Review: Just watched Bullet Train in 4D, and I don't regret it!
A train lover's review of the train movie of the decade
The action/heist movie Bullet Train just premiered in Japan yesterday, and of course I had to see it, in 4DX mind you.
Compared to other reviews of the movie, I will introduce my impressions of watching this movie from the perspective of train nerds.
What is Bullet Train?
Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt is based on Kotaro Isaka's novel "Maria Beetle" published in 2010.
David Leitch, known for movies such as"Fast and the Furious" & "Deadpool 2", is the director of this movie. The realistic performance of Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada, who appears as a swordsman who wants to talk about fate, is the most famos Japanse actor in the movie.
In the original, the interior of the Tohoku Shinkansen "Hayate" is the main setting, but in "Bullet Train" a fictitious train named "Yukari" appears on the Shinkansen sides. The premise is that ten assassins ride together on a super-high-speed train that runs from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station at 350km/h. The inside of the car gradually turns into a battlefield as each speculation intersects one after another. The speed of the train and the thrilling action are linked, and the story unfolds so quickly you’d miss it in one toilet break!
When Hollywood makes Japanese Railways
Although the movie is set in Japan, the actual filming took place exclusively in the United States. Appearing stations, train windows, trains, etc. are virtual reproductions. The Japanese landmarks you’ll definitely see on the Shinkansen, such as Tokyo Tower and Mt. Fuji are visible thanks to the magic of CGI.
On each station platform the train stops at, there are a lot of incorrect but truly astonishing set-peices, such as the beatiful lockers right next to the platform and festival lanterns in spectacular colors. Overall, I was impressed by the unique atmosphere of a mixture of the present and the future.
Inside the train, you can see Japanese characters everywhere, such as "Nippon Kosoku Dentetsu" and "Ordinary car reserved seat".
The Shinkansen train in the movie looks really cool and at first glance you don’t recognize it from the normal Shinkansen trains. However, it is in fact the test vehicle "E956 series", or Alfa X, which is in its testing phase as we speak.
The interior has a very realistic Japanese vibe, with wooden walls and ceilings used in the Kyushu Shinkansen Series 800 "Tsubame" and JR Kyushu "Aru Ressha". In addition, the lounge with a bar counter, which is not found in the actual Tokaido Shinkansen, and the spacious 3rd row seats, which are called 1st class seats, make you think of a higher-grade train. Inside the train, which was crowded with many passengers from Japan and overseas, the atmosphere truly felt like the rowdy and fun atmosphere before the Covid-19 pandemic started…
Final thoughs
I absoultely loved the movie! The ridiculus, leaf thin plot is just enough to make the amazingly choregraphed action scenes feel justified. The incredible soundtrack and the eye watering color scheme made this movie feel like a cure for the 2+ years of sadness that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought.
On top of that, the roster is amazing. I will not spoil what other actors are in the movie than Brad Pitt, but let’s just say that the cameos in it will blow your mind.
Seeing it in 4DX was absolutely worth the almost $30 ticket price! The seats felt just as comfortable as first-class Shinkansen seats, and to have them moving with the seats in the train felt immensely immersive! If I hadn’t seen other movies in 4DX, I would have though the technology was made specifically for Bullet Train!
Lastly, from the perspective of a train nerd, you can definitely feel that the team behind the movie spent an insane amount of time around the details of the train, its carriages and the stations, even if they are not replicating the original. For any train fan, and any fan of action in general, please see this movie in 4DX!
I also saw it in the last month and really liked it. Any more train movies recommendations ?