‘Bullet Train’ chugs to the top of the domestic box office
Sony Pictures’ “Bullet Train” arrived at the top of the domestic box this weekend with $30.1 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore.
The Brad Pitt-led action flick’s performance aligned with early expectations as the summer movie season is coming to a close. Rounding out the top three at the domestic box office this weekend are Warner Bros.’ “DC League of Super-Pets,” which made $11.2 million in its second weekend for a North American cumulative of $45.1 million; and Universal Pictures’ “Nope,” which grossed $8.5 million its third weekend for a North American cumulative of $98 million.
Directed by David Leitch, “Bullet Train” centers on an assassin (Pitt) who encounters a number of enemies while on assignment aboard a fast-moving train in Japan. The ensemble cast also features Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Sandra Bullock and Bad Bunny.
Not even Brian Tyree Henry and Bad Bunny can move ‘Bullet Train’ beyond its basic action shtick.
The star-studded thriller received a lackluster 54% rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. In her review, critic Katie Walsh likened the movie to costume jewelry — something that seems sparkly and fun but ultimately is worthless.
“The bright color palette and cheeky tone is in some ways a refreshing antidote to the gray haze that has overtaken big, bombastic blockbusters of late,” Walsh writes.
“But the smug humor feels dated and corny, and eventually, that the film resists revealing even a crumb of inner life about these killer characters makes it exceedingly hard to care.”
The Filipino American comedian is getting his first shot as a Hollywood leading man after a long, hard grind. And he’s ready for the limelight.
Also new to theaters this weekend was Universal Pictures’ “Easter Sunday,” which landed in eighth position with $5.3 million. Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and starring Jo Koy, the holiday comedy garnered a rough 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a B-plus grade from audiences polled by CinemaScore.
Opening in wide release next weekend are two indie titles: Bleecker Street Media’s “Summering” and Gravitas Premiere’s “Mack & Rita.”
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