3.5/5 Very Good. Recommended viewing

Rating: 7/10 (1 December 2004)

Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Chia Hui Liu, Samuel L. Jackson
Plot Synopsis: 2 down, 3 to go. The Bride (Uma Thurman) continues her hunt for the masochistic Bill (David Carradine) in part 2 of Quentin Tarantino's pop culture styled duo-logy.
In part 2, we see Tarantino's influences shift from Asian cinema to the spaghetti western, with the stylings of the likes of Sergio Leone featuring heavily. This is possibly one of the smartest decisions on Tarantino's part as the kung-fu novelty of the first film having well and truly run its course.
One of the most disappointing aspects of Volume 1 was the lack of witty dialogue that has defined Tarantion's CV thus far. In volume 2, we see a return to form, with Bill's superhero monologue one of the most memorable moments of the film. While, the action is still intense and fast paced, it is not the carnage of Vol.1, with the aforementioned dialogue now playing a much greater role. Thus, Vol.2 is in many ways a more well-rounded and deeper film than its predecessor.
Though not as frenetic as the previous film, Vol.2 nevertheless has more to offer. It's just a shame that Miramax had to split the film in 2 parts in the first place. And I thought Tarantino was the last person to place the commercial pursuits of Miramax ahead of his art...