Not As Good As The First But Not Bad

Rating: 9/10 (4 July 2007)

Volume 2 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 Starring Uma Thurman David Carradine Daryl Hannah Michael Madsen Michael Parks Music by Robert Rodríguez Cinematography Robert Richardson Release date(s) April 16, 2004 Running time 136 min. Budget $30 million USD [2] All Movie Guide profile IMDb profile A few minutes before the events that open the first volume, Bill (Carradine) tracks down The Bride and her friends as they are gathered for her wedding rehearsal. He is polite and mild-mannered, and even consents to being introduced to the groom as her father. She takes her place at the altar as the other four Deadly Vipers arrive at the chapel, weapons in tow, to kill everyone at the rehearsal.
In the present, Bill ventures to the California desert to talk to his brother Budd, aka "Sidewinder" (Madsen), another former Deadly Viper. Bill warns him that The Bride will come for him next. Budd, now overweight and alcoholic, has put his assassin days behind him, lives in a trailer and works as a bouncer at a local strip club and has lost his former respect to his new boss.
The Bride arrives at Budd's trailer that night to take his life. Anticipating her entry, Budd shoots her in the chest with rock salt the moment she opens his door, then injects her with a sedative. Budd calls Driver and offers to sell her The Bride's Hanzo sword for one million dollars. The Bride is buried alive by Budd.
As she lies in her grave, The Bride remembers her early training in China, when Bill took her to the temple of legendary martial arts master Pai Mei (an intentionally classic example of the elderly martial arts master stock character). He uses cruelty as a tool for discipline and obedience. Although he "hates Caucasians, despises Americans and has nothing but contempt for women", he takes The Bride in. Her training was extremely rigorous, and she endured many hardships, but she became a formidable warrior under his tutelage. In the present, The Bride calls on Pai Mei's training to break out of the coffin and claw her way up to freedom.