Kill Bill: Vol. 2

The second half to Tarantino's Kill Bill movie, Volume 2 gives us an adequate ending to The Bride's quest for vengeance. I'm not blown away by Vol. 2 and it feels like a weaker version of the first Volume. Gone is the caliber of character and flair that blessed the first volume. Gone is the sense of mystery carefully cultivated in the first volume, replaced by backstory that's wholly acceptable but ultimately uninspired. The dialogue is fine as well, it's Tarantino dialogue, but still not as good as the first volume. Soundtrack is fine, but definitely not as iconic as the soundtrack of Vol. 1.

Volume 2 doesn't take itself seriously, a continuation of the same signature demeanor of the first Volume, but while Vol. 1 pulled it off in an irreverent manner, Vol. 2 comes across as goofy and slightly overdone, and not goofy in a positive way.

It's an OK movie, my critique sounds overly negative but 7/10 really isn't a terrible film. I just don't think this lives up to the preceding volume. I'm sure there's some deep film-lover layers of meaning that flew over my head, I saw another review waxing poetic about how this was the best thing Tarantino's ever done and talked about all the homages to other film inspiration layered into the film that I very much did not pick up on. So if that's your demographic, this might be the movie for you.

This movie is completely different from the first. Unlike the first with fast paced action and extreme entertainingly super-stylish gore, Kill Bill vol. 2 is everything that was missing in th first.

The Bride's revenge is burning strong and we can see it in her eyes. We discover the truth behind the wedding massacre and all questions from the 1st movie are answered. We discover why the Bride is the deadliest woman in the world. We discover why Elle is missing an eye. We discover who Bill really is. We discover the Brides name. And finally we discover the truth of the secret revealed at the end of Vol. 1.

Her first target is Budd. The loser bum ex-deadly assassin living in a trailer in the middle of nowhere. The short confrontation ends with one of the most terrifyingly claustrophobia-inducing (sp?) scenes ever...specially if you watch it in the dark. Then we are taken to the journey of how the Bride became the deadliest person in the world. We see the story between her and her hard-hitting very mean master Pai-Mei.

After a while there is the confrontation with Elle Driver...the Battle of the Blonde Gargantuants...as Uma Thurman referred to it in an interview. This one fight scene is almost as exciting as watching the Bride battling off tons of the Crazy 88s from Vol. 1.

Then the battle we were all waiting for. For Uma Thurman to Kill Bill...well I won't spoil it for you. Basically vol. 1 was 95% style 5% substance while vol. 2 is 95% substance 5% style. Very emotional and touching movie with a few key gore scenes...definitely a must see...

Rarely known a movie I've been looking forward to so much than Q.T's resumption of the Kill Bill saga. I, as well as millions of others film-freaks, awaited Uma Thurman's further adventures with wicked anticipation. And of course…Tarantino didn't disappoint. Volume two is a completely different movie than volume one, but it's equally brilliant and the director's trademarks are shown more than obviously. Volume one merely was homage to the Eastern Martial Arts movies, with delightfully over-the-top splatter and gore while Vol. 2 fully focuses on ancient westerns and rural horror. There's more dialogue, more twists ‘n turns and the anti-chronological structure results in more depth and involvement. Some unexplained elements from Vol.1 become clear now and even the entire background of Thurman's character gets unveiled. For the very first time, (as far as I can remember) Tarantino really knows how to create an unbearable tension! There's a sequence in which Uma is buried alive and trapped under the ground…Through simple methods, like a completely black screen, Tarantino arises claustrophobia among the audience! Truly terrific filmmaking.

The actors in Kill Bill aren't Hollywood's best, but they each have their charisma and their typical Tarantino characters do the rest. The camera viewpoints are brilliant at times and – as usual – the tiny absurd elements are a joy to discover. Tarantino's entire Kill Bill achievement may easily be considered as one of the most creative and dared film-projects ever! Do yourself a favor and watch them! …Over and over again.

The sentimental showdown

Kill Bill Vol. 2 deserves to be another film than Kill Bill Vol. 1, not only the fact that the film would then run 4 hours + if it had been shown in one piece, but more because showing both films in one run might come across somewhat odd. The reason I'm saying this, is because Kill Bill Vol. 2 is very different in tone and feeling than was Vol. 1. The first part was more anger driven and brutal, whereas Kill Bill Vol. 2 is more about love and disappointment. Where the first part is bloody and ruthless, the second one is tender and sore. This does not mean that there is no brutality in this film, but rather that the tone of the film is totally different.

I must admit that it took me some getting used to in the first 20 or so minutes of the film, because I'd expected the film to go on as brutally and furious as the first one finished. It didn't happen. What I got instead was a more story and character driven film, that was filled with emotion, explanations and some good and original fighting scenes.

I have no negative comments on this film I guess. I think the acting was good to very good, with the extra kudos going to Daryl Hannah, who'd let some people to believe that she as just a tall blond who couldn't act in the last couple of years. With this film she manages to show us though, that she just has not been given the right offers. This I must say seems to be some kind of quality of Tarantino, to get ‘discarded' actors and actresses and give them an opportunity to shine once again. Speaking of Tarantino, although I do realize that with Kill Bill he was an 'hommage' to many of his influences, I just have to say that he is a great director and screenwriter. I mean, the way he directs, the music he chooses to accompany the scenes and the dialog. It's just all top notch. This does not mean that this is the best film I've ever seen, but that it is a good film, which fulfilled it's promises. I mean let us ALL be honest. Who can pull off filming a revenge movie lasting more than 4 hours without it getting dull and boring? NOBODY but Tarantino. Hell, most people can't make complete a good 90 minute flick with this amount of story.

7,5 out of 10

It's a hefty price to pay, preparing for your wedding day, as your jilted lover Bill, arrives in time to maim and kill, left unconscious, comatose, muscles wasting, decompose, four years later you awaken, and you feel a little shaken, so you start to wiggle toes, then start looking for your foes, there are several scores to settle, you know how to use sharp metal.

The Bride continues to track down her past acquaintances and leaves them under no illusion how cold her revenge can be when it comes to finding the whereabouts of the titular Bill. In the style of several classic film genres from several countries, if the pursuit of ultra-violent and vicious vendetta with serious loss of blood and body parts is your thing, then you've come to the right place. Also contains great dialogue.