Bullet Train Explosion

OK so it's over long (losing momentum a bit in the second half), and the villain when revealed is an eye roll that doesn't really make all that much sense. But despite that its a fun and at times tense action / disaster movie, the type of which doesn't get made all that much these days.

The cast are all good, and the sfx are generally good, although they would have benefitted from a slightly higher budget here and there. Some great cinematography too.

I think anyone who likes movies like Unstoppable, Silver Streak, Speed and other similar disaster movies will find much to enjoy in this film.

An affectionate and well-realised update of Junya Sato's The Bullet Train, Bullet Train Explosion's devotion to delivering relentless edge-of-your-seat thrills ensures it's a blast from the moment it leaves the station. After his masterful reworking of Ultraman 3 years ago, I've been patiently waiting for Shinji Higuchi's next film. While the visual effects, direction, cinematography and camerawork are all top-notch, the carnage feels relatively restrained compared to Higuchi's prior work. However, even then, the film's greatest strength lies in its construction of tension and its commitment to showing how people respond to chaos. Some rise while others fall. Even with Higuchi as the film's conductor, this is still very much a one-track film, where Sato's original cross-cuts the action on board its Shinkansen with Ken Takakura's criminal antics, and here we are solely dedicated to the action on board. Despite its familiarity, there's also a fair dose of originality, although the late-game villain reveal had me howling with unintentional laughter. It's a long journey, full of near misses and assorted beats of suspense; although it abandons the complicating human factors that gave the original its soul, the film works very effectively as both a remake and a legacy sequel alike, even if the first half is far stronger than its latter half. Backed by strong performances and a rousing score by Taisei Iwasaki, Bullet Train Explosion is an effectively solid action disaster throwback, full of collectivism and collaboration.

I just finished watching Netflix's new "Bullet Train Explosion" (2025) and couldn't help but notice all the comments claiming it's "just a Speed ripoff." Oh, sweet summer children of cinema...

For those whose film history knowledge apparently begins with Keanu Reeves, allow me to enlighten you: "Shinkansen Daibakuha" isn't copying Speed (1994). It's a REBOOT of the ORIGINAL "Shinkansen Daibakuha" from 1975 - a Japanese disaster thriller released NINETEEN YEARS BEFORE "Speed" even existed.

That's right. The "can't slow down or it explodes" concept that everyone associates with "Speed" was actually pioneered by this Japanese film starring Ken Takakura, Sonny Chiba, and other legendary Japanese actors nearly two decades earlier. The original featured Japan's bullet train that would explode if it dropped below 80km/h, with criminals demanding ransom money.

So who copied whom? If anything, "Speed" borrowed from Japan, not the other way around. Shinji Higuchi's new Netflix adaptation is simply bringing a Japanese classic back to life for a new generation.

The irony of Western viewers accusing a Japanese reboot of copying an American film that may have been "inspired" by the original Japanese concept is absolutely delicious. It's the perfect embodiment of that meme where someone makes a joke, someone else says it louder, and gets all the credit.

Critics are dumb for comparing this with Speed (1994). This is a sequel to the movie Bullet Train (1975).

Besides the explosion plot, the stories are entirely different.

Overall, this was an enjoyable action film, made for the big screen, with clever scenes and twists.

It brings new ideas to the "train" disaster genre, which are much appreciated and make everything engaging.

The performance of the main leads is solid.

Despite a few plot holes and some slightly bad acting in supporting roles, the movie carries a great intensity that keeps you hooked from the beginning to the end.

If you enjoy train movies, you will like this!

Bullet Train Explosion (2025) is an interesting ride that tries to bring back the disaster-thriller vibe but falls a little short on the human side of things. The directing by Shinji Higuchi feels like it cares more about showing the technical process of running a train than about telling a story through its characters. You can tell a lot of work went into the production itself, especially with the practical effects, model sets, and tight editing that really keep the tension high. The problem is, while everything looks good and feels intense, the characters end up feeling like background noise rather than the heart of the movie. It feels more like you are watching a really well-made simulation than being pulled into a story.

The acting is decent, especially from Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, who manages to bring some presence even without a lot of material to work with. The script, though, feels a bit thin, like it was written just enough to move from one tense scene to another without really digging into who these people are. The cinematography is clean and sharp, with some really impressive shots during the action sequences, and the sound design does a solid job of keeping you in that high-stakes atmosphere. The score is there but not very memorable, mostly serving the moment without standing out. Overall, it is a movie you can enjoy for the tension and visuals, but if you are hoping to get attached to the characters or dive deep into the story, it might leave you wanting more.