Bullet Train (2022) review

Multiple killers-for-hire - which include snatch-and-grab expert Ladybug (Brad Pitt), "twin brothers" Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), poisoner The Hornet (Zazie Beetz) and drug kingpin The Wolf (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) - all wind up on the same Tōhoku Shinkansen train and each of them has a different mission ... and a lot of the action involves a devious "schoolgirl" named The Prince (Joey King), Russian assassin The White Death (Michael Shannon) and a briefcase filled with millions.  The "influence" of Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino is more than apparent but done in a less than creative manner: the dopey "tough guy" banter is tiring, as is the gaudy music video "aesthetic" ... and for its final showdown, it turns into cringe-inducing live-action anime.  Pitt does well with his character's "spiritual re-awakening" - his handler Maria Beetle (Sandra Bullock) doubles as his therapist - but Shannon is fantastic as the villain: the guy really can do anything.