Thurman finally gets to Kill Bill as Tarantino's genius comes shining through.

Rating: Null/10 (25 May 2004)

Rating: ***** (out of *****)
I labelled Volume One of Kill Bill a "straightforward, arty and sometimes overly pretentious hybrid of The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". I expected Volume Two to simply provide more of the same and nothing else. I even thought it would be the same length as Volume One.
In this case, I really like being wrong.
Quentin Tarantino's and Uma Thurman's long-term project has successfully met its aim. Both have now truly redeemed themselves, Tarantino for splitting this film in two, Thurman for her turns in Batman & Robin and The Avengers. I now doubt if the split really was a completely commercial decision, although maybe Vol. 1 could have been a little shorter and added onto the back of Vol. 2. Mind you, that's a minor complaint.
Anyway, on with the show. The assassin still only known to us as The Bride (Uma Thurman) must complete her revenge against those who thought they'd done away with her at that wedding massacre. With O-Ren Ishii and Vernita Green dealt with in Vol. 1, The Bride now has to take care of Budd (Michael Madsen), Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), and, of course, Bill himself (David Carradine). But, as we have already seen (in Volume One) and are about to find out to a greater degree, that definitely won't be easy.
Most of the dialogue in Vol. 1 could have easily passed for anything in a typical action movie. By contrast, what you hear in Vol. 2 is more in-depth and moralistic. Crucially, the characters are more human, especially our two leads - this largely results from the film's flashbacks. The old Pulp Fiction strengths show signs of creeping back.
Certainly, there are plenty of treats in store for film goers in Vol. 2, one of which is the discovery of The Bride's name, but the film has other great moments as well. My personal favourite was the flashback showing us The Bride's training at the hands of Pai Mei (Gordon Liu). Close second was the funny, extremely interesting and surprisingly heart-warming denouement. Tarantino has shown us both his dark side (mostly in Vol. 1) and light side (mostly in Vol. 2), and when merged together, they click astoundingly well.
Uma Thurman amazed me with her convincing, no-nonsense approach in Vol. 1, but in Vol. 2 she impresses even more. Emotionally, she is believable. And tough she certainly is. Yet she takes second stage to David Carradine. He's said before how grateful he is to Tarantino for revitalising his career. This particular career decision has paid off. Bill is more of a gentleman than many central villains Â– so much so that you actually pity him a little when his inevitable fate arrives. This isn't the case for Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah, who simply devour their parts.
If you're still puzzled by now about why I am so astounded, it is simply because Vol. 2 doesn't just make Kill Bill more of a real film, but also a completely different film. It's not always pleasant to watch, and it's not exactly what you'd call a stunning artistic achievement, but ultimately, it is thoroughly rewarding cinema. And I'll take that over any self-important art film any day.