“Atomic Blonde” and “Deadpool 2” director and “John Wick” co-creator David Leitch is at it again with “Bullet Train,” a high-profile film that delivered a formidable ensemble cast and solid action-comedy. Taking viewers on a speeding bullet train making its way to Kyoto filled with an assortment of assassins — who end up at each other’s throats — Leitch’s direction and orchestration make “Bullet Train” a swift epic of twists and turns.
One of the most memorable “Bullet Train” characters is undoubtedly Ladybug (Brad Pitt), a seasoned snatch-and-grab gun for hire who has recently found peace but still suffers from some incredibly bad luck. Pitt plays Ladybug with a bemused panache, making his therapeutic bon mots and action antics hilariously compelling.
Although the film features an expansive cast that shares the spotlight, Ladybugs is perhaps the film’s main character, embodying the film’s slick action style and comedic charm. With his story containing some of the film’s most memorable moments — from wild fights against other assassins to his ongoing struggle to get off the train and out of this mess, Ladybug has plenty of (spoiler-heavy) memorable moments worth delving into.
1. Ladybug plays with sleeping powder.
Since the train is filled with deadly assassins and even a venomous snake, who would’ve thought that a water bottle and some sleeping powder would cause the greatest trouble? Although his handler Maria (Sandra Bullock) begs him not to do it, rather than taking a gun on the train, Ladybug decides to grab his small vial of sleeping powder. While it would have been far more useful to be packing heat, Ladybug might’ve been onto something, since his sleeping powder ends up having an unexpected effect.
After a scuffle with Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry), Ladybug takes the opportunity to possibly knock him out again when he spikes his water bottle with sleeping powder. It’s quick thinking from Ladybug, made funnier because he mentioned earlier that he’s become better with the doses, but ends up just dumping the whole thing in any way. Although Ladybug never sees the effects of his move, that sleeping powder knocks out Lemon in a key moment that lets The Prince (Joey King) get away cleanly — so, perhaps it wasn’t as useless as Maria thought.
2. Ladybug finally meets Maria.
Maria, Ladybug’s handler, is always in his ear trying to steer him straight amongst all the chaos, even when he’s sitting in the fetal position in fear of his bad luck making things worse. After the utter destruction and havoc of the final battle and the train crashing through a village, Ladybug is in total disarray — somehow having survived the entire ordeal. he gets a surprise: Not only does he see The White Death (Michael Shannon) and The Prince get killed in wild ways, but he also finally gets to meet Maria in person.
The reveal of Sandra Bullock is reminiscent of Pitt’s extended cameo in the recent “The Lost City”; like in that film, his chemistry with Bullock is terrific. Ladybug is almost in tears at the sight of Maria, who comforts him through her unique brand of snark. Best of all, Ladybug’s bad luck causes Maria’s car to get crushed suddenly, and his lines about fate guiding him and wanting to find a smart toilet like the one he loved on the train are quite funny. Ladybug meeting Maria feels like the perfect way for his story to end, as he goes out with the same heart and humor that made him so lovable.
3. Ladybug doesn’t leave before the last stop.
Compared to a lot of the other personalities in “Bullet Train,” Ladybug is one of the more positive-minded and good-hearted. Part of that is due to the recent therapy he’s gone through, but he’s also just a snatch-and-grab guy that doesn’t like harming people beyond what’s necessary. That good guy persona ends up coming back to bite Ladybug, however, when he stops himself from finally escaping this nightmare.
Just as he is about to get off at the last stop, Ladybug is coaxed back onto contain by The Prince, out of hesitation in leaving a seemingly innocent girl behind. The film makes you want to yell at Ladybug not to get back on the train, but his good-hearted nature is no match for logic. It’s a moment of dramatic irony that results in a memorable sequence of events for Ladybug, where being the good guy doesn’t exactly pay off.
4. Ladybug gets help from a familiar-looking passenger.
After being outed by Lemon and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) for being the one who stole their suitcase, Ladybug finds himself on the run and tries to come up with a quick distraction to get the slip on the latter. He comes up with the idea to enlist help from a fellow passenger, who ends up being a familiar face. Channing Tatum’s cameo as an unassuming passenger is one of the best “Bullet Train” surprises (and another moment that makes the film feel like a “Lost City” reunion), and his conversation with Ladybug is a treat.
