Death is a cheap stunt played for amusment

Rating: 3/10 (3 February 2005)

There's no trick to Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2. Vol 1 presents slimly drawn characters engaged in a ballet of violence. Vol 2 gives their back story. That's some genius, I'll say.
I have serious problems with the pivotal conceit of the Bride's character (here's the spoiler): the moment she discovers she's pregnant is the moment she disavows violence. Huh? How come? Why should the fact that she has 'life' growing inside her suddenly turn 'life' into something to now cherish and respect? Is she just selfish, or self-obsessed? Why is a fetus any more valuable than any of the lives she snuffed out as a paid assassin? Truth is this film has no respect for life of any sort. Murder is an occupation like any other. Killing is a calling. Death is a cheap stunt played for laughs or curious novelty. Dead babies are merely narrative triggers to go out and do more killing.
There are a few cheap laughs in Kill Bill Vol 2. There's some effective suspense and a bit of canny art direction here and there. The actors sure think they're making something worth putting in a hard day's work. The gaping holes in the plot and the zero plausibility don't seem to get the way of their dedication. Poor old David Carradine thinks this is the greatest opportunity of his entire career (so he says on the DVD marketing featurette). He needs to go back and watch Bergman's THE SERPENT'S EGG again. There's a film that knows about humanity's dark heart. It didn't need to pick it up third hand at a comic convention.
Watching this film is like being urinated on from a great height. I'm sad I've contributed to the maintenance of Tarantino's lifestyle. There's something anesthetizing about this film. It's got no soul, a dead heart, and constantly requiring shots of adrenalin to give the appearance of signs of life. Stylish it may be. Entertaining even. But in the end, it lacks the gravitas it so clearly craves. I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE has more integrity. Go ahead. Waste a coupla hours and a coupla bucks. Who cares?