Bullet Train is a Certified Good Time: Summer 2022 Movie Round-Up

I’m want to stress this up front, I would love for you, the reader, to watch Bullet Train. Now that that is out of the way, I love watching movies, and more specifically , I love watching movies in the theater. I know it’s expensive and not always a luxurious experience, but there is something sublime about it. There’s almost this modernized connection to the history of viewing a story in an audience. Also, with the modern conveniences of services like AMC’s A-List, it takes a lot of the pressure off of the upfront costs, and allows you to go see things you otherwise might not have shelled out 10, 15, 20, or 40 dollars for. 

With that being said, here are my thoughts around this summer’s blockbusters, most of which you can still grab a showtime for in your local multiplex. These thoughts will be only as long as they need to be, but you’ll get a little more meat from me compared with last time, as our new baby (and by extension myself) is sleeping more.

Top Gun: Maverick

An actual good movie, which is amazing considering the original Top Gun is not. Don’t get me wrong, there is a childlike part of me that loves the 1986 outing, but if you leave Maverick thinking the original is a better film your brain might be too nostalgia poisoned. Worth noting, Scientology might be onto something because Tom Cruise looks like he has only aged 10 years in the nearly 40 years between the two films.

Thor: Love & Thunder

I feel like this entry into the MCU had the most stark whiplash of reception. Early reviews were glowing, and then it slowly became the worst rated Thor movie of the four, which is a shame because I found it very honest and touching in moments. Love and Thunder had by far the best villain of any of the previous Thor films, and I thought it was well acted.

Maybe we are witnessing the onset of the general public’s turn on Director Taika Waititi. It’s hard to remain on the pedestal for long. There is more ink to be spilled in the near future about the current listless state of the MCU. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no hater, there just seems to be a lack of direction for the franchise moving forward.

Jurassic World: Dominion

Big dumb dinosaur movie. Exactly met all expectations for a Jurassic Park sequel, in that it wasn’t half as good as the original, but it introduced some new dinos and answered questions no one was asking. Dodgson! We’ve got Dodgson here!

Bullet Train

Go see this movie now. Stop reading. Burn your phone/tablet/computer. Throw it in a lake. This film was an absolute romp, and kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire two hour runtime. I imagine if Snatch era Guy Ritchie wrote and directed a movie set in the John Wick universe he’d make something almost approaching Bullet Train.

So far, it’s my favorite movie of the summer, and in contention with Everything Everywhere all at Once for my favorite movie of the year. Bullet Train was, to use all of the action movie clichés, a heart-pounding thrill ride of a film. Be sure to check out the soundtrack as well, preferably while walking through crowded city streets at night.

Nope

My wife and I already have the babysitter lined up, and we are going to see it this week. That means I don’t have any thoughts yet, but rest assured I will.

Now that you’re done reading this, go see Bullet Train. I mean it.