28 Things We Learned from David Leitch’s ‘Bullet Train’ Commentary

Welcome to Commentary Commentary, the place we sit and take heed to filmmakers discuss their work, then share probably the most attention-grabbing components. On this version, Rob Hunter revisits the profitable however a lot maligned Bullet Prepare with a commentary from its director.

David Leitch and Chad Stahelski are the 2 massive names behind 87 Eleven Motion Design, the skilled stunt workforce that rose to prominence with the discharge of 2014’s John Wick. Whereas Stahelski directed that movie and its three sequels, Leitch branched out for his personal solo efforts together with Atomic Blonde (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Hobbs & Shaw (2019), and 2022’s Bullet Prepare. All 4 have been box-office hits, and the primary three earned a “recent” ranking through Rotten Tomatoes. Bullet Prepare, although, continues to be lambasted by critics and #FilmTwitter frequently.

The movie is a bit overstuffed, and it’s making an attempt means too arduous to make you prefer it, however that apart it’s a wonderfully enjoyable popcorn flick. Enjoyable solid, some laughs, and a great provide of entertaining motion beats — Bullet Prepare is ok, individuals.

Leitch’s newest function, The Fall Man, hits theaters right now, and whereas it’s too early to inform if it’ll win over audiences and/or critics, it’s a film I’m wanting ahead to seeing. Between the brand new movie and the continued hate for Leitch’s final effort, it felt like the fitting time to revisit Bullet Prepare — through Leitch’s commentary. So hold studying to see what I heard on the commentary observe for…

Bullet Prepare (2022)

Commentators: David Leitch (director), Kelly McCormick (producer), Zak Olkewicz (author)

1. He clearly loves the 87 North opening brand, including that they need their films to have a enjoyable sensibility outdoors of the anticipated nice motion.

2. The movie initially opened with Ladybug (Brad Pitt) post-crash, surveying the scene and the chaos, earlier than then leaping again to the beginning. They as an alternative returned to the present opening that includes Kimura (Andrew Koji) and The Elder (Hiroyuki Sanada) by a hospital mattress as “the stakes have been a lot stronger.”

3. Leitch made a degree of peppering the movie with talismans and different symbols to assist information viewers by the movie’s narrative “as a result of it’s actually advanced.”

4. The on-screen title begins as an animated roll of phrases, and it’s an concept Leitch had as a means of figuring out the movie’s quite a few themes. “It’s somewhat Easter Egg for the viewers,” he says, as every character has their very own philosophical journey right here.

5. Ladybug’s introduction is ready in Tokyo however was filmed in downtown Los Angeles.

6. Leitch initially envisioned Ladybug as a far slicker character, however Pitt noticed him extra as this laid again man on the finish of his profession.

7. This gained’t shock the movie’s naysayers, however “plenty of the third act and what plenty of the reveals have been, form of developed as we have been taking pictures it.”

8. The characters are all launched in an intercut form of means as we transfer by the practice and opening act, however the script initially took a unique method. Characters have been launched in a linear trend, then the movie would rewind, and we’d meet the subsequent one. Then it might rewind, and so forth.

9. Logan Lerman performs The Son, a personality who basically turns into a corpse after a really transient introduction. “I don’t even know why he did that function,” says McCormick. “So superb, it’s actually a waste of his skills.”

10. Engelbert Humperdinck was blissful to come back file his lounge-ish model of “I’m Without end Blowing Bubbles,” partly as a result of his sister is called Bubbles.

11. Flashbacks just like the one displaying Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) & Tangerine’s (Aaron Taylor Johnson) kill depend have been simply fast flashes on the web page, however Leitch needed to take each alternative he may to get viewers off the practice. “It’s partly why you’re not exhausted of being in a tube for 2 hours.”

12. Leitch cameos at 14:41 because the Good Samaritan.

13. Joey King was one of many first actors solid for the movie (after auditioning through Zoom seeing because the movie was shot in the course of the pandemic).

14. Whereas Michael Shannon performs White Dying, the youthful model of the character that we see killing individuals in a flashback is performed by Daniel Stevens. The character was initially a smaller a part of the entire, however certainly one of Leitch’s first asks concerning the script was to construct out the ending higher and land a stronger twist.

15. Wolf (Benito Ocasio aka Dangerous Bunny) was initially envisioned as an older character, however “his ardour was so good” that he landed the function. The flashback displaying his life leads McCormick to say that “It’s a really costly music video, I’ll simply say that because the producer.” She provides that she loves it, although, because it’s four-minutes shot on movie (to present it a unique really feel) spent giving this character life and emotion solely to then kill him instantly after we return to the current.

