"Director David Leitch co-directed the original John Wick film which led to him making Atomic Blonde, Hobbs and Shaw, and Deadpool 2. Leitch even was a heavy-handed producer on Nobody as well. If those movies were all mixed together and blended into a high-octane cocktail, the result would be Bullet Train. An intricate world of assassins, a deadly mission, brutal fight choreography, and a comedic and cartoony take on the action all make up this film. And the great thing is, that all these elements have congealed together to make this a blast of a viewing experience. The performances are energetic with wry humor and witty dialog.
Bullet Train is set on a high-speed modern train where a group of assassins is all tasked with retrieving a briefcase that belongs to an infamous yakuza boss. Nobody realizes other assassins are on the train at first, but as soon as eye contact is made, the violence ensues in bar cars, passenger cars, and even on the outside of the train. With a cast list that stars Brad Pitt (Johnny Suede), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kickass), Joey King (The Conjuring), Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), Michael Shannon (Bad Boys 2), Sandra Bullock (Fire on the Amazon), and Channing Tatum (Step Up), Bullet Train could easily get lost in the star power. But this script allows some unique personalities to collide, all made accessible through the psychology and personality traits of Thomas The Tank Engine.
It's easy to see where films like Snatch, Kill Bill, and anime shows heavily influenced the style of the movie with their "in-your-face" camera swoops and pans, along with graphics that display character names on the screen. Not only that, the breaking-the-fourth wall that is so popular in Deadpool also peaks its head out from time to time. Bullet Train can feel a little tiresome in parts when the film often cuts back to tell a story from the past. It disrupts the film's flow here and there, but when the action is once again centered on the train, the pace instantly picks back up. In its meta way, the characters make it all self-aware of these flashbacks and how boring they can be."
Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Bullet Train travels to 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Copy via Sony Pictures. The discs are housed inside a hard, black plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. The artwork boasts a colorful image of the cast and the train set in front of the cityscape. It looks great. There is an insert for a digital code as well.
Bullet Train comes with an impressive 2160p UHD 4K transfer with Dolby Vision. The color palette for this action thriller is a rich rainbow full of colors that never stops dazzling the senses.
Bright neon colors are present from the start as intense purples, greens, blues, yellows, reds, and even pinks strike-through to make each train car look excellent. Flashback sequences go from a warm orange-tinted look to a remarkable and blue-ish streak depending on the season. Wardrobe colors, the big city lights at night, and the LED lighting of the train car interiors all look bold and full of life. The Dolby Vision enhances these colors to their full effect, making distinguishing details and other nuanced colors easier in brighter scenes, especially the darker sequences. Black levels are deep and inky and the skin tones are always natural. The red blood looks excellent in its practical effects and CGI realm.
The detail is always vivid and sharp which allows close-ups to look intense and beautiful. Facial pores, beard stubble, individual hairs, wrinkles, makeup applications, and gory wounds all look fantastic. Textures in the weapons, train car leather, metal, and clothing all showcase their individual shine and sleekness. Wider shots never go soft either and have some great depth to them. High-speed visual effects are not pixelated and look realistic. There are no issues with banding, aliasing, or heavy video noise. This is one amazing-looking image and could be demo-worthy for new customers to the 4K industry.
This release has an excellent-sounding Dolby Atmos track that ignites a heart-pounding soundtrack with fun and vigor. The sound effects of boisterous, robust, and loud at all times. These spacial noises are nuanced and well-balanced in each speaker which flows smoothly in transitional sounds. Gun blasts, the fast-traveling train herself, fight choreography, and glass bottles being broken all sound wonderful Explosions pack a loud punch as well.
The low end of bass is booming with a smooth yet intense rumble that never has a rocky feel. The score and song cues are pitch-perfect that keep the film centered in its fun and entertaining atmosphere. The dialogue is always clean, clear, and easy to follow with no problems. The height speaker brings those sound effects from overhead, whether it be bullets flying by, rain, debris and body parts falling down from above, and more. This Dolby Atmos track is a joy to listen to.
There are about 36 minutes of bonus features here. It's not immediately clear why the box art claims that there are over an hour's worth of extras, but there are not unless it includes the commentary track. That being said, these extras are a blast, funny, and a ton of fun Definitely worth watching. The 4K Disc only includes the commentary track and additional Sony titles, while the Blu-ray carries all of them.
Everyone here is performing at the top of their game and having the time of their lives cutting it all up on set. Pitt is believable as a violent assassin when he needs to be and quickly turns on the comedic gears every chance he gets. Johnson and Henry are the true stars of the film though with their budding relationship and volatile personalities. And of course, Joey King is always a joy to watch on screen as she changes her chameleon-like emotions with whoever she shares the screen with. Leitch has conjured up a super-fun time at the movies with an A-List cast. Bullet Train is enthusiastic, crazy, and a surprisingly amazing time. It's violent, comedic, and an all-around great time. Let's all hope there are sequels. The 4K image with Dolby Vision looks exquisite and demo-worthy and the Dolby Atmos audio track sounds lovely and loud. The bonus features are well worth watching and will cause laughter. Highly Recommended!
