Tarantino's Martial Arts Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (21 April 2004)

With the brilliance of a gleaming samurai sword, `Kill Bill: Vol. 2' shines as an outstanding conclusion to its 2003 predecessor. The second part in the revenge epic from writer/director Quentin Tarantino takes a breather from the stunning, over-the-top action sequences of Vol. 1 to focus on the origins and backgrounds of the characters. This does not by any means take away from the film's greatness or viewing satisfaction. Audiences and fans are still treated with a clever script filled with sharp, philosophical dialogue complete with powerful and emotional acting that is common in Tarantino's movies. Having left his trademarks all over `Kill Bill: Vol.1', Tarantino finally completes his tribute to his adored martial arts genre in his own captivating style.
Four years after she was unmercifully beaten and left for dead by her former assassin cohorts, the Bride AKA Black Mamba (Uma Thurman) returns to the United States to finish her quest for vengeance. Wanting to leave her old life behind her and settle into motherhood, Black Mamba was busy with her wedding rehearsal. Unable to let her enter her new life, Mamba's former boss and beau, Bill (David Carradine) orders her execution by the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox). Following her recovery, Black Mamba sliced and killed her way down her hit list while encountering near-death circumstances and vicious villains. When Black Mamba's journey ends, she must not only face her old master but also the ace up his sleeve.
Director Tarantino incorporates the same ingenious and unique filmmaking style that he carried out in `Vol.: 1.' This fact comes as treat for the patient movie fans that have waited for the film's continuation. Utilizing his trademark jumps between time and space, Tarantino employs this skill with even more precision. Each time jump ties in directly with the scene that it jumped from in the present time. This direction gives the audience a better understanding of how and why the heroine arrives at each of her circumstances. Lighting also plays an important role in the film. Tarantino's use of light (and sometimes lack thereof) is a key factor to capturing the characters' emotion in several scenes. The lighting provides the audience with a better tool to comprehend a character's thoughts and feelings and gives the audience a special viewing experience.
The collaborated script of Tarantino and Thurman contains even more concepts from martial arts cinema and are incorporated with Tarantino's amusing views on life. Whereas the first film focused on incredible sword fights and eye-popping effects, `Kill Bill: Vol. 2' is more character driven while still containing a good amount of fighting and swordplay. It is in `Vol. 2' that we learn more of how the characters came by their skills and the relationship between Bill and Black Mamba. A beautifully done scene in which Carradine entices Thurman with his flute playing while regaling her with a tale about his former teacher not only integrates the kung-fu style of filmmaking but also explains the closeness once shared between the couple. The exceptionally hardcore Tarantino aficionados will particularly love the director's comic book explanation on humanity and finding oneself.

Uma Thurman continues her Oscar worthy performance as Black Mamba. In the role, Thurman plays not only an expert killer but also a human being. Thurman's character is not the typical heroine who is infallible and unfeeling. Rather, she has fears when she is beaten and feelings of both love and regret on her quest. Thurman's portrayal is so powerful that passion of her performance is emitted through the screen. The audience can sense her every thought and feeling as she struggles through dire circumstances and the elation of her victories. David Carradine is the perfect mix of coolness and ruthlessness as Bill. In `Vol. 1', Carradine's voice carried out his performance. In `Vol. 2', the audience gets the privilege of seeing how acting matches the action. Carradine's rendering of Bill is not that of a callous fiend who kills without any remorse or logic. Instead, his actions are from the knowledge and acceptance of who and what he is. Carradine performance of this realization is done in such a matter-of-fact manner that one would almost believe Carradine was speaking of himself. Carradine also pulls are rare feat by evoking a small piece of understanding and sympathy for the criminal. This is accomplished through the terrific on-screen chemistry between Carradine and Thurman. Carradine brings about the sincere love Bill has for Black Mamba that it makes the shooting seem more as a crime of passion than a crime of hate. Equally impressive are the supporting roles of Daryl Hannah and Michael Madsen as Elle Driver and Budd respectively. Hannah is deliciously evil as Driver. A complete 180 from the beauty roles she is known for playing, Hannah's Driver is out for herself and will crush anyone who gets in her way. Her performance as the deadly killer is a villain colder than the other side of the pillow. Hannah plays the role with such ability that she rivals many femme fatale roles. In a similar 180 move, Madsen's Budd is not the sadistic, torture-loving villain that the actor has been known to play. Rather, Madsen portrays Budd as a down-on-his-luck con who is always looking for a quick buck. Although the character is not extremely vicious or confident, Madsen still manages to exert his own charisma into making Budd a worthy character.
`Kill Bill: Vol. 2' has all the action and witticisms that movie goers loved from `Vol. 1.' Tarantino's unique eye and camera direction gives the film life and the incredible acting talents of his cast bring the screenplay into being. Tarantino's kung-fu masterpiece is so incredibly well done that it almost seems a shame that the film was cut in two. But each volume is a work of art. Tarantino's tribute will not only stand as one the greatest and meticulous films ever made but may just secure a place for the maverick director in the kung-fu hall of fame.