A fun, energetic, creative film, possibly Tarantino's best

Rating: Null/10 (20 October 2003)

The story of 'Kill Bill: Volume 1' is simple. The Bride/ Black Mamba (Uma Thurman) is murdered at her wedding. Thought to be dead at first, she wakes up after a coma four years after the incident. Through out Tarantino's super- charged first volume of the film, she basically goes around seeking revenge on those who betrayed her. The supporting cast features Vivica A. Fox, Lucy Liu, and Sonny Chiba. Each cast member does fine in their respective roles, especially Thurman who manages to make the role seem realistic, and she also did well in her more emotional scene(s). The cinematography by Veteran director of photography Robert Richardson is beautiful to look at. The fight scenes are totally convincing, and the change to black and white flashback and at one point, an anime scene completely fits the film. Quentin Tarantino's screen- play is mostly filled with brutal fights and Japanese speaking, which is a bit surprising. Usually Tarantino's dialogue is the key element to his films, but it seems there will be a lot more to come in the February release of Volume 2. The direction by Tarantino is as the title of this review mentions: energetic and creative. It's definitely a throw- back to Kung Fu films, but Tarantino adds his own style here and there, making the film a blast to watch. The violence is often comical, especially since blood comes out of limbs like sprinklers. All in all, Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a must see. Solid performances, great direction, spectacular cinematography and more make this one very enjoyable movie experience. 9.75/10