How can this be part of the same project as Volume 1?

Rating: 2/10 (29 July 2007)

I saw Volume 1 a while ago on TV, and enjoyed it. It was cinematographically inventive - eg the animated sequence. It had visually arresting and impressively choreographed fight scenes. And it had dark humour in the dialogue. So when I saw that Volume 2 was showing, I thought I was in for an entertaining couple of hours. I was wrong.
There was none of the stylishness. Shooting one chapter in monochrome does not make for an interesting technique. The dialogue showed only brief flashes of the dark humour that leavened Volume 1, but for the most part was stodgy and leaden. As others have commented, quite a few of the scenes served no purpose whatsoever - they were not entertaining, they did not develop the characters, they did not advance the plot.
As for the fight scenes - well, there were none. At least, none of the impressive ensemble scenes from the first volume. There were just two fights in the whole two hours. The first, with Elle, was not even a fight to the death, although I admit I did find the resolution of that one OK. But it was short and decidedly lacking in actual fighting.
The second, the final climactic confrontation with Bill, must be a contender for the biggest anti-climax in cinema history. It lasted a matter of seconds, and was resolved by a bit of mystical mojo. And to get there we had to sit through about half an hour of the Bride and Bill playing Happy Families and then reminiscing about what went wrong in their relationship.
Others have commented on the inherent misogyny in these films. I didn't get that with Volume 1 - it was too "cartoony" for that. It came through very much in Volume 2. Lingering shots of the Bride panting in agony or terror. Bud and his friend salivating over how they were going to kill her. And the ultimate in the idea of a wrinkly ancient like Bill with a young beauty like the Bride.
But the film's bigger sin was in being boring. Several times I found myself reaching for the remote to fast forward. It just could not hold the interest.
It is not the worst film ever. That honour is reserved for 2001 - A Space Odyssey. Now that is two hours of my life that I really want back. But it was a real disappointment, and hard to believe that it is part of the same project as the inventive and stylish Volume 1.