Kill Bill: Volume 2 Review
by Bob Bloom (bob AT bloomink DOT com)April 21st, 2004
KILL BILL VOL. 2 (2004) 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Gordon Liu, Michael Parks and Bo Svenson. Music by Robert Rodriguez and The RZA. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Rated R. Running time: 136 mins.
When we last saw The Bride (Uma Thurman), she had just decimated the sword-wielding Yazuka minions of O-Ren Ishii and disposed of her former colleague.
Kill Bill Vol. 2 picks up with The Bride hot on the trail of the rest of her betrayers in order to complete her "Death List."
Quentin Tarantino's conclusion to his bloodfest homage to the genre films he loves is more character driven.
In fact, those coming to see a continuation of what Tarantino displayed in Vol. 1 will be a bit disappointed.
For the most part, Vol. 2 eschews blood and delves more into introspection. It is darker, more somber, heavier than its predecessor.
If Vol. 1 could be likened to a 100-yard dash, than Vol. 2 is akin to a mile-run, with the performers pacing themselves at strategic points.
It's difficult to get into the specifics of Vol. 2 without giving away key plot points, but the finale is not only satisfying, but poignant.
Thurman’s performance is richer, more textured and multilayered, while David Carradine gives a fabulous turn as the amoral Bill, a lethal charmer who you cannot help but like.
Tarantino offers some wonderful set pieces, while filmmaker Robert Rodriguez provides a thunderous Ennio Morricone-like score reminiscent of those he composed for Sergio Leone’s Westerns, especially Once Upon a Time in the West.
Vol. 2, in fact, plays more like a spaghetti Western with lots of long takes and close-ups.
Tarantino still provides his usual cultural touches, his love for Asian martial arts films and their lore.
One of the film’s most kinetic moments is the battle between The Bride and former colleague Ella Driver (Daryl Hannah), which nearly mirrors the fight in the first movie between Thurman and Vivica A. Fox.
Vol. 2 complements Vol. 1 as if they were two movements of the same symphony; the first bombastic and frenzied, the second, a bit slower and softer. Yet their themes overlap and are recognizable despite their differences.
Sometime down the road it will be interesting to watch the films back-to-back to see how they coalesce.
Kill Bill Vol. 2 is not as exciting or visceral as the first movie, but it has qualities that compensate for its more dramatic tone, the most visible being heart.
As a filmmaker, Tarantino actually has topped himself, leaving the best for last.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at [email protected]. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal and Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com or at the Internet Movie Database Web site:
www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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