mayhem on the train. But to everyone’s surprise, Lemon falls to the ground because of the pills that Prince had already put into his drink, giving her ample time to escape.
Ladybug embarks again to find the suitcase and kills another hitman named Hornet in the process. As everything is going on, the Prince has tracked down Tangerine, and we see her trying to play the innocent little girl card, but Tangerine sees through her pretension. Ladybug enters the room and murders Tangerine in an attempt to save the Prince and escapes. At this point, we see Yuichi’s father on the train looking to exact vengeance on the White Death, but we’ve already learned the truth that it was the Prince who had ordered the attack on Wataru.
‘Bullet Train’ Ending, Explained: Did The Bomb Go Off?
The White Death emerges as the train pulls into Kyoto. It is disclosed that he is none other than the Prince’s father and also one of the oldest enemies of Hiroyuki Sanada. Ladybug hands over the suitcase to White Death, who says the hitmen were recruited because all of them were involved in the murder of his spouse. Ladybug knows nothing of his wife’s murder but tries to play along. The truth is that it was Carver who had murdered White Death’s wife, and Ladybug was just filling in for Carver just there as a last-minute replacement.
The scene shifts, and we see one of the henchmen opening the suitcase, triggering a huge blast and blowing everyone on the train. While Sadaka and Yuichi engage The White Death in swordplay, Lemon and Ladybug desperately attempt to stop the speeding train. They’re unsuccessful, and the strategy ends up derailing the train. Sadaka finally manages to subdue the White Death, and we see Lemon hurling out of the train just before it smashes into a hamlet. We see Yuchi, Ladybug, Sadaka, and White Death rising from the rubble. The White Death made a final attempt to kill Ladybug but sadly used Yuichi’s already-rigged gun and ended up blowing his own face. The Prince also managed to escape as well, and she has ambitions to carry out her father’s legacy. However, her plans are short-lived as she is run over by Lemon, driving a truck. With everything resolved, Ladybug relaxes until his handler, portrayed by Sandra Bullock, arrives to take him home.
The Final Verdict
The film “Bullet Train” seems to be the byproduct of both Michael Bay and Chad Stahleski (known for “John Wick”). A verbal scuffle also ensues amid all the mayhem. The movie’s characters’ dispute is just as lovely as the violence. Violence and dialogue sum up the entire film. Action films like Netflix’s priciest offering, “The Gray Man,” and “Extraction,” often choose to minimize conversation in favor of more on-screen combat. Unfortunately, these decisions often result in a loud, dull film. But that’s not the case with the “Bullet Train.” The movie manages to strike a perfect harmony between the two, making it a perfect cinematic joyride.
David Leitch’s technique of filmmaking resembles a lot of Michael Bay’s. The viewer becomes a player in the conflict when the camera is placed in the thick of the action. The majority of the bouts in “Bullet Train” are exciting to watch. It works quite well, particularly during chaotic combat scenes. Even though the fights take place in a cramped space, they each have their own peculiar vibe and intensity. Each killer has a unique strategy in battle and favors a certain tool. Furthermore, every killer fights for their own reasons and has their own backstory. All the conflict in the movie has meaning and impact. As a result, the action is visceral, and the plot toggles at the same breakneck pace as the train they’re aboard.
Whereas the movie’s main plot concludes with the villains being slaughtered and taken care of one by one, the film does establish many potential continuations. There is no news or rumor for future installments, but Mr. Carver’s presence in the climax suggests that Ryan Reynolds’s role might be explored well in the coming years. It’s clear that Carver and Ladybug have had some kind of dispute in the past since Ladybug never speaks well of his coworker.
“Bullet Train” is an action-thriller directed by David Leitch.
