The Bullet Train (1975)

	Also Known As: Shinkansen daibakuha (original)
	Year of first release: 1975
	Director: Jun'ya Satô
	Actors:  Ken Takakura (47 Ronin), Shin'ichi Chiba (Kill Bill), Kei Yamamoto
	Country: J
	Genre: Action
	Conditions of visioning: 20.05.2014, DVD, 11" computer screen, English dubbing
Synopsis: Terrorists place a bomb onboard a high speed train, that will go off if it slows down below 80 km/h.
Review: I bought this movie as part of a Sonny Chiba action pack (picture below) from which I wanted only Virus (a.k.a.Day of Resurrection), Americano-Japanese disaster movie that has been in my mind since I was a kid, and that is presented at its best in this package (full-length and good image quality).  I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of The Bullet Train. It seems like the package is an interesting sample of Japanese movies of that period and I will probably watch the third movie Golgo 13 (a spy movie) soon. I bought in the USA another Sonny Chiba package containing The Bodyguard and Sister Street Fighting but after watching only a few minutes it was clear that it was of much poorer quality. For those who don't know, Sonny Chiba is this Japanese actor that was made famous worldwide for his role of Swordmaker in Kill Bill, only after a very long and prosperous local career. The story of The Bullet Train must have inspired the one of Speed with Keanu Reeves, and I also saw similarities with Unstoppable that I reviewed recently, although that one is supposed to be based on recent events. The movie is quite good and interesting, showing the expected scenes one after the other (slowing down the train to gain time, transferring material or people from one train to another running in parallel, avoiding another train on a collision course, an accident on the tracks...), but with an added Japanese sensibility (the terrorist is not presented as a bad guy). I found the movie a bit long and slow (although I saw the international cut and not the Japanese one which is half an hour longer), and not very exciting when it comes to people reacting with one another. Probably not very appealing to modern western audiences, but satisfying for a curious cinephile like me. The English dubbing is not so bad and maybe even helps enjoying the movie.
Rating: 5 /10