So, what's to say about Kill Bill
Volume 2?If you saw the
first part and you liked it, no matter what the Masked Reviewer
would say, you're going to see the second part.
Maybe you skipped the first part, because you couldn't stand the
thought of waiting several months for the conclusion. Maybe you
waited until the DVD came out, rented it, and then rushed to the theater
the very same day.
Or, maybe you saw the first one and didn't like it -- perhaps you
were expecting a highly intellectual introspective work, not a
butt-kicking slashfest. If you didn't like the first part, why
would you see the second part?
So really, what's the point of reviewing it?
Huh.
Well, it's the Masked Reviewer's job to review it, so shut up.
Kill Bill Volume 2 may be a bit of a surprise to you, after
seeing the first film. The surprise lies in the fact that it does
have a different feel from the first film. There's not nearly as
much fighting: there is fighting, but in terms of choreography,
complexity, and sheer numbers, the biggest and best battles all took
place in Volume 1. Uma Thurman's character goes after the
remaining members of Bill's crew, but she did most of the hard work
already.
There's a much greater emphasis on character development and back
story in this one. We see flashback's to Uma's character's martial
arts training. We learn of her relationship with Bill.
There's a lot more talking than slashing.
Director Quentin Tarantino gets easily one of the best performances
out of David Carradine that has ever been gotten. Michael Madsen
is also quite good (especially considering some of his recent work.
Martial arts legend Gordon Liu gives a solid performance as well.
Even Daryl Hannah isn't bad.
One question the Masked Reviewer has is why the director decided to
have Uma Thurman's character's name bleeped out in Volume 1.
We hear it in Volume 2. Why didn't we in Volume 1?
What's the point of that? Had he not settled on a name yet?
There seems to have been a great effort put into giving the two
volumes a very different look. For those of you who don't know,
Kill Bill was originally planned to be one film...a last-minute
decision by Miramax had the movie split in two (much to Quentin
Tarantino's chagrin). There's no question that it would be better
as one movie. In fact, you can bet dollars to donuts that at some
point they will release a single DVD cut of the film as Quentin
Tarantino had originally envisioned it. In any event, to make the
films seem more like stand-alones, you might notice that they each have
a slightly different feel. This was all added after the fact: the
music in the first has heavy eastern influences; Volume 2 is
almost entirely spaghetti western in flavor (mmm...spaghetti flavor)
(thanks to tracks by Ennio Morricone). Also, there's a lot of film
noir influences in the end credits, and a film noir opening (which was
used as a trailer for Volume 2, featuring Uma Thurman talking to
the camera, shot in black and white).
The Masked Reviewer may be wrong, but the opening of the film (with a
brief re-cap of what happened) feels out of place and plopped in.
In any event, it's a fine, fun movie. It has it's share of
action, but the Masked Reviewer feels like it's much more subtle and
personal than the blood-gushing killing spree of Volume 1.
It's still a fabulous homage to revenge films and as a whole, it's an
enjoyable experience. If you're expecting a topper in terms of
body count or shock value, you'll be let down. There's plenty to
like, though, and if you liked the first volume, this one will make you
happy too...but in a slightly different way. There's no denying
Quentin Tarantino's passion for movies; that love permeates every frame
of the film, and like venereal warts, it's highly contagious.
Expectation from the Title: Oh, it probably has something to
do with someone getting killed, or some kind of receipt for services
tendered, or maybe a stereo set too low. It's hard to say.
Titles are so ambiguous.
Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):
Uma Thurman is much too beautiful to be a hitwoman.
The Pros: Better character development, more interesting
obstacles for Uma to face.
The Cons: Not as action-packed as Volume 1. Would
be more satisfying as one (long) film.