Bullet Train * * *

Producer / Director David Leitch likes action films: He gave us the John Wick series, Deadpool, Atomic Blonde and a few others.  

With John Wick and Deadpool he had his own voice, but this latest effort goes back to Atomic Blonde - imitative rather than inspired.

Brad Pitt with blood. (There's a lot
more where that came from.)

At times this feels like a slavish imitation of a Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarantino film. They're all there: London wide boys, Japanese Martial Arts experts, Gangsters with no soul, Sweet innocent young girl that kills as easily as she cries for sympathy. They all have their own "clever names" and quirks - like a guy who is into Thomas the Tank Engine.  

Brad Pitt seems to be the only character who is not a complete stereotype.

What we have is a Bullet Train in Japan and on that train are people that want to kill each other.  The story is expanded with flashbacks to past events and massacres with lilting ethnic music: it can be very "Kill Bill" at times. It can be quite "Lock Stock etc..." at times.

I guess the upside of being so derivative is that it often reflects the best of its inspirational source with funny dialogue and spectacular scenes along with a propensity for occasional splatter. You can see the work that has been put into this, the only trouble is, it doesn't come together very well.  It's hard to give much of a toss.  

Like any exotic train ride, the excitement and novelty soon passes (despite the frenetic energy), but you can at least enjoy the spectacular scenery at times.