16. The Johannesburg flashback with Ladybug and Lemon was filmed within the parking storage on the Sony lot. The information report in regards to the lacking Boomslang snake was filmed outdoors the Sony cafeteria.

17. Pitt did a lot of his personal stunts, with the primary exceptions being arduous falls and the working scenes. He additionally needed his character to develop an rising variety of bruises, cuts, and extra culminating in at the very least three golf ball-sized lumps, however they talked him out of it.

18. The practice passenger within the inexperienced jacket at 44:08 was principally within the script as an “insert cameo” second that finally went to Channing Tatum. “It was final minute, it was like, ‘who’s on the town, who can be so humorous,’ after which he over-delivered,” says McCormick.

19. The practice concession woman is performed by Karen Fukuhara, and her arrival onscreen leads McCormick to acknowledge that that is “not an amazing use of her superb skills.”

20. King and Henry each used the identical dialect coach for his or her British accents. The movie’s sound mixer is Irish and apparently requested Henry after the primary few days of filming how he favored being within the States and the way lengthy he had been right here.

21. It was determined whereas filming that it might be enjoyable to have The Hornet (Zazie Beetz) punctuate every part she says with “bitch!” There was plenty of dialogue concerning what number of instances they might do it.

22. Lemon was initially meant to die, and Johnson thought that was nonetheless the plan when he filmed the scene of Tangerine discovering Lemon lifeless. They didn’t inform him {that a} rewrite was incoming with a view to resurrect the character, and so they’re glad they didn’t as they discover Johnson’s  efficiency right here very affecting.

23. The script initially began in the course of the day and ended late at night time, however they swapped it in order that the ultimate thirty minutes kicks off at daybreak. Leitch says it was “a traditional studio ask” in that they need extra daytime footage to assist promote the film — “they wish to see day, day , day, day, day.” He went with it as a result of it really works with the story being informed.

24. They have been workshopping strains for the beat the place Ladybug arms over the case and has a sword held to his neck, and the increase operator prompt “Harm individuals damage individuals.”

25. Shannon is certainly one of King’s favourite actors, and he or she was apparently nervous for her massive scene reverse him. After taking pictures the scene, although, it was Shannon who went to Leitch and gushed about her efficiency.

26. Ladybug’s cellphone conversations with Maria (Sandra Bullock) initially featured the cuts to her character as an alternative of simply her voice, however check audiences felt it was deceiving as to Bullock really being within the movie extra. The cameo was her paying Pitt again for him showing in her movie, The Misplaced Metropolis (2022).

27. The movie relies on a novel (by Kotaro Isaka), however McCormick mentions that they’re eager for a sequel. It’s mentioned within the context of Bullock enjoying an even bigger function in a doable follow-up.

28. Different movies had stopped and began in the course of the pandemic, however Bullet Prepare was the primary to begin recent in the course of the troubles. It was pre-vaccine, and their security protocols helped them wrap manufacturing with no single Covid-related delay.

Finest in Context-Free Commentary

“Let’s fucking go!”

“We tried to do plenty of actually provocative issues, even with the needle drops on this film.”

“Sorry, it’s arduous to not get sucked in.”

“Plenty of what Brad does is improv.”

“So long as you care about characters I feel you possibly can play with the atonality.”

“If you work with me, the script is at all times evolving.”

“That is the place we simply actually soar the shark.”

“He’s like half Lebowski in a few of this, isn’t he.”

Closing Ideas

Yeah, I don’t know, Bullet Prepare stays a wonderfully innocent blockbuster delivering sufficient leisure to make a watch worthwhile. The motion is full of life and enjoyable, and loads of the comedy beats land superbly with actual laughs (principally courtesy of Pitt). It’s nonetheless a bit bloated, and a few of the characters are performed far too massive, far too typically, however neither weak point kills the movie’s momentum or enjoyable. Truthfully, the one factor I can’t forgive right here is the way it wastes an incredible struggle expertise in Koji. (“Subsequent film, we’ll have much more with him,” says Leitch.) The commentary options each anecdotes and manufacturing particulars, and whereas Leitch is enthusiastic it’s McCormick who reveals off an in depth reminiscence and a few attention-grabbing observations. A great flick, a great commentary.

Learn extra Commentary Commentary from the archives.

Associated Subjects: Brad Pitt, Commentary Commentary, David Leitch

Rob Hunter has been writing for Movie College Rejects since earlier than you have been born, which is bizarre seeing as he is so rattling younger. He is our Chief Movie Critic and Affiliate Editor and lists ‘Broadcast Information’ as his favourite movie of all time. Be happy to say hello if you happen to see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.