Tarantino at his most Tarantinoesque

Rating: 10/10 (15 June 2005)

Title: Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Uma Thurman, David Caradine, Lucy Lu, Vivica A. Fox, Darryl Hannah, Sonny Chiba
Review:
For those of you who have been waiting for Quentin Tarantino to make his big come back after Pulp Fiction look no further because its here! Kill Bill is Tarantino at his most tarantinoesque. Incredible dialog, mundane situations and lots of blood abound. Strap your kimonos on tight because your in for a martial arts flick like no other! The main story concerns Uma Thurma who on her wedding day, and for reasons yet to be explained (on Vol. 2) was shot, beat up and left for dead by her fellow gang members. Not only that but this all happens to her on her wedding day and she is pregnant! She ends up in a comabut four years later when she finally wakes up, all she can think of is REVENGE! In a big freaking way.
What follows is violence and carnage like you haven't seen on any other film. Even by Tarantino standards Kill Bill is very, very damn bloody. Any one cringe at the ear slicing scenes on Reservoir Dogs? Well get ready for some eye-gouging on this one! Remember that scene in Gigli (for those of you unfortunate souls who saw it) where J LO explains that technique for ripping off someones eye with your index finger? Well your gonna see it here it. There's lots of decapitations, chopping off peoples legs, arms or any other appendage for that matter, the grand finale is a blood fest that's worth being recorded in movie history.
Tarantino uses a lot of techniques on this film, that make it more beautiful to the eye. Yup, aside from the fact that this movies themes are downright dirty and violent (hey its Tarantino!) the film looks gorgeous almost in direct contrast to what the movie is about. This is a movie about revenge, killing, ultra-violence and chopping heads offyet it looks sooo beautiful you cant take your eyes off of it. I will go down and say that this is tarantinos best looking film. The movie goes from using Japanese animated sequences to using black and white sequences and then some. There's some very imaginative use of colors in this film.
Have you ever seen one of those Japanimation films that deal with Samurais and ninjas, kind of like "Ninja Scroll"? Where one persons limb is chopped off and a stream of blood starts to pour out like a water fountain? Well your gonna see exactly that here..only thing this is not animation. Which brings me to my next pointthis film is like a very violent samurai/ninja anime come to life! Its obvious Tarantino is in love with the 70s, that was evident even on Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill is no different. Here Tarantino has made one of those ultra-violent karate movies, where the good guy battles a hundred other bad guys and wins. Also Taratinos love for all things Bruce Lee is there, from Uma Thurmas yellow suit with black stripes (like the one Lee wears on Game of Death) to some of Lucy Lus henchmen looking like Kato (from Lees character on the short lived The Green Hornet TV show), its obvious Quentin worships Bruce Lee and his films.
Then we've got Uma Thurman as 'the bride', all I can say is...she kicks major booty in this role. Sorry but there's no other way of putting it. She is revenge personified! She will go through any obstacles to get what she wants! Even if it means going to Okinawa to get just the right sword and training to get her revenge. She does a great job as The Bride. Lucy Liu is one mean mother as the head of the Yakuza. She is merciless and cold and has one really good and shocking scene in the movie to prove it.
Pour in the usual Tarantino dialog with its flare and pop cultural references and you got yourselves one heck of an interesting film that shouldn't be passed up by no one out there. If your tired of the same-o same-o films with tired plots and dialog, do yourself a favor and see this, because its as fresh and innovative as films get. And for horror fansyou'll love all the blood and guts, trust me the rivers of blood flow on this one! So go check it out!
Rating: 5 out 5