Tatum’s appearance immediately injects life into the film, as does a conversation with Ladybug steering in and out of Tatum’s character talking about sexual favours. This leads to Ladybug’s plan of disguising a passenger as him, and with help from some well-placed firecrackers that distract Tangerine, it leads to a hilarious payoff. Say what you will about Ladybug’s enlightened mindset and kindness making him look gullible, but he can craft up a very creative plan on the spot.
5. Ladybug vs. the Boomslang.
Throughout the film, there are glimpses of the deadly Boomslang — a highly poisonous snake whose bite will make victims bleed out of every orifice. It slithers around the train after Ladybug sets it free while setting up a blockade, and with each new look, it’s increasingly ready to bite someone; unfortunately for Ladybug, it eventually targets him. Just as he’s about to move to a new car with The Prince, the Boomslang comes seemingly out of nowhere to bite Ladybug on the hand, causing all kinds of chaos.
It’s a short, but hilarious battle as the bite catches the viewer off guard. Ladybug going into a wild panic, and his dispatching of the snake via smart toilet (and the “Don’t Open Snake” message he crudely writes on top of the toilet) all builds to a wild sequence. The Boomslang might be more dangerous than most of the assassins, but Ladybug dispatches it swiftly. Thankfully, he already has the antidote in his system, with help from The Hornet (Zazie Beetz).
6. Ladybug accidentally kills Tangerine.
Tangerine and Ladybug have the biggest rivalry in “Bullet Train”; it’s only appropriate, then, that the two highly-skilled fighters would have one of the biggest brawls of the entire movie. Their polar opposite personalities, with Tangerine being a tough loudmouth and Ladybug being more of a calm peace-seeker, cause much conflict. Yet, it never appears like they’re ever going to kill each other until Prince gets involved.
With her knack for looking and acting innocent, Prince initially fools Tangerine into thinking that she’s all right. However, like his twin, he comes to realize that she’s nothing but trouble. Unfortunately, he’s slow on the uptake, so Tangerine pointing a gun at an innocent-looking girl forces Ladybug to spring into action and try to be a hero.
Ladybug’s actions eventually cause Tangerine to be killed in a bloody, gruesome fashion — a great moment of dramatic irony. Ladybug’s sense of heroism leads to some amusing, drastic mistakes that make for some memorable scenes, and this one left a big bloody mark.
7. Ladybug’s conversation with the White Death.
He may not know it when he gets on the bullet train and accepts a job retrieving the case, but Ladybug is becoming the centerpiece of The White Death’s revenge scheme. Upon finally reaching Kyoto, Ladybug tries to make himself a distraction by bringing out the case and talking with The White Death. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s The White Death’s main target, and the big reason he’s set up this whole scheme. What The White Death doesn’t know is that Ladybug isn’t whom he wants, making for a hilarious case of mistaken identity.
Throughout the film, Ladybug is constantly talking about his unreliable colleague “Carter,” and how annoyed he is to be taking over his gig. But when he finds out that Carter is the target of The White Death, Ladybug realizes that he picked a bad day to cover for him.
It’s not only a great moment because of the twist (featuring a great cameo from Ryan Reynolds), but it also encapsulates Ladybug’s horrible luck. It’s even funnier how The White Death continues to confuse him for Carter — and as a viewer, you can’t help but believe that Ladybug hates Carter now more than ever.
8. Ladybug vs The Hornet.
One of many surprising appearances in “Bullet Train” comes from the reveal of The Hornet’s identity, bringing Zazie Beetz and David Leitch back together for a short, memorable fight sequence with Ladybug. Once Ladybug realizes that The Hornet is standing right in front of him, it’s not too long until they start fighting, The Hornet trying to sting Ladybug with some Boomslang venom leaving viewers on the edge of their seats. Ladybug ultimately gets the upper hand and walks away, but the same can’t be said for The Hornet.
