In a nutshell, the best movie I've seen in 5 years (****)

Rating: 10/10 (19 October 2003)

The day I saw "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" was the first time I've ever seriously contemplated staying at the theater and seeing it again right afterwards. That's because it is literally so stuffed with cool stuff that it was hard to mentally process it all. I remember that at one point near the end, I was literally trembling with anticipation of what was about to happen.

Quentin Tarantino (writer and director of 3 great movies, "Pulp Fiction", "Jackie Brown", and "Reservoir Dogs") returns after a 6 year absence and if you need any proof that he's still got the magic touch, this is it.

Unlike his other films, which were all witty, tough-talking crime dramas, "Kill Bill" is a martial arts movie. The ultimate martial arts movie.

Uma Thurman plays The Bride (her real name is kept a mystery, and is humorously bleeped whenever anyone says it), a former assassin who is beaten and shot and left for dead on her wedding day by her old crew. She wakes up out of a coma 4 years later, escapes from the hospital and sets out on a mission of revenge against them, and especially against their leader, and her former lover, Bill (David Carradine).
That story is pretty old, but a good martial arts movie doesn't need any more.
I simply can't describe how good this movie is. I haven't been this involved in a movie, from scene-to-scene, moment-to-moment since, well, "Pulp Fiction". The two films are very different, but both have the same shifting time-line structure, bad-ass attitude and utterly brilliant soundtrack.

Speaking of that soundtrack, I don't think I've ever seen a movie with so many moments that are a PERFECT match between picture and sound.

The performances are, across the board, perfect. Everyone (including Vivica A. Fox, Lucy Liu and Daryl Hannah as her enemies) is completely convincing, but obviously, this is Uma's show. Her character is one of the best in the history of kick-ass, vengeance-seeking good guys. Every smile, cold stare, punch, kick, and tear running down her face you feel all the way down to your soul.
Yes sir, QT's still got the touch.
Not only is it the best of the year, it's the most invigorating, soul-stirring, heartbreaking, exciting, awe-inspiring FUN time I've had in a theater in many a moon.
As most people know, "Kill Bill" was originally intended to be one movie, but was nearly four hours long and was cut into two "volumes". This was the right decision, because 4 hours of this and my head might have exploded. Plus, believe me when I say that where it ends truly leaves you chomping at the bit for "Vol. 2".