Bullet Train (Movie) and Snowpiercer (TV Series)

All aboard for murderville!

Bullet Train

Brad Pitt stars in this action comedy which involves numerous, highly skilled assassins all boarding the same bullet train in Japan. While the story is rather ridiculous, the action scenes and cinematography are very well done resulting in a very entertaining flick. Recommended for those who are ok to not just suspend their disbelief, but kick it out the window entirely for the duration of this film.

Snowpiercer (TV)

In the new ice age one of the last sanctuaries for mankind is the Snowpiercer, a perpetual motion engine train that keeps people warm and fed as it races all across the world on tracks that just continually worsen. Sounds like an engineering nightmare? That's what the show thought too, and so it instead focuses on the class differences on board - with the rich people who bought tickets up in first class and the stowaways in the tail forced to work as manual labor.

While the movie version of this is primary focused on the action of a violent revolt, this three (or four if it ever gets released) season drama is more of a slow burn as "tailee" and ex-detective Andre (Daveed Diggs) is tasked with finding a murderer on board. A job excellent at introducing all sorts of people up and down the train with a few interesting twists to boot. Alas, there is some character idiocy and plot contrivance present but it is still interesting enough to warrant a watch. Try out one episode, if it's too slow for you but you like the concept - watch the movie instead.

Snowpiercer

Even at the end of the world, everyone has their place.

The world has frozen over, and the last remnants of humanity are aboard a super long and advanced train (the titular "Snowpiercer") which circumnavigates the globe. The main problem is that while the front of the train is full of luxury and the upper class, all those crammed in the tail end of the train are treated as third world garbage. As with most oppressed people this is the tale of their revolt, to be more than what they are.

This is one crowded train.

Led by Captain America Chris Evans, this is a fascinating movie that had my full attention at all times. The acting across the board is also surprisingly good as are the action scenes which complement the crazy "world" that is the train. I'm not going to spoil any more of it for you so I'll simply say - watch this movie. I found its mix of action and drama to be really good, and highly recommend it to everyone. Just be sure you watch with subtitles for the few but important korean speaking bits.

I'd eagerly watch this again at the drop of a hat, and give it four doors out of five.