These are fun. Off the cuff discussions on movies and streaming series, both new and old together we’ll attempt to bridge the gap between Hollywood industry insider and the casual viewer. This is Alec and I’m Ben and you're listening to the Cinema A to B podcast. Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of Cinema A to B with Alec, hey everybody and myself and. So Alec, this was a movie that you had.
This is a release from last year that you had encouraged me to watch pretty early on when we were discussing launching the podcast, and it unfortunately took me some time to finally get it watched. The movie is Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt. The action comedy. And I have to say, I think I only saw one trailer for this movie. And I don't know that the hit, the comedy angle is hard in the first trailer as what I saw in the movie. So you do you did you have the same experience?
Because I don't I didn't watch another trailer for this movie. And I think it ran in a movie I saw in a theater. And I was like, Oh, I need to watch that. But then I kind of forgot about it and it looked like a high action film, but it didn't. The the initial trailer didn't have the comedy element nearly as strong as what's in there. I mean, this is a true action comedy. Yeah. I the only thing that that got me, I was I didn't see a regular trailer.
I just saw it pop up on my Netflix feed and said, You probably like this or this like New today or new now or whatever are coming soon. I forget what it was, but definitely hit more on the action. Like this is an action packed kind of thing. And I remember going and expecting a lot more action, but I was laughing a whole lot more when I watched it than what I thought it was going to be. I thought was going to be something like like a michael Bay more action film.
So instead of what we got, so which I know I saw a second trailer recently, I was just looking at IMDB and that hit the comedy element heavily. Yeah, in fact, it probably gave away too much like too many of the the jokes, but I was laughing my butt off the whole time. This is a really, really funny movie and action packed. The action is awesome. The the fight choreography is is fabulous. But it is it is a super funny movie. And I hate that I waited to see it so long.
Yeah. I mean, this is what you get from the guy who directed Deadpool Deadpool two and apparently and apparently also John Wick one, though he's uncredited, like IMDB. Uncredited. Yeah. And he's also uncredited for Deadpool as well. He's additional director or whatever. So I wonder how much he has added in to those. But it's funny because I'd hadn't really known when I was like, take a look at his IMDB profile and I was like, Wait, he did John Wick one, But then it was like uncredited.
And so I was trying to have to dig a little deeper into that and follow that mystery out of what what happened there. So, no, it's it's absolutely. Oh, it's great. Yeah, It's an absolute blast. I had a fantastic time watching this movie and I was looking at it initially, I thought the budget would be lower because I was like, Oh, it's all on a train set. Maybe they maybe they saved a bunch of money and they only had to pay for Brad Pitt. And now 90 million. Yeah, $90 million movie.
And I think he did okay. But I don't think it I don't think he did well enough like they wanted it to for for there to be a sequel because I think the goal was there would be a maybe you would have a kind of a almost a comedic counterpart to John Wick with with Brad Pitt. I don't think that's going to happen. But as a standalone, it's totally I recommend it. And yeah, like we've like I've said, it's much, much funnier than the the initial marketing let on.
And I think I think some time passed and they realize, oh shoot, we we better market this as more of a comedy because that's it's really a comedy with with action rather than an action with comedy. I think it's got an okay story. I mean, I you know, I wasn't blown away like, oh my goodness, it, it I felt like it really tried to be kind of like a Guy Ritchie film, you know, where you have all these loose threads and then they connect at the end. They didn't hit like a Guy Ritchie film does.
Like he there's something Guy Ritchie does that just, you know, his writing, how he gets everything together. Just, ah, it just makes it feel better. This was good, but didn't have that same payoff. Like there was a couple of good moments I really enjoyed. But it, it, but it was a lot of fun stuff like this that is not to don't watch it but it's not the caliber of say, a Guy Ritchie film of the connection.
