A Different Tarantino, but still pure Tarantino. Many will love, some will hate it. Bottom line, EXCELLENT MOVIE.

Rating: 10/10 (10 October 2003)

KILL BILL Vol. 1 is many more things than almost any other movie. It has many, many layers, despite the fact that it is essentially a one-note revenge story, and really there is nothing wrong with that.
NO SPOILERS.
One of the many things that make this movie excellent is its character development. Every substansial character is so well-developed with their stories and characteristics revealed on the screen.
Worth pointing out, the movie is at times ridiculous, surreal and fantastical, and it works, especially in the homages. The flying and floating and high leaps, the bride having a samurai sword on the plane in open view, the gushing and spraying of gallons of blood are obviously not to be taking seriously and are fun to watch.
KILL BILL is also very emotionally draining at times. The bride getting shot in the head, her comatose body being used for sex, losing her baby, her family, her everything. O-ren-ishi seeing her parents being brutally slaughtered in front of her. Vernita Green's 4-year-old daughter seeing her mother murdered.
The black and white sequence at the showdown at the house of blue leaves will be controversial. The way I felt about it is that the change from colour to black and white is like a symbolism of the bride's killing of dozens of people, the killing eventually just becomes cold, emotionless, plain to the bride. And then colour returns, and after killing a few more people she lets a young yakuza go, which is very appropriate of her because of the reason she is seeking vengence.
The last 30 seconds are as good as it gets in terms of ending the first volume and segwaying for the next.
Excellent movie, great action, acting, story, visuals and homages, and much more.