A tribute, a Parody, and an Intelligent Study

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2004)

In my mind, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is the quintessential bad-ass movie. It borrows so much from so many, not unlike previous Tarantino films, but this time... this time it's different, more polished, more... seamless. Everything just clicks in place. Kung fu movies, spaghetti western, grindhouse, surf rock, violent Japanese anime, plus a million other obscure references lost on 99% of the audience. Everything is thrown in, and boiled down to the simplest, most basic plot ever: revenge.
I am amazed at the results. I think of Tarantino as a master "recycler", picking up "film trash" from the past (OK, no hate mail on this. Be honest. Bruce Lee, exploitation flicks etc. were hardly the peak of artistic expression, were they?), and weaving it into a beautiful work of art.
Yes, this movie is gory. Disturbingly so, at times. However, violence is so graphic that the end result is ultimately cartoonish, not realistic.
My only complaint (insert tongue into cheek). I wish there were more "naked chicks" (no hate mail on this, either, ok? I'm being *ironic*, for crying out loud!) running around. I believe a sprinkle of Russ Meyer (you know, just for seasoning) would have imparted a special flavor to the movie.