Buzzkill

Rating: Null/10 (17 April 2004)

This is the 1st big dissappointment of the year. #1: I am not a Tarantino fan (I hated Pulp Fiction, but loved Resevoir Dogs)and #2 KBV1 was probably my favorite movie of '03 (although 21 Grams and Spellbound were really excellent too). What happened? This film is pretentious (whereas V1 was fun and was a MOVIE and not a FILM). This film is a western (whereas V1 was a kung fu movie). This film has a lot to say and little of it is very interesting (whereas V1 had very little to say and most of it was interesting). Much talk, little action. This film is being praised for not being drenched in blood, but it is much uglier (just one turn of a hooker's face or a few closeups of a striking snake will be enough to sell you on that). The red excess in V1 was a marvel to behold. It was Wile E. Coyote violence choreographed to its breezy extreme. The violence in V2 is not fun. And if you are claustrophobic (like me) AVOID this film (Q succeeds all too well in this category in one extended scene -- I couldn't watch it).. The good stuff: David Carradine almost steals this film from Uma (who owned the V1). Darryl Hannah is (like the V1) is fun to watch. Robert Richardson's photography is incredible (like V1). The scenes between Uma and Carradine are intense. Other than that the more I think about about this film the more I dislike it. What a buzzkill.