Observations

Rating: Null/10 (18 October 2003)

Will save you all from yet another summary of the movie.
I was pleasantly surprised how much japanese involvement in this film from on and off the screen.
It is apparent that Quentin loves Japanese culture and Bruce Lee. Uma as Billy Lo, Bruce Lee's character in Game of Death where she wears a similar yellow jumpsuit and takes on the japanese underworld. Not per se a remake of Game of Death, but borrowing, since this Vol.1 does not reveal the whole story, we have a non-linear partial story of "Black Mamba", with much of Quentin's campy characters, dialogue and cinematic vision and cool retro soundtrack.
Uma is surprisingly quite convincing as a "caucasian girl playing with samurai sword" rough quote from Lucy Liu's character in the final fight.
The action choreographer Woo-ping Yuen(Crouching Tiger, Matrix,etc) has done a stunning job of making Uma look super good in all the swordplay and despite the gruesome carnage, were spectacular to watch and behold. Though I don't totally agree that the audience is to expect all these amputations as unbelievable or cartoon violence, I cannot completely desensitize myself from these horrific images. And if you don't find some of it horrific, I am glad I am not in your high school or go to your post office!
Oddly, most of the story was really about O-Ren Ishii(Lucy Liu) with much of it in animi and the eventually showdown. Go Go Yubari is a great distraction!
Chapter 3: The Man from Okinawa was the best vignette!!
Conspiracy Theory: Could this movie have the subversive undertone that Black Mamba(aka Bruce Lee) gets revenge on Bill(David Carradine)....for stealing his role in the 70's Kung Fu series that Bruce actually wrote the concept for, but the movie execs could never see a real asian actor play? If in Vol 2, there is a tight face shot of Uma with a clenched face and the sound of Bill's neck breaking, I will tend to agree.
Rating: Film Fan 9/10 Movie Critic:7.5/10 Action/Gore Fan: 10/10