Bloody Satisfaction!

Rating: Null/10 (5 April 2004)

She roared...
And she rampaged...
I got bloody satisfaction, and Uma Thurman is now the coolest woman of our time!
KILL BILL Vol.2 was the film that I had been most excited about for 2004. Either that, or I just can't remember what else comes out this year. Let's see... Spider-man 2, Troy, Collateral, and Garfield... Nope! With the disappointing The Passion of the Christ more than a month past, Quentin Tarantino's 5th film (though that label is easily debatable...) was numero uno on my 'To Watch' List of 2004.
Because as many flaws I felt KILL BILL Vol.1 had, I loved it. It was by no means my favorite film of 2003 (the obvious choice being The Return of the King), but I had a great time. Cool actors having fun, so many great moments, unforgettable music (I bought the soundtrack before it came out), and a brilliant feeling of Asian pastiche I'd never felt in a Hollywood production before.
If you're a fan of the first and have managed to stay away from an early draft of the screenplay that has been online for a while and want to go in fresh, here is what I think of Vol. 2 in a nutshell :
Upon immediate viewing, I can tell you with no ego that Vol.2 works better as a full film than Vol.1 did. If you should encounter God and show him this film, God will say, "Cool!", because this film is better paced, better acted, and more satisfying (which it should, since it has the advantage of concluding the story). For its lack of on-screen violence compared to the Grindhouse Gore of the first, it is much more affecting and personal a violence that makes you squirm and gasp instead of smirk and laugh. (There are still some audience pleasing moments of gore though... one in particular featuring an eyeball!)
You won't see Sonny Chiba as Hattori Hanzo again this time, which is a shame, but you will get Gordon Liu come back as the cruel Pai Mei and he is a great substitute. The Bride's training sequence with him will be the favorite sequence of many people.
While Vol.1 leaned more towards the Asian influences with the fine anime sequence, the House of Blue Leaves sequence, and the presence of Hattori Hanzo, Vol.2 is almost pure spaghetti western in tone. The way the showdown between Elle Driver and The Bride is edited and scored got my heart thumping and actually made me shout in delight, which I don't think I'd ever done before.
Those who love Tarantino's Asian film references, take heart. In no way has he abandoned the Hattori Hanzo swords. And of course you have The Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei, possibly the greatest chapter in Vol.2 for Gordon Liu and the many, many Shaw Bros Smash Zooms alone.
Tarantino's choice in music for the film continues to be perfect as I will most definately purchase the soundtrack for Vol.2.
And the final bit I have to go into for the moment is why I think Uma Thurman is now the coolest woman alive for the way she brings The Bride to life. I can't help but think that the role Q&U have brought to the screen is the greatest female role I have yet to see (of course, this says something about the roles available to women, but it's not about that). She was cool in Vol.1, but in Vol.2, she takes what she did before and continues to amp it up in all respects. It makes me think about Sigourney Weaver's role in James Cameron's Aliens, except not as constant because of all the genres KILL BILL emcompasses. And since Weaver received an Oscar nod for that role, I'd really love to see Thurman get nominated for Vol.2. Deadly and vulnurable.
I hope this gets you interested in Vol.2 if you didn't care for Vol.1. This time, there is less campiness and action and more dialogue and characterization.
For those who loved Vol.1 because of the campy action, don't worry. What campiness and action is there is still funny and exciting. I had a genuine feeling of, "Oh no! How's she gonna get out of this mess!?" which is a hard thing to do in Hollywood these days.
PS: I know some people may not believe that I actually saw the film and could think that I am merely a QT fanboy who read the online script as anyone could and started gushing BS about something I knew nothing about.
I guess the only thing I can use to convince you is to tell you to stay after the end credits to see a little blooper/easter egg (unless it's been subsequently deleted). If you want to know, it is Uma Thurman poking an eye out of one of the Crazy 88s but ending up with only fake blood on her fingers. I think someone yells CUT! to which she says, "Oh, come on!"

I was kidding about Garfield, by the way.