left me wondering...

Rating: 2/10 (2 February 2004)

how a talented director with a huge budget, a capable crew, and an obvious appreciation for classic martial arts films could make such an incredibly awkward and uninteresting adaptation of them... a stylish, uneven pastiche of hong kong b-movies, japanese samurai traditions, and other incongruous cinematic parts. *obligatory spoiler warning* to be clear, i do "get" this movie... even though "kill bill: volume 1" is obviously intended for a niche audience. i was not disgusted by the flamboyantly violent scenes of spurting fake blood and severed limbs, and the continuous references to action films of the 60s and 70s were not lost on me. the thin revenge plot, stale characters, and stilted dialog are at least excusable, since the low-budget kung fu films that tarantino apparently tried to emulate were rarely more polished.
for all its colorful sets and costumes, some creative camera angles, and a unique soundtrack... "kill bill: volume 1" will probably seem relatively boring to anyone who does not have a creepy little shrine dedicated to tarantino in their closet.
the uninspired casting, editing (or lack thereof), and stunningly dull fight choreography are painfully obvious throughout. uma thurman is miscast as the vengeful unnamed assassin... she butchered her japanese lines (why was she given so many of them?) and looked ridiculous when she fought, swinging a katana like a fly-swatter with one hand. with the exception of one brief scene featuring a chain-wielding psychotic schoolgirl, the action sequences are repetitive... various body parts are chopped off, blood spurts out like a fountain... maybe i am just too old and jaded to find that amusing or entertaining for more than five minutes. the non-sequential storyline serves no apparent purpose (it does, however, manage to drain any suspense from the final scene) and the pacing was slow... a tedious sonny chiba cameo set in okinawa, a pointlessly gross rape subplot at the hospital, a seemingly endless example of tarantino's strange obsession with thurman's feet... thank you, quentin, for subjecting me to that.
half of a needlessly long, over-hyped martial arts movie... (2/10)