Kill Bill Vl. 2 review (some minor spoilers)

[David Coscina 3]

Just returned from watching Kill Bill Vl. 2. Let me break it down this way:

THE GOOD-

David Carradine's screen presence is electric and his scenes shared with Uma Thurman are charged. There's an almost improvised tenor to their dialogue sequences. We see Bill at the outset of this film which serves to lend some context to the first film and flesh out Thurman's bloodlust in the second volume. Carradine eats up the scenery in his sequences leaving the audience wanting to know more about this character. He also presents himself as a bit of an enigma- cold bloody assassin and warm, funny father figure. An amazing duality out of an actor that I frankly didn't know had this range in him. Kudos Caine!

The flashback sequences that involve Thurman's training with Pai Mai (the old Chinese guy from the commercials who oft strokes his white beard and laughs) are also exciting and fun to watch. As with Tarantino's other films, one doesn't know how a character will react in his films give them an edgy, realistic tone. I only wish there was more time dedicated to these training sequences.

The underscore, this time by Robert Rodriguez and The RZA is much more cinematic in that it's more emotionally tailored to this film rather than the usual needle drop the Tarantino uses. In fact, I think both volumes of Kill Bill use more instrumental music than I can remember in Tarantino's canon. This is a good thing because it lends some musical cohesion which helps the dramatic arc of the storyline. One thing I really liked was the harp and strings quotation of "Bang Bang" the song used to open up the first film. At first I wasn't sure whether it was in fact a strain from that song but upon its recapitulation later on in the film, I smiled knowing that someone was clever enough to use that theme as a visceral map to connect the plot points leading to the final act of the film.

I also thought Thurman did an exceptional job at emoting in this film. The first volume was all about the rage and vengeance. This film shows The Bride in a series of states, from reserved elation (flashback in the opening upon her impending marriage) to horror (being buried alive) to shock mixed with regret at the sight of her 4 year old daughter to cathartic release at the film's conclusion. I know it's way too soon to get on the Oscar bandwagon but it's one of her best performances if not the best I've seen.

THE BAD

What Volume 1 excelled at was pacing. The narrative rocketed by and was aided with a wry narration by Thurman's purring voice. This was eschewed for Vl. 2 saving only the episodic title cards that herald each new segment. Vl. 2 is also longer than its predecessor by 30 minutes and one feels that around two thirds into the film. I also didn't find the dialogue to be on par with Tarantino's usual level of writing (save for the scenes between Bill and The Bride).

The fight scenes in this film are rare. Also, the ones that are in the film feel too short and less polished than the amazing sequences of the first. Technically, Vl. 2 does not measure up to Vl. 1 in fight choreography, mixed styles of filmmaking (split screen, anime etc.) and if they are employed, they feel forced as if to sell the scene rather than embellish it.

Darryl Hannah and Michael Madsen are slightly wasted as characters and as actors in that they don't have the same resonance as Liu did in the first volume. I blame this on the writing rather than the actors though. Hannah does a serviceable job as Elle but isn't as compelling to watch as Liu's tyrannical O-Ren.

THE UGLY (SPOILERS INCLUDED)

Major major mistake for Tarantino to model his film as an ode to those grind house '70's films and spaghetti westerns without the ubiquitous long drawn out showdown. If a semi-polite conversation at the dinner table constitutes this, well then Tarantino has made the ultimate revisionist kung-fu/western/grind house film. But after all The Bride and the audience have been through, it's just the biggest let-down to have things ended with a brief sword fight around a table and The Bride's final move (which I will not reveal). This was so disarming and sudden that I thought that Bill would show his cragged face at the film's conclusion, but alas, he didn't. Bummer.

Also, the trailer for this film shows a scene between Bill and a bunch of Chinese martial arts guys in an alley. NOWHERE TO BE FOUND in this film. Looks like Hatori Hansui's sword was so sharp that it cut a fight scene right out of the film! In a movie that lumbers along, it would have been a wise idea to include this sequence to remind folks about how dynamic a Kill Bill movie can be. Don't know what happened there. I am aware that the influences on Volume 2 have shifted from fast paced Asian cinema-styled pacing to the quiet, somber tone of the Sergio Leone westerns where they talk more than they fight, but it's a pretty severe modulation even having split the two films up.

Conclusion

In the end, it looks as though Tarantino couldn't just follow through with an A-styled ode to those memorable (and laughable) B-films of yesteryear and tried to imbue volume 2 with more importance than the series needed to have. That said, the scenes towards the latter part of Kill Bill Volume 2 are excellent. There are hints of brilliance along the way too but they are mired by pacing that is inconsistent, and character developments that are lacking.

My hope is that Tarantino puts these segments back together and finesses them to be more even along with putting back great scenes like I mentioned earlier on back into the movie.

Kill Bill Volume 1 gets an A

Kill Bill Volume 2 gets a B.

[JoeinAR 1,759]

really most reviews I've read have said Vol 2 was better.

[David Coscina 3]

I think they're responding to the deeper subtext that this film tries to achieve. And I do think it's reasonably successful. But it's such a shift in style and content from the first film that one's expectations (based on the trailers) can be dashed a bit.

I'll see it again however as it's been on my mind since I viewed it earlier today and that's always a good sign.

