Tarantino's Version of a Family Drama

Rating: 8/10 (13 March 2010)

"Bill. Where's Bill?"
While Volume 1 was a love letter to Kung-Fu films, Volume 2 is a family drama at its heart. Here we get the "why" to go with Volume 1's, "how".
The Bride shows the human part of her self, and this results in a plethora of very human moments. Vol. 1 was about style and imagery, Vol. 2 is gritty and brutal. The hateful jealousy of Elle and Bud's cunning familiarity, offer stark counter-points to the indifferent Vernita and O-Ren's detachment. In Volume 1, Beatrix battled those who only hurt her because it was their job. In Volume 2, she confronts those who had a much more personal stake in her tragic past.
Despite the considerable changes in tone between the two volumes, the themes remain consistent. I prefer the first volume more, but the second volume is even more important to the overall story arc. There are still great fights, excellent music, and wonderful writing (the Pai-Mei scenes are some of my favorites from any movie, period), but don't expect a direct continuation of Volume 1's style. Approach this as the second side to Kill Bill's coin, and you'll enjoy it.