Visually pleasing if nothing else

Rating: 9/10 (22 August 2004)

Both Kill Bill volumes are either highly praised, or viciously put down. Some hated the "violence" that is typical of Tarantino, and some thought they were uncharacteristic of his style.
Personally I enjoyed them, though the first is much more watchable. I don't quite understand the problem so many have with the violence; Kill Bill was such an obvious spoof/tribute to various film genres, and all of the blood was over the top on purpose. I thought Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction contained much more realistic violence. Kill Bill was meant to be fantasy in a way, and almost every element of the film shows this.
No, Volume 1 didn't contain a lot of "Tarantino dialogue", but so what? It would get old if he did the same thing every time, and while his other films show his writing ability (among other things), Kill Bill gave him a chance to focus more closely on action and visuals. Regardless of the bloody scenes, this movie is truly a joy to watch, even if you had it on mute. The colors and filming techniques create series of beautiful imagery (which carries into Vol.2). If for nothing else, it is worth watching just for this.