No plot? No problem!

Rating: 9/10 (13 February 2005)

If there is a weakness to movies by writer/director Quentin Tarentino, it is that the plots are often thin, at best. The first two of his movies, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, contained very little actual story, but the experience of hearing what the characters had to say more than made up for it. Tarantino's third effort, Jackie Brown, had much more story to it, and was my personal favorite. Now comes Kill Bill, Volume 1, which is the first half of what was to be one long movie. At nearly 2 hours, I'm thankful that the movie was cut in half, as there is so much energy in Volume 1 that it would be difficult to keep it up for an additional 2 hours during 1 sitting. The plot in this movie reverts back to early 90s Tarantino, very thin, but enough of a set up to carry the movie. Uma Thurman plays the Bride who has to exact revenge against her former employers for reasons we're not completely told of. We'll have to wait for Volume 2 for the psychological reasoning behind the Bride's methods. Kill Bill, Volume 1 is a fun movie that knows it's a movie and knows that the viewer knows that it's a movie. There is nothing real about it. Somewhere, you'd think the FBI would be investigating a 6 foot blonde serial killer, but not in this movie, and that's why it's so fun to watch. You know you're watching something that is fake, there for our enjoyment. The cartoonish way 88 foot soldiers are slayed has a visual style of it's own, and the beauty of the final showdown at the end of the movie is amazing. Notice the bright blue of the snow, bright yellow of The Bride's outfit, and the bright red splatter that is the final result of the duel, and it's a truly beautiful scene. The movie also features appropriate and timely music, another Tarantino staple. Some people will be put off by the over-the-top, uber-violence in Kill Bill, Volume 1, but those who remember that it is just a movie, one that has very little in the way of "real life," will have a good time. Kill Bill, Volume 1 is the set up for the deeper, slower, yet more interesting second half, Kill Bill, Volume 2.