Kill Bill: Vol. 1

Rating: 8/10 (31 May 2013)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & Kill Bill: Vol. 2; choosing which 1 is best ain't easy. Kill Bill 1 moves along at a slicker pace; Kill Bill 2 has tons more prolonged suspense. The 2 movies are suitably unalike although still equally great. I'll stick to the 1st 1, as I completely understand many would; it's got better action for the most part, but don't sleep on the 2nd 1. Quentin Tarantino joins all his favorite movie genres, kung-fu, samurai, and spaghetti western, in the Kill Bills. Tarantino is the master at creating captivating conversation, delivering clichéd dialogue to a flawless degree. This skill was showcased perfectly in Pulp Fiction. It was done in Inglourious Basterds to a dazzling effect. But the drawn out dialogue in Kill Bill 1, while remaining very entertaining, is oft over-utilized. The talks between Beatrix and Vernita Green a.k.a. Copperhead during their knife fight, the chitchat with Hattori Hanzo before he forges The Bride's steel, and Boss Tanaka questioning O-Ren Ishii's position of power during council are some of the main moments being slowed in accommodation. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is at its best when things are happening at a highly stylized progressive pace. The attentive developing plot, the accompanying narration, the crossover to Anime, the excessively bloody effects, the alarming signature theme when The Bride is zoning in on her target, the quick, slick camera cuts blended with sharp sound and well-placed music in presentation of adrenaline pumping, overly intense action makes Kill Bill really awesome and really badass. The battle between The Bride and O-Ren Ishii and all of her subordinates at the dojo hangout in Tokyo is really insane, and the end stands out from the rest of the movie as being really, really awesome and really, really badass, especially Gogo vs. The Bride. There is no actress better to be The Bride than Uma Thurman. She's heroically merciless. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is a superb outing from the entirely too talented Tarantino.