You won't find a better movie this year

Rating: 8/10 (20 April 2004)

You gotta love this Tarantino guy. Having made only three movies in 11 years, he came back to the spotlight in 2003 with the ultra-violent and critically acclaimed, Kill Bill Vol.1. The movie was another non-linear story about a pregnant bride who seeks revenge over the fellow thugs that massacred her at her wedding rehearsal, and in particular, the ringleader and former lover, Bill. Now, just six months removed from local theatres comes the next chapter of the vigilante in the suitably titled Kill Bill Vol. 2.
Reprising her role as The Bride (although the films were shot simultaneously, so the word reprising might not be appropriate) is Uma Thurman. For those that remember, she awoke from a four-year coma in Vol. 1 and quickly began her roaring rampage of revenge on O-Ren Ishii and Vernita Green, two of the five participants in her botched murder.
That left Ellie Driver (Darryl Hannah), Budd (Michael Madsen) and father figure Bill (David Carradine) to cross of the list and The Bride begins with Bill's brother Budd. Not that this is where the movie begins however. In true Tarantino style, Vol. 2 actually starts before the massacres of O-Ren Ishii and Vernita. A black and white opening chapter takes us back to the wedding chapel where the assault takes place and we understand more of the love Bill has for The Bride and how his jealousy overtakes him. Actually, Vol. 2 goes even further back in the past and spends a good portion of its 21/2 hour running time showing a quiet fireside moment between Bill and The Bride and later her training with a martial arts and discipline trainer, Pai Mei. I was sure that if Tarantino had another hour from the studio, we would have seen The Bride's birth and first communion.
Kill Bill Vol. 2 is an extension of Vol. 1 that together showcases the best of Quentin's talent. Where Vol. 1 had all the violence, blood and a pussy wagon, Vol. 2 has conversations about Superman, a reunion with a long lost daughter and a focus on the motivation for each character.
Don't get me wrong; Vol. 2 has more than the average movie's share of action and carnage. When The Bride first encounters Budd, she is shot with salt bullets and then buried alive. Her resurrection then leads her back to Budd's trailer where Ellie is finishing up some business and soon the two are involved in a catfight involving swords, fists and even a television antenna. Kept within the confines of the tight trailer space, the fight claustrophobically exciting with a conclusion that will leave you wishing you were not listening in Dolby Digital.
The biggest difference between the two volumes will probably be what the average filmgoer complains about the most, and that is the dialogue. Known for character rants on everyday conversation topics like a Madonna song (Reservoir Dogs) or a Quarter Pounder in Europe (Pulp Fiction), Tarantino has always been praised on how he whips verbiage to his audience with such fluent accuracy that you marvel at it's insightful perceptions, yet it is probably no different from a conversation you would have with a friend or neighbor. In Vol.2, he exploits his gift and whether it is Ellie reading an internet history on the Black Mamba snake or Bill telling the story about his favorite superhero we are subjected to long speeches that take their time and unfold like origami.
But despite all the gibber jabber between characters, it will not be a sentence or an expression that you will remember when you leave the theatre. Instead, you will remember The Bride being buried alive and fighting her way out of the darkness. You will remember how Ellie lost her fight and you will laugh at how she is remembered in the final credits. And you will remember that The Bride gets her revenge even if they don't all fall as a result of her hands.
To say that Kill Bill Vol. 1 is better than Vol. 2 or the other way around is to forget that they were shot simultaneously and is essentially the same movie split in two so that Miramax can make as much money as possible. Both are definitely unique in their style and presentation. You may not appreciate Vol.2 after being so wound up after the fight with the 88's at the conclusion of 1, but give it a couple of months and watch both volumes back to back on DVD. You won't find a more unique or better film this year I'll bet.