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Kill Bill: Vol. 2Year of release: 2004 Genre: drama Director: Quentin Tarantino Action director: Yuen Woo-Ping Stars: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Darryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Gordon Liu, Michael Parks Rated R for violence, language and drug use Version reviewed: US theatrical release |
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 was one of my favorites last year, so I was looking forward to this "sequel", which is actually just a continuation of the story, since Tarantino had to cut down his original edit of the movie. Volume 2 isn't as good as the first installment, but it's still a solid drama that stands on its' own, while tying up the loose ends from Volume 1. There are a few nagging little problems, but still this film delivers that special Tarantino groove that his fans have come to know and love.
Like I said, this movie -- after a brief 50's style intro that explains what's going on -- just continues what started in the first film, namely, "The Bride" (Uma Thurman) and her revenge on the group of assassins (led by Bill, played by David Carradine) that tried to kill her on her wedding day. Unlike the first film, though, Volume 2 is a much more character and dialogue driven movie. Even though there is some great action (most notably the out-and-out brawl between Uma and Darryl Hannah, which ranks among the best on-screen catfights ever), you're not going to see anything like the bloody "House of Blue Leaves" sequence from Volume 1.
Rather, Tarantino has chosen to continue the maturation of his filmic techniques we saw from Volume 1. There's very little of the pop-culture references or self-referential dialogue that were the trademarks of his other movies. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed that there were no "cool" lines to parrot off to my buddies. But, on the other hand, I realize that Tarantino needs to stretch his wings a bit, lest he become a parody of himself -- something which some other "hip" directors should duly take note of.
There's nothing really extraordinary about Kill Bill: Vol. 2. But it does wrap up the questions many viewers had from watching Volume 1, as well as opening up the doors for future installments. At the very least, if you see this film -- even without seeing the first -- you'll be treated to a smart story, tight action and some great performances. Tarantino has once again placed his Midas touch on a "washed-up" actor, this time David Carradine. Even though he was barely in the first installment, Carradine makes his presence fully known here, and just on the strength of his work here, I would say that Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is near mandatory viewing for anyone that considers themselves a movie fan.
RATING: 7.5
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DVD Information
Company: Miramax
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