Believe me, this film is far from trash. And the acting of Carradine and Thurman is excellent. Best Supporting Actor nomination for Caaradine methinks although it's a bit early for that.

[AC1 3,565]

Carradine had one of the best scenes in Vol. 1 where he massaged the handle of his sword while convincing 'California Mountain Snake', the one-eyed assassin in a naughty nurse uniform, not to kill Uma Thurman just yet.

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Alex Cremers - picker of fine scenes.

[diskobolus 3]

i just saw vol 2. i loved vol 1. but i thought vol 2 was mediocre. the only reason is that the final fight is all of three seconds. i expected better. had to sit through 45 minutes of straight talking and then it's a huge letdown.

[Morlock 9]

I love all the Morricone Tarentino's putting in there. Must be at elast 6-7 different scores in the movies (anf of course the great use of Herrmann's forgotten Twisted Rune in Vol. 1).

Morlock- who just saw vol. 1 again, and liked it much more than the first time around (I'm seeing vol. 2 on Thursday)

[King Mark 2,924]

I have to rent Vol.1.I wonder why i haven't seen that yet...maybe because I'm not crazy about Uma Thurman.

K.M.

[Lurker 5]

i just saw vol 2. i loved vol 1. but i thought vol 2 was mediocre. the only reason is that the final fight is all of three seconds. i expected better. had to sit through 45 minutes of straight talking and then it's a huge letdown.

There was no way the fight with the Crazy 88 and Gogo and O-Ren could be topped. I'm glad they didn't even try. Remember how they tried to top the kung fu sequences from The Matrix? We wound up with The Matrix Reloaded. I'll gladly take Kill Bill Volume 2 over that any day of the week. I really enjoyed Kill Bill Vol. 2.

Neil

[AC1 3,565]

If you sleep with dogs, you'll wake up with fleas! That's my (minor) problem with the 'Kill Bill' concept. If you honor "crap" or if you do an ode to the B-movies, which is exactly what Tarantino has done, your movie is more than likely to become that what it's trying to celebrate. I think Tarantino's Vol 1. is not much better than the real deal. In fact, I think I prefer the real deal over the imitation. OK, the film has its moments, but that's all. There's no reason jumping up and down about it.

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Alex Cremers - who has not seen Vol. 2.

[Rogue_Leader 2]

I thought both films were about equal honestly.

I think both were very good but not truly great.

[Morlock 9]

I don't like kung fu films, and I hate anime, so I'm fine with an expensive totaly unoriginal knock off.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

If you sleep with dogs, you'll wake up with fleas! That's my (minor) problem with the 'Kill Bill' concept. If you honor "crap" or if you do an ode to the B-movies, which is exactly what Tarantino has done, your movie is more than likely to become that what it's trying to celebrate. I think Tarantino's Vol 1. is not much better than the real deal. In fact, I think I prefer the real deal over the imitation. OK, the film has its moments,  but that's all. There's no reason jumping up and down about it.

But Alex, I thought you were a fan of the Indy films. How shocking.

[Morlock 9]

Indy is in it's own category- it's part imitation, part homage, part spoof and part recreation, where Kill Bill seems to dwell just on the first two.

[AC1 3,565]

Yes. It's something like that . I'm too tired to respond.

[Rogue_Leader 2]

Indy does payh homage to the old serials, but it also expands upon them.

[Morlock 9]

But it's not only that (as I said above)

[Mr. Breathmask 480]

I just watched the trailer, and I must say, I'm indeed disappointed that that scene with Bill wasn't in the picture. BTW, is that Uma Thurman standing in the doorway in that last shot, or am I jus seeing things that aren't there?

On the other hand, I'm glad I didn't see that trailer before, because, man, does that suck or what? They practically show half the movie. I hate it when they do that.

- Marc

[Trumpeteer 243]

This is the reason Tarantino and Harvey Weinstein decided to split the movie. Had we settled in for a four-hour show, we would have been unsettled by the sudden change of pace we get where Vol. 1 ends. It's like watching two different movies, but then we're not really watching two different movies.

Vol 2 was great. My problem with Vol 1 was that we never had any background on the Bride or Bill. Now we get it (loved the scene revealing the Bride's name!!!).

And it's only boring when she goes into the Mexican bar. Did we really need all that with the guy who couldn't speak good English? Nah. Just tell us where he is and get us to that finale (which was one of the best final 30 minutes).

SPOILER

I thought Beatrix and Bill would settle their differences and stay together for the baby. But seeing the rage in Beatrix's eyes as she listened to Bill talk, probably knowing that she was going to to do THAT MOVE when she arrived, was classic. Sometimes the best parts of action movies are when they are not fighting, though the fight with Daryl Hannah was unforgettable.

Jeff

[Morlock 9]

I don't like Vol 1 any more. IMO it has nopthing to do with Vol 2, just Tarantino endulging himself. Vol 1 is like a prologue.

[David Coscina 3]

I wish QT had put in that scene with Bill in the alley with those kung fu guys. It would have helped establish him as a kick ass guy. Also would have been nice to see another well excited fight scene in Vl. 2, not that I prefer mindless action over good dialogue...but I prefer good action over mindless dialogue which I thought cluttered a great deal of Vl. 2