WHAT’S IT ABOUT
When panic erupts on a Tokyo-bound bullet train that will explode if it slows below 100 kph, authorities race against time to save everyone on board.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
So, I just watched “Bullet Train Explosion” on Netflix, and it does not disappoint with the title – there is a bullet train that explodes! As a ’90s kid who was obsessed with “Speed,” watching people try to disarm a bomb on a train still gets me that adrenaline rush. So, this movie is like a modern sequel to the 1975 classic “The Bullet Train” with Sonny Chiba. I just found this out recently, but it appears that “Speed” and even that Bollywood movie “The Burning Train” took some inspiration from that early Japanese thriller. The story follows Takaichi (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi), a reserved conductor of the Hayabusa 60 Shinkansen train traveling from Aomori City to Tokyo. The train is carrying approximately 400 passengers, including a group of high school students, on a field trip. No sooner has the train departed than the railway company becomes informed of an anonymous phone call reporting a bomb on the train that will explode if the train’s speed drops below 100 Kmph (about 60 mph). The caller is demanding 100 billion yen from the Japanese populace to disarm it. So, initially, everybody’s all like, “This is a joke,” until boom—a freight train blows up just like the bomber promised it would. That’s when the countdown begins! The railway’s top boss, Kasagi, and his team scramble to get things sorted out while Takaichi tries his best to keep the passengers relaxed on the train. The initial 75 minutes of this film are essentially perfect. The characters all shine and remain with you despite the large cast. You completely understand what’s at stake, the disagreements are realistic, and the circumstances keep you on the edge of your seat. We’re introduced to a variety of various passengers, such as a disgraced politician, an obnoxious social media influencer who’s attempting to crowdfund the ransom, and a mysterious man whose past we discover later. Where the movie stumbles is in its second half. The writers try to make references to the 1975 film, justify the reasons for the bomber’s actions, and make some trite points about humanity and mental illness. All of these wind up being rushed and coming up short. The tech work is simply amazing. The East Japan Railway Company even provided them with real bullet trains and let them film at their stations so everything appears ultra-real. And when they couldn’t use real trains for the crash scenes, the CGI and visual effects were so flawless you could barely tell. It’s a pity we’re watching this on Netflix instead of watching it on the big screen, where those amazing visuals would truly be dazzling. Director Shinji Higuchi, with his history of larger-than-life endeavors such as “Shin Godzilla” and “Shin Ultraman,” surprisingly infuses this lesser-scale tale with close-up camerawork and frenetic editing. Action sequences are mixed with the nuts and bolts of derailing the train, with tension built by physical peril and administrative obstacles. What sets this movie apart from the grind of typical action films is its focus on cooperation and problem-solving. In the style of classic ’70s disaster movies, it shows how people who would otherwise be enemies must work together in the face of calamity. The film spends plenty of time in control rooms with technicians debating solutions while politicians create hurdles and worry about appearances. The acting is top-notch throughout. Kusanagi’s stoicism as Takaichi makes his occasional emotional moments land more forcefully. There’s a particularly great performance from Hana Toyoshima as student Yuzuki in the third act. Jun Kaname plays arguably the most punchable character as the egotistical influencer, while Machiko Ono adds nuance to her role as the politician that everybody loves to hate. If you want non-stop explosions and violence, you might be out of luck. “Bullet Train Explosion” is more about the logistics of stopping the train and discovering the trauma of the villain than it is about action for action’s sake. The story starts big but slowly drifts into something more introspective, even as the train keeps barreling on. Some of the most tense moments involve orchestrating track switches, dodging obstacles, and running rescue trains alongside the runaway bomb-laden one. The film also raises ethical questions about whose lives are more valuable in rescues and how self-preservation can clash with the greater good. If you enjoy disaster movies where you get to watch intelligent individuals figure out bizarre solutions when things heat up, then look no further than “Bullet Train Explosion.” It’s not going to change the world, but it’s a sound, well-made thriller that mixes action with some real heart.
OUR RATING – AN EXPLOSIVE 7