The Adventures of *BLEEP*

Rating: Null/10 (10 October 2003)

Have you ever read a book where you sort of got into it, but you're not quite sure if you like it. The story is good enough to keep you interested and yet you know in your heart you've read better. You get to the point where the story begins to pick up a little and then you put it down never to pick it back up again? I've done that so many times I can't fathom how many half-read books I have on my bookshelf. Quentin Tarantino's (Pulp Fiction) new film KILL BILL: VOLUME 1 is very much like that. It's watch able, it somewhat compelling, and at the moment it begins to pick up, the credits roll.
KILL BILL stars UMA THURMAN (Pulp Fiction) as The Bride (I prefer to call her *Bleep*, cause early in the film they bleep her name out three times and I thought it was kind of funny), a women on a quest for revenge. It seems *Bleep* was getting married when a group of really bad dudes crashed the party, killing everyone, including her unborn baby. That is except for *Bleep* who somehow and against all odd survives and now she's out for blood.
She begins picking off everybody who was involved in the plot to murder her. In Volume One she meets up with Vernita (Vivica A Fox, Juwanna Mann), now a housewife with a husband and a child and O-Ren Ishi, a sexy underworld leader in Tokyo. She also makes friends with an old Mr. Myiagi type (Sonny Chiba, Immortal Combat) who designs kick ass swords and quotes old eastern proverbs like they've gone out of fashion.
To be honest there isn't much to talk about concerning this film. Except to say that its pretty violent in a silly stylized way, the action scenes are well worth the price of admission, and that unlike most movies this one is missing a core story. We never find out who The Bride is, we don't know why Bill (played incognito by David Carradine, G.O.D.) wants to kill *Bleep*, and we don't know why *Bleep* doesn't have a name. It's just one action scene after another and we're not quite sure whom to root for.
Of the movies that could have been split up into two parts this film is not a prime candidate (1995 Gettysburg would have probably faired better in two parts). The way it's edited now it feels like a pilot for a television series and not a film. I'm not even quite sure if I liked it or not. There's not enough here to make a distinction. I guess it looks really good, the action sequences are top-notch, and there's an anime sequence that would make a great short by itself. Other than that it's an action film that is really not about anything.
As for the performances, the only one that sticks out is Lucy Liu (Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever) who has an amazing screen presence to begin with. In fact if there is a character in this movie that's worth rooting for, it's her. But I think that's because she's the only character that the film digs deep into. The aforementioned anime sequence is her back-story.

Come to think of it KILL BILL: VOLUME 1 is like the first two stages of a `Double Dragon' type video game. Each scene has little guys you need to kill and then a boss. I guess Bill will be the final boss, let's just hope that he's a hard kill. Cause I want Volume 2, to lift Volume 1 out of the gutter.
So at this point I reserve judgement either way until KILL BILL: VOLUME 2 is released in February. Cause right now it's on that thin line between a great movie and a mediocre one. On it's own it's only worth the price of admission to action freaks and kung fu enthusiasts. All others would probably do themselves better by waiting to see both movies together,

Please Quentin don't let us down.
*** out of 5 (This could change pending VOLUME 2)