No it's it's close and there's the the two character two British characters Tangerine and Lemon are the closest you'll get to to a Guy Ritchie film. There are Darren Taylor-Johnson and then this Brian Tyree Henry You're absolutely hysterical. I mean, I think most of the I'd say about 80% of the comedy for me is those two and they're, they're banter back and forth is, is just great. The Thomas the Tank Engine. Oh sorry. Was Oh yeah. No, no, absolutely. That was just fantastic. It's brilliant.
It is brilliant. And, and, and they just squeeze every drop from the Thomas the Tank Engine reference throughout the movie. It's peppered in perfectly and it is absolutely hysterical and they don't overdo it like they definitely are.
While you said like they did it kind of with every angle and they really push it, they didn't it never felt like, okay, this is a bit any of these a go away like they would let it go and then they made it more integral into the story later on, you know, with like the stylishness stuff like that. Like we're actually it was a callback, but it wasn't just a funny callback. It was actually an important callback. Oh, yeah. No, it went from a it went from a funny callback to a dramatic callback.
Yeah. And which is, which is really nice. Now, I didn't notice watching it. I didn't, I didn't read any of the back story before I watch this. I really went in as much of a with a blank slate as I possibly could, and it didn't take me more than 20 minutes. And then I was like, This has to be a graphic novel. It has inspired this and it it is. It is. And it's a it's a Japanese graphic novel. It's although I'd say the movie is way less Japanese than than maybe they even intended.
But they're kind of it's going to tend to happen when you cast Brad Brad Pitt in the lead. So but I don't think it loses anything. I mean, it's still it's still very Japanese. In fact, this isn't really related to the filmic nature of the movie, but I'm watching the movie and the entire time Jealous is all get out of Japan and these bullet trains like that. I can't travel the United States like this. Like I'm just oh, I'm like, so frustrated. Like, this is this is beautiful. This is beautiful.
Really. Finally a movie, not afraid of of a color palette. Yes. Oh, my goodness. Crying out loud. Some of those scenes, I mean, like he was like neon colors and things of that sort to just like everything was washed in color. Like like skin tones were washed out in color, like all of this. And it worked. It really, really worked, especially for the different trains that they were in the different time, you know, time of day that they were in. It just it it was beautiful to watch.
Like, I really enjoyed kind of seeing all that. I'm looking it up. So this is not off the cuff, right? Like, yeah, I just had to confirm Cinematographer His name is Jonathan Selah or Sailor and he was a cinematographer on John Wick, which makes total sense. Total sense Like it has. It has. And Deadpool two. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, it's 60 Minutes. So yeah, he's not afraid. He this guy's not afraid to, to have really nice color and mixed mixed lighting, a lot of neon and obviously it works.
You're on a Japanese bullet train. It's perfection. So. Yeah, really beautiful, beautiful movie. And I'm just I'm grateful I've got a stinking projector in my basement that I can watch something like this back on that I didn't, you know, because I was kind of kicking myself. I was going, Yeah, Then you probably should have seen this in the theater. Like, you would've really enjoyed this in a theater. But I've got a pretty close experience here.
I mean, it's not the best, but it's certainly better than than just a regular old television. And yeah, I, I was. I was having fun. Start to finish cool movie for me with a lot of really nice performances from some up and coming actors and actresses that I just didn't know. You know, there's Joey King that plays Prince. Yeah. And then and then, like I mentioned, Brian Tyree Henry as women, oh, are scene stealers.
And they more than hold their own against, you know, Brad Pitt and now who's the guy? I recognized him. Oh, yeah, from Last Samurai. Yeah, he was perfect. Now I do have a casting complaint, though. Oh, so they're hyping up this white death, and you don't see him. You just see him as a younger man, and he's like, you know, he's 65 and he's super jacked. Yeah. And then I get freakin Michael Shannon in a robe and like, a bathrobe who I have a love hate relationship with anyway.
I mean, I don't he. Michael Shannon. I mean, the guy gets a lot of work, but that's not who I would have cast as White Death. I mean, you hype this character up, and then really, you give me a michael Shannon, like in an even older version of Michael Shannon. And he really is. But it's like Michael Shannon's never been yoked, in fact, in any movies ever been in and suddenly I'm supposed to believe that this is that yeah it was super letdown.
