Bullet Train

Within the claustrophobic confines of the titular vessel, Bullet Train manages a dazzling array of fight sequences and adrenaline-fueled set pieces.

Yet as it speeds along at a breakneck pace, this darkly comedic thriller struggles to stay on track. It takes a quirky ensemble of morally ambivalent antiheroes inspired by Tarantino or Guy Ritchie, adds some multicultural flavor and ultraviolent mayhem, and spins its wheels without any meaningful dramatic substance beneath the surface spectacle.

Of course, the story is set in contemporary Japan, centering on a perpetually unlucky American assassin nicknamed Ladybug (Brad Pitt), who climbs aboard a luxury train with instructions from his unseen handler to steal a briefcase presumably loaded with cash while dispensing self-help chestnuts to deflect attention.

The assignment requires navigating the riffraff in economy class, which consists of cold-blooded killers and ruthless rogues with their own short tempers and conflicting objectives. Many of their back stories are intertwined, such as British “twins” Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who also have orders to secure the money.

Elsewhere, a calculating young woman (Joey King) seeks revenge for a tragedy against her family, eventually bringing her into contact with The Elder (Hiroyuki Sanada), whose goals are similar. They speak of a looming threat from a feared Russian crime boss known as White Death (Michael Shannon), and there’s even a wayward venomous snake.

As directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2) — Pitt’s erstwhile stunt double — the film tries to coast on its over-the-top, freewheeling spirit. It features style and attitude to spare, with swirling camera movements, neon-infused visuals, quippy banter, playful tweaking of Japanese culture, and amusing cameos.

The charismatic Pitt finds an offbeat charm while playing against type. However, with such unsympathetic characters, the film struggles to find an emotional center amid the maze of flashbacks and cutaways to reveal the backgrounds and motives of Ladybug’s fellow passengers.

Inevitably, there’s a hit-and-miss quality to the rapid-fire barrage of sight gags and one-liners from rookie screenwriter Zak Olkewicz, who adapted a novel by Kotaro Isaka. Some of the overlapping subplots are more compelling than others.

As the train accelerates, so does the film’s level of gleeful absurdity. But despite some intermittently clever twists, Bullet Train becomes a journey without a destination. Before the final showdown, your brain will be ready to disembark.

Rated R, 126 minutes.