It just wasn't good, clear and simple

Rating: 6/10 (29 December 2009)

I wrote a previous review on how Zatoichi the blind swordsman was way more superior then this film. I have to say I wish I wrote a better review since I was just trashing QT's work. Just to let everyone know, I like Tarantino's work and I love what he writes, but as I said in my other review for Zatoichi, There is a real thin line between Borrowing and complimenting a scene. Tarantino in the past has been accused of being too much of a plagiarizer. The plot of Reservoir dogs did borrow from City on fire and the black suits actually derived from John Woo's A Better Tomorrow 2. I can forgive that because Tarantino filmed them at a different pace and kind of rhythm were he took his time to give his characters detail and life. Kill Bill unfortunately did not carry any of that.
One of my biggest problems was Uma Thurman; she couldn't act worth a damn in the film. She said she tried imitating Clint Eastwood as she tries to invoke her toughness for the Bride. Heres the thing, Clint Eastwood looks tough and is convincing as a tough guy. Uma is a lanky woman who looks like she's worried about breaking her nails rather than busting any heads. The dialog was repulsive, I suppose people will tell me that he was trying to make it like those cheesy action films with the catchy yet corny one liners. He does do that and it is even more cheesy. Back then the writers were not trying to make it funny, they were serious about the dialog and even though its corny, at the time it wasn't to them.
My next big problem was O-ren Ishii, she just didn't convince me that she could rise to the ranks of head yakuza boss of the Japanese underworld. Her henchmen are also laughable and even unconvincing as Japanese as well. Have you noticed the Japanese actors performance are a little exaggerated and a bit too fakish? I think QT should've made O-ren into a man and he should've been played by Tadanobu Asano, an actor who can make a more convincing villain.
The next complaint is the violence, note this: I like watching action films that have well done and well shot violent sequences so I don't have a problem with violence on film. The problem with the violence in kill bill is that it really looks fake and dull. The part were Lucy liu slices the head of that one Yakuza and you see the blood shoot out like a sprinkler was not jaw dropping. Please know that I'm aware of films like Lone wolf and cub and also Ichi the killer, but those films let the blood shoot out and paint the entire screen red!! QT was holding back on the violence and I was so angry at the black and white sequence which was really stupid and doesn't live up to the brutality of films like "Battle Royale", "The Street Fighter", and "Riki-oh: The story of Ricky". He held back and made the action very tame. This is a tame action film in comparison to action giants like John Woo or Tsui hark.
QT also tried involving a Western element in the film, most notably adding music from ennio morricone, a man no stranger to Spaghetti Westerns. I like the music but was unnecessary for these type of scenes, even though I think they would have worked better in a John Woo film then kill Bill.
All around the movie is a mess and as a movie fan I can tell you just exactly what films he was borrowing from:
Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs Delinquent Boss Girl: Worthless to confess Fudoh The Game of death Lone Wolf and cub Ichi the Killer A Better Tomorrow 2 Rainy Dog Zatoichi
I know that most people would say that he is paying homages to these films and is sort of advertising them to the western audiences. The problem is these homages don't live up to these films brutality of violence and the emotional depth these characters feel when committing acts of violence. Maybe I should stop slamming QT but I just can't help myself, the movie was just not good and is slapped together with a bunch of scenes of other movies that did the scene way better then this one did.
why not just watch the original films to begin with then looking at a picture collage?
If I have to recommend a good movie from QT just watch Inglourios Basterds.