Good, but mildly disappointing...but should be a treat for Tarantino fans

Rating: Null/10 (12 October 2003)

This one took some time to digest when I left the theater. Maybe it was b\c this is the first film Tarantino has made in around 6 years...maybe it's b\c of the almost unanimous outstanding reviews I've read on this board (and though I usually don't listen to the critics, theirs as well)...whatever it is, this is one that will definitely leave an impression on you at the end.
Now, I loved Pulp Fiction, thought Reservoir Dogs was great, and Jackie Brown was better than average...and from the previews and reviews I've read, I knew exactly what I was getting into. So with this in mind, I turned off the 'expecting another Pulp Fiction' button in my head, and sat and enjoyed what is the epitome of a guilty pleasure movie.
What drives this film is the acting and QT's unique blend of storytelling. Oh yeah, and the hundred or so severed bodies of unfortunate Yakuza soldiers at the film's climax (which is the centerpiece of the film). All of the leads do great...and I must applaud QT once again for using his incredible knack for using talented actors whose careers had washed up at some point in the past, and gives them the script to shine. The plot is simple; an assassin is betrayed by her colleagues who turn her wedding into a massacre, and she exacts revenge after awakening from a 4 year coma caused by a gunshot wound to the head. I love the sense of forboding with the 'hit list' that she almost childishly engraves on a pad of college rule paper in contrasting red and black ink. It is one of those fine touches QT puts in his films that give them panache and flair...almost like a score card for not only the main character, but the audience as well. And the fight scenes are excellent...I was so glad to see actual fights with actual actors and little to no CGI. And by far, the coolest part is when Uma Thurman's character looks down upon scores of fallen enemy from her blade, and tells the mangled survivors that they may live, but their limbs belong to her. It is something that must be seen to appreciate, but it was one of those rare scenes from a movie that really stuck with me at the end.

Now, yes, Kill Bill was a pretty good movie overall, but I have a fair share of criticisms as well. First, the pacing is really awful...in Tarantino's other films, they were all either fast paced or fast spoken...in other words, there was never a dull silence either b\c of QT's snappy visuals or snappy dialogue (or the trademark loud as thunder gunshot effects). Kill Bill has tons of moments where there is absolutely nothing said where there is complete silence...no poignant thoughts either, just plain silence. Also, the pacing is really slow in many parts, especially when you know a big action scene is about to occur...some movies use buildup to justify this effectively...it's almost like some parts of this movie were thrown together kind of sloppily, and did not emphasize on pacing. Anyway, this is a complaint of mine, and it may very well not hinder other's viewing enjoyment. Another thing I found a little disappointing was the lack of really cool humor. QT tried many times (especially in a painfully overlong scene with two Japenese chefs arguing about who should serve the saki that failed to produce one laugh from the audience in the 3 minutes or so of dialogue) but just couldn't deliver. He keeps this movie very simple, and in a lot of ways it works...unfortunately, lacking complete substance can never be compensated with artistic license. Plus, I found the anime sequence (though I know it was paying homage to anime lovers...including himself) a little overlong and frankly out of place...I actually like some anime movies, but it just didn't belong here, and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Now, I understand why he put it in but, like I've said about opinions, others may really love it so to each their own.
Anyway, I know Volume 2 is supposed to be more character and dialogue driven which would be a welcome break from the mainly action and 'dramatic pause' oriented Volume 1. It is not for everyone, but I know certain people will love it. I thought it was pretty good, overall, definitely not his best effort. Volume 1 could have been cut to a clean 90 minutes which would have so very well helped the pacing...but I have the impression Tarantino pretty much had free reign to do whatever he wanted for this project. At any rate, it is a bloody good time at the movies, despite many sluggish parts. People who do not appreciate or like profanity, Japenese anime/samurai movies, or swimming pools of blood admist dozens of dismembered limbs should steer clear. Anyone who is a Tarantino fanatic, or who can say yes to any of the above questions should definitely go see it. I fall more towards the latter of the two, so I will give it an above average rating of 7.5/10 stars.