I, I don't know if that was the intent that it was like he wasn't actually as cool as the myth that had been built up. Maybe that was their whole point. Yeah, but if that wasn't the intent, total miscast. I could, I could name several other actors I would have rather have seen in that role. Yeah. I mean, I, I don't dislike him like, you know, I know your love hate relationship form. I don't dislike him. I think he's actually an excellent actor. He does a great job.
I wasn't as disappointed with his reveal. Like, I actually felt kind of like, Huh, okay. Yeah, a little weird, weird actor for kind of a weird thing. I mean, he definitely played up the weird part about it far more once you've seen him. He like, he lost a lot of that cool of him, you know, becoming something.
But, you know, that could also just be talked about of once you get into power, you can let your, you know, these sentences just kind of flow and just do whatever and people will say yes to you, you know, like the prince effect or whatever. You just do whatever you want because you are in power. People will do things for you and you kind of lose a little bit of yourself and a little bit of your coolness or your ability to see reality. But I don't I didn't I didn't hate it. I agree with you.
I think there's a lot of people who would be a little bit more commanding or a little more intimidating, but it's a minor gripe at the end of the day. I mean, it didn't it didn't take me out of the movie and he wasn't bad. He wasn't bad. He was good. I just thought I thought there was more potential there from casting a different a different choice of actor. He definitely wasn't scary. Like once once I saw I was Michael Shannon, I was kind of like I lost a lot of like, like I said, intimidation.
Maybe that was the point, right? Maybe that was their goal. Was that in life these intimidating characters are created and then you meet them and it's never quite what you had in your mind. So if that was the creative choice and I have not read the graphic novel, so it's entirely possible that his mythology was much bigger than the actual man. And so if that's true, then then Michael Shannon is probably fine.
The the things that I kind of like were weird choices to me that I felt outside of Michael Shannon was the wolf and then the hornet of just how like short of a tie. And then they really spent like, like they were not really in the movie much like it almost didn't need them. I'm like, you needed them for the story and stuff like that. But it was like, why introduce them? Really, the only reason to introduce them is to connect these dots.
And that's where I feel kind of where it missed a little bit from like a Guy Ritchie film. Like every kind of character that has a backstory or whatever, for the most part, has some additional purpose or some more connection as opposed to just, Oh, this person connects these two characters, right? So that was I felt like it was a mess that, you know, I got not a mess, but just a wasted opportunity of to grow these characters. I really was interested in the wolf.
I mean, we got a whole backstory about him. And then, you know, he didn't really do anything. So yeah. And that must that must be fairly true to the the graphic novel, because graphic novels tend to have these off little offshoots. Yeah. For a few pages they kind of just fill in some back detail. But you're right, it when a guy Ritchie film does kind of an aside, it tends to carry more weight later.
Yeah. The other movie that this reminded me of early on and it's this this movie Bullet Trains way way better but it was another movie. A lot of action, a lot of blood, tons of characters, probably too many, which was smokin Aces. Oh, yeah. That had way too many characters. Yeah, but it reminded me a little bit of Smokin Aces, just the the kind of a gigantic, huge ensemble trying to get a big ensemble piece. Yeah, but this was a much better movie. Smokin Aces is an absolute mess.
It has its moments, but it's pretty messy. And yeah, and then Smokin Aces just is a cameo fest. And this really wasn't like except for there were two that I really, I really loved because I loved see a spoiler alert. I love seeing Channing Tatum. Yeah. And then I love seeing Sandra Bullock. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, huge. Who's the other one? Ryan Reynolds. At the end when he. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well I expected Ryan Reynolds character Carver to show up more like I was waiting for him at the finale to just show up somehow and he never did know. But yeah, that whole thought, that guy's an asshole. Yeah, is a really funny recurring joke, but there is apparently the only reason I know this is because I saw the other the other movie with the three of them was the likes of like Channing Tatum.
