If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to see the Dude from “The Big Lebowski” as a hit man, then I have good news for you. The new action/thriller “Bullet Train” answers this question in a bloody good fashion.

This high-octane thriller – headlined by Brad Pitt – is very smart and very funny and is a non-stop mix of violence and laughs that mostly works.

In “Bullet Train,” Pitt plays an assassin who goes by the code name Ladybug. The assassin has had a string of bad luck and has been working through some issues with his therapist – causing him to briefly step away from his work. Now back in the game, Ladybug is given a simple assignment – steal a briefcase from a passenger on a bullet train and get off without incident.

The simple assignment turns into nothing but chaos with Ladybug locking horns with a multitude of assassins – including a young lady named the Prince (Joey King), a pair of “brothers” named Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and the son (Logan Lerman) of a ruthless mobster known as White Death (Michael Shannon).

Ladybug tries to complete the mission while navigating through these characters and others, and the cast also includes Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz and Sandra Bullock as Ladybug’s intermediary.

Pitt plays Ladybug like Jeff Bridges as the Dude, a level-headed, zen-seeking, low-key assassin who just wants to do the task without incident. Pitt’s work, particularly his reactions to all the craziness going on around him, is so understated it is easy to dismiss just how good he is here. He makes “Bullet Train” work, giving the film a much-needed comedic center to bounce off all the craziness.

Sure it’s funny, but there is plenty of bloodshed as well. Director David Leitch keeps it zipping along, with the narrative bouncing back and forth to flesh out these characters and create some fun little twists throughout.

“Bullet Train” is reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie with its rat-tat-tat dialogue immersed between the bloodshed. The cast delivers all this dialogue in an effective manner.

King probably shines the most, but there really isn’t bad work among any of the film’s key characters.

Throw in a couple of fun cameos and a few crazy stunt sequences and it’s enough to forgive “Bullet Train” of its shortcomings. Sure it is a little long and sometimes a little too cute for its own good, but ultimately it delivers on exactly what it sets out to do – giving the audience a blood-soaked good time with a lot of laughs mixed in.

Starring: Brad Pitt, Joey King

Directed by: David Leitch

Rating: R for strong and bloody violence, pervasive language and brief sexuality

Playing at: Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas (Glasgow), Franklin Drive-In

Grade: B