Cinematic excess -- slick, stylish, clever, entertaining; but great?

Rating: Null/10 (20 January 2004)

Not great, no. Kill Bill Volume 1 is a very fine piece of entertainment. The visuals are often brilliant, a notable example being the transition into anime. Tarantino splashes blood like paint, and has no qualms about full-on decapitation and dismemberment. There are gruesome parts, parts that make you squirm. But mainly, it's the acrobatic kung-fu and self-conscious visuals (lights go out for no reason other than style, for instance) that keep you entertained. The script is nothing special. There are clever parts, like the way some characters are built up, and Tarantino once again plays around with the timeline to good effect. But the acting doesn't draw you in. It doesn't seem that Tarantino particularly wants you to care about these characters. So, the film certainly has a unique appeal, and is certainly worth watching. But, it's too long. Perhaps Volume 2 will prove otherwise, but Kill Bill seems an exercise in style and entertainment, and on that level it clearly succeeds, but it's doubtful whether it'll leave a lasting impression.