Yeah. The Lost. Yeah. And so they must, they must have gotten on really, really well like they must be friends because that's the only way this happens where Brad then Brad Pitt's like, Oh, why don't you guys, why don't you guys drop cameos in in my next film, which I love. I love that. Right. Well, and fun fact, the book Channing Tatum is reading is one of Sandra Bullock's character's book from The Lost City. Do like it. So it's kind of fun.
Like these little nuts, like these little inside jokes. By the way, just a quick aside, the Lost City is completely underrated. Yeah. Like it was really, really, really underrated. Very, very funny movie. Gwen and I had an absolute blast watching that movie. Yeah. Lorne, I did too. Yeah, it's. It's a good. That's a good. That would have been a good date night movie for people, I think The Lost City. But yeah, I always, always appreciate that. You know, Hollywood's a small town.
Not everybody gets along, but when they do and they hit it off, yeah, that that tends to happen. You get these fun cameos in each other's movies and that one was a really nice callback. Good catch on the novel. I didn't realize that's what he was reading. Yeah, well, no, I didn't catch it. Sorry. Oh, you didn't know I read about it. Someone. Someone posted something on it, so. Yeah. So I, like, not that good, like, but it was like, Oh yeah. If you. He's the book from the author from The Varsity.
And it's like, that's a lot of fun. I did enjoy. You were talking about some of the cameos, sort of like they weren't heavy handed. Like it just felt right and they felt they were used just enough and then they left. They're gone, you know, it wasn't, you know, Sandra Bullock's, you know, voice throughout it. And then when she appears at the end, great, Channing Tatum is just there, just for a hot little joke section. And then they don't they don't go back jobs.
They don't feel like they need to keep these people around. But I think I didn't recognize Sandra's voice. I didn't know that was her at the beginning, the movie. I had no idea who that was. Yeah. In fact, I didn't even expect to see them. It wasn't even a thought in my mind that I would see who his handler was. But it was it was perfect. I was like, Oh, that's that's wonderful. That's wonderful. AS who doesn't like Sandra Bullock?
I mean, I'm sure I'm sure somebody doesn't, but I, I, I love her. I do prefer the 1995 crime drama Heat over Sandra Bullock vehicle. The Heat just so we're all aware, you know, So sometimes I don't love her as much as other things. But you know, she is great. She's great. Yeah. But I'm glad we're at a point of Brad Pitt's acting career that he can take on these different roles, these fun roles, these enjoyable roles that can, you know, are not his normal.
I mean, he's always had some funny characters. I mean, true romance. He was absolutely stole the show. And for his, like five minute little intro as the druggie roommate or whatever. But, you know, he definitely plays a type but a different style of character.
And especially in the last, you know, you know, five or ten years, he's kind of breaking out of that mold and playing some more fun roles or making fun of himself or just not trying to go for that Oscar, you know, he's just kind of, let's do something because this looks interesting, this looks fun, and he's kind of doing a bunch of different areas. He works because even though he's older, he you still because he's always kept himself in such good shape.
You you still by the physicality like he's still able to be relatively convincing with with the physical nature and this in this character does carry a lot of physicality to him. So that works. And there's only probably a handful of actors his age around his age that could have played this. And obviously you wouldn't I don't think Daniel Craig would have ever even taken this because you're just too close to the Bond character at this point. He's like, What's the point?
Right? I don't I don't want to play that. But this was a nice to me. It felt like a fun callback to Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Mm hmm. So his is almost like an older version of his of his character from from that film. And but, yeah, I, I love his whole the fact that he's just come out of therapy and it's just. It's an absolute riot. Like. Yeah. The whole, the whole pursuit of Zen and, and then obviously the film's whole message on, on faith and especially karma karma.
So it just seems to be the overriding theme. And I, I'm here for it. It was, it was fabulous. There are some brilliant payoffs with karma throughout the movie, up to the very up to the very end. Yeah. And now, Aaron, I do want to talk a little bit about Aaron Taylor-Johnson because this cat is just quietly building a really nice career. I mean, the first time I saw him was in Kick-Ass. He was super young, right? But and then he, you know, he was in Tennant as kind of a more minor character.
