The Bride's Follow-Up Changes Gears, But Remains Intense and Riveting

Rating: 8/10 (16 April 2012)

A much slower, more suspensefully contemplative take on the same material as its first chapter. Rather than being on a non-stop offensive, this time we see the Bride in a more reactive role as her kills don't always go so swimmingly. Along the way, we catch a glimpse at her training in a stereotypically isolated Japanese temple, alongside an impishly charismatic bearded master, the show-stealing Pai Mei. When it comes time for the inevitable showdown with Bill himself, Tarantino plays his trump card and leaves a driven audience (and vengeful bride) confused about the apparent simplicity of their quest of the last four-plus hours. It's not as instantly captivating as the first package, and a few segments fall curiously flat, but it's enjoyable in surprising new ways and provides the closure we were all so desperate for. It's a perfectly appropriate finale, if not the one I may have been expecting.