Video Store Clerk Gone Wild

Rating: 4/10 (20 April 2004)

An Amalgam of so many things that it is difficult to get a handle on what it is. An Ode? A new direction? Slow? Raw? Egotistical phenomenon of our time? A Total loss of the vision and focus needed to create the something they set out to create? They do aim high, I'll give them that.
Some things that I loved: Plucking / Injecting Uma / High Level Martial Arts / Time taken for minute beauty and color / magnificent swords.

Things I had trouble with: Black and white then Grainy Color then weird white lines then Frame size changes then hokey blurry videosque whatever. Long dialogue by the guy with the lisp. Pai Mei did not look very old or act very wise ... Poisoned by a student? Black Screen with breathing and dirt being thrown on a box ... not claustrophobic, not scary. The `C' word thrown in Uma's face. `Master Assassins' that always go in thru the front door.
It is my hope that when viewed back to back with Volume one this all will somehow work.