But you can, you can tell. I mean he's this is the guy that's rumored to be the frontrunner right now to play Bond. I played James Bond. I don't know if I was Yeah.
The he's he's number one right now as far as the those those online kind of Bitcoin betting sites on who the next James Bond is and he's already taken multiple interviews and I it seems he fits the bill because you see it's like you've seen him in things before but he's not big but he's not real big but and he can physically he's going to be able to pull it off. So I would be good with that. And he did most of the stunts, too, apparently. Oh, yeah.
No, he's very yeah, yeah, he's he's been doing his kind of his own stunt work in most of the stuff he's been in. He does bring a nice physicality there. Also, if they if they opt to pick him, it'll be different from from Daniel Craig but he won't lose any of the physicality.
Like he'll just he'll be every bit as physical a James Bond as you saw with Daniel Craig and he's and what's funny is he's fast talking to you know he was he was the one obviously, he plays Tangerine and he is the closest callback to a Guy Ritchie character is. You'll see just but in the character Bond Yeah and the camera loves him and yeah no I think he's in fact I wouldn't be surprised if you saw him in if let's say he doesn't get the bond role.
It would not shock me if you see him be a lead in a in a Christopher Nolan movie in the next five years because he tends to bring you in for a lesser thing and then and then give you the lead later. We'll see if he likes you. Obviously. Yeah. With Leo, I guess Nolan really just didn't didn't like working myself. So it's never true. I know that that's the running joke. Just. Just the fact that he was only in the one.
Yeah. So I mean, but also, I guess you could say the same thing about Matthew McConaughey. Exactly. So, yeah, but also, you know, you're talking about main characters, you know, though, I mean, he's brought Christian Bale back from multiple movies as one of the main characters.
So it's let's because Christian Bale's one of the best actors of his generation, hands down and is an utter chameleon anything he's an but no this yeah Aaron Taylor-Johnson's got a bright future and he obviously isn't the lead in there so I can't call it his this isn't this isn't Aaron Taylor-Johnson's layer cake necessarily, but it's a nice it's a nice role in the pocket for a lot of physicality and quick talking and kind of, you know, slick threads that he's wearing.
And and I'm totally okay with changing up James Bond. I mean, look at the difference between Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. I mean, they're going to have two very different people. In fact, I've got to I have a theory on either whole theory on what they're going to do. I don't want to necessarily get off on a tangent in this episode on on where I think James Bond is headed.
But I've got a whole theory of where where they're going to take that Maybe we can buy this on the offline, do a little special little quick, you know, three minute Ben's idea for bond. Yeah no we'll we'll leave that alone But any any last nuggets of wisdom on bullet train. No, just if if you like action comedies, it's enjoyable. Like, this is just a lot of fun. It's not going to be anything crazy.
It's not, you know, it's on it like a film of, you know, that, you know, the people they talk about. There's a difference between film and a movie. I mean, this definitely goes more towards movie, you know, with those people's classifications. So but see it, watch it. It's on Netflix.
So if you have it and it's still a great date movie, you get to do some Netflix and chill you know if that I think that term is no longer in the mix I think it's way too old but you know yeah no it's it's a it's bloody and it’s hilarious so what are you waiting for. Go see it. Yeah. All right. Thanks for catching us on another episode of Cinema: A to B Again. You can follow us on Instagram in the Facebooks @cinemaatob And the only place we do a video version of the podcast is YouTube.
And if you're listening to us on on the audio only and encourage you to leave us a review tell us what you think and if you've got a you know if you've got requests for movies, shoot us what they are. If you if we want to talk about them then as long as not C.S.I. No, we already talked about that and that we're not doing CSI on this podcast. Is there a CSI, the movie yet? No, there's not. No. Okay. No CSI. No CSI. All right. Thanks, everybody.