Super Express 109

I don't believe this Japanese thriller has anything to do with the new Brad Pitt movie (besides the two having almost identical titles). I still don't know whether I'll see 2022's Bullet Train, but its release reminded me to watch 1975's The Bullet Train, and it ended up being a pretty good watch.

I always thought Speed had an original plot, but it takes the basic premise of this movie and puts the action on a bus, rather than a train. Because in The Bullet Train, there's a bomb on a train, and the train will explode if it drops below a certain speed, with the bombers wanting ransom money before they'll agree to disarm the bomb.

It does play out more like a large scale Hollywood disaster movie than a small-scale action-thriller. The scope is actually pretty wide, and I felt like most of the scenes didn't actually take place on the train - a big part of the movie is about finding the masterminds behind the bombing. The train scenes themselves are great, though. All really exciting, and I think it used real trains for the most part (or if there were miniatures used, I couldn't tell).

There are plenty of recognisable Japanese actors all doing solid work, and the film is mostly entertaining throughout, even if I didn't love it. I will say: I was a goose and didn't research properly before watching, so I watched an inferior version that was dubbed and about half an hour shorter than what I realise now is the original version. So for the stuff I didn't like, it might (well, probably would) be better in the original cut, so that's on me for jumping the gun and watching a re-edit like a doofus.

This movie is very good. It allows you to feel as if you are riding on one of Japan's bullet trains. (In Bulgaria, we call them 'arrow trains'). The movie plot follows in a very logical sequence, as the viewer is lead through the events from planting of the bomb to the eventual happy end. The characters of the terrorist are well played, as the motivations for their actions are explained. And their very human emotions of strife and hesitation are shown as we gradually learn who they are and what they want. Conversely, the train authorities are portrayed as brave people, who are taking prompt actions to eliminate the bomb. All in all, it is a movie that is pleasant to watch and will immerse you in a somewhat different world. The music, at times, becomes very gentle and dreamy (I wonder who composed the music and whether a soundtrack CD can be obtained from somewhere?) Watch this movie, it will be a memorable one for you!

Far better for me than a simple SPEED aboard a train scheme, this is a tremendous thriller where characters are very well depicted; I speak of the Long version of two hours and thirty minutes; not the short one. Ken Takakura outstanding in this villain character, and also the lead one. This is tense, gritty, very unique in the Japanese film industry which looked like a disaster Hollywoodian movie for this period. The good Hollywood side, not the lousy one that we had later, in the eighties and nineties. I highly recommend it to anyone who could be afraid because it is a film from Asia. Try this one, who ever you are, you won't regret it.

Now here's a brief little plot description I'm sure will sound familiar to most people! Terrorists plant a bomb somewhere on a crowded public transportation vehicle. The device activates itself once the vehicle reaches a certain speed and will explode if the vehicle lowers its speed beneath this mark. The authorities as well as the driver are aware of the danger, but a ransom needs to be paid before the terrorists gives the exact location of the bomb. Now where have I heard that before? Hey wait a minute, it's that movie "Speed" with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock! Well sure, 99% of the world will be able to guess that, but sadly only a miserable 1% (or even less) know that "Speed" is, in fact, some sort of remake of this modestly produced but hugely exhilarating Japanese 70's disaster flick. Here in this case, the public transportation vehicle is an elite high-speed express train instead of a bus, so there are even more possibilities to hide the explosives. There are two versions of "Bullet Train" available, albeit both of them are quite obscure, but they're a world of difference. The international version is barely 90 minutes long and pretty much cuts all the background and intrigues surrounding the act of terrorism. The Japanese version runs slightly over 150 minutes and is the complete opposite! In this extended version you get to know literally everything about the terrorists, including how they got acquainted and even what they prefer to have for lunch. I'm usually quite allergic to long (2+ hours) movies, but I read that the heavily cut version comes across as incoherent and clumsy, and also that it doesn't feature the social criticism and melodrama. This may very well be true, but the 150 minutes slightly exaggerates with illustrating background stories and dramatic subplots. At numerous times during the film, it even felts like the booby trapped train was merely an unimportant sub plot while the real movie revolved on the life story of main terrorist Tetsuo Okita. Still, it's a compelling and at times adrenalin-rushing adventure with a solid script and terrific performances. Ken Takakura excels as the embittered terrorist and martial arts legend Sonny Chiba is very impressive in the for him very unusual role of ordinary machinist. One thing about "Bullet Train" I will surely NEVER forget for as long as I live is how this movie features the single most worst case of bad luck ever! After he received the ransom, the terrorists reveals that he left a bag in a restaurant. In the bag there's a map with a detailed drawing of where exactly in the train the bomb is located. The authorities rush to the restaurant, but notice upon arrival that the place just burned to the ground due to a short circuit! What are the odds of that happening?

`Bullet Train' (Orig. Title: Shinkansen Daibakuha) is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Made in 1975, `Bullet Train' predates Jan De Bont's similar `Speed' by almost two decades and is the vastly superior drama. The wonderful Ken Takakura portrays the bomber with a grudge, while cult action star Shinichi `Sonny' Chiba portrays Shinkansen (Bullet Train) operator Aoki who must find the explosive device before his train explodes. Utsui Ken (who portrayed the serial hero Super Giant/Star Man) also puts in a great performance as Transit Chief Kuromochi who must not only deal with the demands of the bomber but must also deal with the political and public backlash and hysteria that ensues the crisis. While some of the SFX work does not really look all too convincing, the overall film is a joy to see. Ken Takakura's somber and tragic character of Okita is quite a contrast to Dennis Hopper's wacky and cartoonish villain in `Speed". While the film is not great, it certainly is worth a look. Blink and you could miss the cameo of Shihomi Etsuko as a transit telephone operator.