Bullet Train is an often entertaining, but overly glib action/comedy that is light on real action.

Set, unsurprisingly, on a bullet train hurtling between Tokyo and Kyoto, the latest film from David Leitch is an assassin showdown from which no one can escape.

Bringing a truly all-star cast, led by Brad Pitt, but also including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Joey King, Brian Tyree Henry, many others and a host of A-list cameos, this should be a sure thing.

Basked in the neon glow beauty of Japan’s futurism, all it needs is well choreographed action from the recognisable faces and the rest should write itself.

Despite Leitch’s history with quality action flicks such as John Wick and Atomic Blonde – and as a stuntman before turning director – the fight scenes here are gory but not that interesting.

There are very few memorable set pieces or faceoffs, because the entire run time is trying to be self-referential and funny, rather than tense.

It is full of what have become rote action clichés, where a happy song scores extreme violence or characters stop mid-fight to joke and call out the ridiculous nature thereof.

But when every fight is played for laughs there exists no tension, no propulsion and no reason to feel excited about the ending.

It is a good double feature with The Gray Man where similar problems arise.

Perhaps this is just what action movies are now?

Since the success of Deadpool, the R-rated, high concept and CGI-laden joke fest action movie has become the standard.

Extreme violence, where characters are brutally killed, is sold to the audience as an hilarious montage of gore akin to a video game.

Make no mistake, the violence in and of itself is not an issue, but it has to be for a reason.

The modern action classics of East-Asian cinema from which Bullet Train is drawing know that, which is why their blood-soaked sequences have weight.

You pull for the protagonist facing off against an impossible series of obstacles because there is a reason they are fighting.

Bullet Train simply pits people you like against each other however, with witty test-screened catch phrases that the studio hopes you will think are clever.

Many of them do land and parts of this movie are genuinely entertaining, with former child star Joey King stealing the show.

But if you removed the fighting, there is no plot to speak of, and if that’s what you are going for, then the action has to be top notch.

Unfortunately, it is not.

Big budget studio movies that are original should always be supported because they are a dying breed, but there has to be a change in format.

Rated 16 for Language and Violence. (Note, graphic violence and lots of swearing)

2.5/5.

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