Kill Bill Vol 2

To paraphrase the film’s starting recap by the main character, The Bride – a type of recap of the first film: “Kill Bill, Vol 2., released in 2004, is really satisfying.

That is just putting it mildly. Like the first part of Quentin Tarantino’s tribute to kung-fu and other manipulative revenge/action films of the 1970s, “Kill Bill, Vol 2” has scenes of intense, almost vulgar violence.

As you might have guessed, this is not for the nauseous any more than the first one, which you should expect from a Tarantino film.

However, those who enjoyed the first “Kill Bill” will be surprised and entertained by the sequel, which nicely resolves all the loose ends that were left hanging. At least when it’s not hurting your feelings.

“Vol. 2” starts exactly where the first one left off: The Bride is still trying to get revenge on the criminals who are her former colleagues and left her for dead after obliterating her wedding.

First one on her list is Budd, played by Michael Madsen, who manages to overpower her before she can stab him with her samurai sword. He also steals her sword and says he’ll sell it to one-eyed Elle Driver, played by Daryl Hannah. Even if The Bride where to escape and give the two what they deserve, there’s still one more person on her list: her former teacher and lover Bill, played by David Carradine, who’s got some surprises waiting for her.

The sequel – which as filmed at the same time as the first film – is really more character-driven. A lot of back story is given (we even know the main character’s real name.) Desert News said in their review, “All of which helps tie the whole package together, making it more cohesive, if not more coherent. And as assured as Tarantino's work is here, it's hard to deny that this may be the highlight of his filmmaking career so far.”

Desert News continued, “He also gets career-best performances from much of his cast.” Thurman makes a surprisingly considerable action heroine, while the 67-year-old Carradine does a good job keeping up with her. Credit for that is given to action choreographer Yuen-Wo Ping, who avoids his usual attaching strings for more realistic fight scenes.

People might say that the two parts of “Kill Bill” are disjointed because all the action is in the first movie and all the dialogue is in the second part. However, I still like both of them and say that everyone should check them out. They even released one long version of “Kill Bill,” combining the two volumes into one long movie. I only saw the two parts and not the long version, which I don’t think I will need to watch it since it’s just a longer version combining the two volumes. Still, don’t listen to the people and watch the two volumes, giving both of them a chance. Sure, you’ll like the first volume, but the second one I think you’ll like just as much. I know I did, and I think all Tarantino fans will like both volumes too.

Alright, thank you for joining in on “Quentin Tarantino Month.” I had been thinking for a while to review some of his famous movies, and now I have. Hopefully all of you liked it and hopefully you have checked out the movies I have reviewed this month because they are all good movies that I think everyone will enjoy. Check in next month to see what I will review next for all of you.