With Ladybug able to get The Hornet to inject herself with the poison and him with the antidote, she succumbs to her creation and starts pouring out blood. If this gruesome death wasn’t enough, Ladybug does a great job adding some light hilarity to this dark death. Everything he says to The Hornet is deliciously random, as he tries to comfort her in a way that almost sounds like he’s taunting her — even going into dad mode when he scolds her for not bringing a second antidote, only to apologize for mansplaining. It might be a short bout, but Ladybug helps make it end on a fun (and funny) note.
9. Ladybug vs. The Wolf.
For the first act or so, viewers are left wondering if Ladybug has the skills to face the assassins shown on the train. His newfound peace and insistence on non-violent means make him seem like he might not be cut out for the sort of job that’s going to be more than just a snatch-and-grab. However, once he comes face to face with The Wolf (Bad Bunny), it becomes clear that he has enough skills to hold his own.
Ladybug fighting against The Wolf is the first big action sequence on the train, and although it has a swift and sharp end, it is a memorable one. With the way Ladybug uses the metal case to counteract The Wolf’s sharp blade, the hero is shown to be more than capable to handle the threats that stand before him. Much humor is mined from his confusion as to why The Wolf is after him, and every scene with him trying to prop up The Wolf’s body to look normal is terrific. It’s also the fight that gets Ladybug’s wheels turning towards figuring out the bigger mystery at hand, so it plays a crucial role in Ladybug’s greater story arc.
10. Ladybug poses as Lemon.
After The White Death’s son (Logan Lerman) dies suddenly, Lemon and Tangerine find themselves in quite a pickle, forced to prove that everything is all right. They can get away with things the first time around, but when Lemon is suddenly missing in action, Tangerine is stuck trying to figure out how he’s going to trick The White Death’s men at the next stop. Luckily, Ladybug is willing to help out and pose as Lemon, since the men don’t know what he looks like, but it doesn’t go as planned.
It’s funny to see Tangerine and Ladybug forced to work together, since they were just in a wild fight, and it’s also funny that the men believe that they could be twins. Things end on another amusing note when Ladybug’s bad luck comes back around and blows their cover, the metal case opening to spill random clothes everywhere. It’s rare to see Tangerine and Ladybug working together, but when they do, Ladybug makes it worth watching, with his horrible luck and calm personality getting under Tangerine’s skin.
11. Ladybug vs Tangerine.
Of all of the big “Bullet Train” brawls, Ladybug versus Tangerine is easily the best. It has a little bit of everything: no punches pulled, recklessly crashing through windows, a hilarious break in the middle, Ladybug asking Tangerine to spot him for an expensive water bottle and then throwing at his head to kick off the fight again, and even a quick cameo from “The Boys” star Karen Fukuhara, as the train’s food kart lady.
It’s also the grandest fight sequence of the whole film, as their brawl spills off the train, resulting in a nail-biting sequence where the viewer can’t be sure whether it’s Ladybug or Tangerine that is about to meet a swift death. Ultimately, neither do, and their brawl leads to moments like Ladybug kicking Tangerine off the train after they attempt to trick The White Death’s men fails. Ladybug fighting Tangerine is easily one of Ladybug’s most memorable moments, as it pushes him to the brink in an action-packed fight to the finish.
12. Ladybug’s Quiet Car Conversation with Lemon.
There’s a reason Ladybug and Lemon’s quiet car conversation was played up so much in the film’s trailers — it’s one of the best parts of the movie.
The way their conversation begins, in a civil manner, makes for some hilarious moments of Ladybug trying to use his therapy wisdom to cool some tensions and Lemon using his “Thomas the Tank Engine” wisdom to point out his lack of trust. Pitt and Henry sell the moment as these characters, and the sequence lets them flex their acting chops, the charisma of their characters shining through.
Things get even better once the action kicks off, as their fight has some hard-hitting blows stopped only by a shushing passenger. From Lemon accidentally punching The White Death’s son in the face to Ladybug delivering snarky backlash towards the shushing lady, this sequence has everything that makes “Bullet Train” a blast. Ladybug is truly at his best at this moment, with Pitt showcasing his action-hero skills and undeniable charm. Plus, it leads into the moment of Ladybug using his sleeping powder, making it a key moment for both the film and Ladybug as a character.
