Bloody Satisfaction

Rating: Null/10 (19 April 2004)

You may already have heard that "Kill Bill Vol. 2" is talkier and more character-driven than the stylish, enigmatic "Vol. 1". Indeed, "Vol. 2" has moments of tenderness and heartbreak that its predecessor never came close to. We also learn more about the Bride (Uma Thurman), including her real name and her relationship with Bill (David Carradine), who makes his first on screen appearance. But while "Vol. 2" is not the gleeful blood flood that the first installment was, the action remains sharply paced, darkly comic, and consistently surprising.
The rogue's gallery of villains left standing when the lights came up on "Vol. 1" are appropriately fiendish here. Daryl Hannah gives Elle Driver's one eye a furious workout while Michael Madsen shines as the grinning, twisted cowboy Budd. Budd's attempt to dispose of the Bride is truly fraught with terror. Perhaps most importantly, Carradine does not disappoint as Bill, who proves that emotional ties can be more formidable than an army of Crazy 88s.
As for the Bride herself, Thurman's performance is unforgettable. The Bride's heroic stature grows with each frame, particularly when we see her struggle under the tutelage of the unrelenting Pai Mei (a terrific Gordon Liu) in flashback sequences.
Writer-director Quentin Tarantino delivers another gorgeous, wild "Kill Bill" movie, this one packing a fiercer emotional punch. Here is a movie that pulls the rug out from under its audience at every turn, never settling for less than brilliant. "Kill Bill Vol.2" is a wholly satisfying conclusion, a breathtaking new classic.