Some Unsaid Critiques

Rating: 7/10 (8 December 2014)

Reading old critics or new users, few are saying what I thought upon release and now, re-watching these. Only posting because of that.
1)the dialogue almost never coheres into the electric, fascinating rhythms of "Pulp Fiction" or "Reservoir Dogs." This movie is more like "Death Proof": it often seems like a cheeky imitation of "bad" dialogue from genre movies Tarantino loves. There are actual cringe moments nobody dared tell uh, "Q" (cringe moment 1) made them cringe. The most "Pulp Fiction"-like scene involves a strip-club owner yelling at a bouncer for being late.
2)The approach to dialogue and style nearly strangles the emotional film, whether it's a revenge drama or whatever it is. Tarantino's talent in his best movies clearly is utterly compelling episodic scenes, often grounded in a weird mix of references to real humanity and movie humanity. He's kind of chucked real humanity out the window here, and it hurts him. I don't quite see the throughline from "Pulp Fiction" to this, "Kill Bill" is trying something new, for better or worse. Often it's worse, as "the Bride" must carry the film, and her character motivations often get lost in the stylistic shuffle.
3)It's a revenge fantasy, but the sterility of the stylized reality and heightened Kung-fu world manage to strip vengeance of much meaning, reward or even coherence. Uma Thurman does a good job panting, looking hurt and crying, but she also frequently sits down and smiles and chit-chats. While contrasts between chit-chatting hit men and brutal killing were stunning in "Pulp Fiction," in a film with a central protagonist fueled by (presumable) undying vengeance, these scenes undermine the character, and really undermine much emotional punch.
I think that's about it, most people (me included) mostly have positive stuff to say about the movie. There's fun, clever fights, brilliant use of music, much inspired stuff. But I think a mix of weak, possibly "indulgent" writing and tonal miscalculations make this clearly not a masterpiece. A tighter revenge-based action film might have been better, a more "Tarantino" (in the "Pulp Fiction") sense) "realistic" vengeance film might have been better. The two approaches don't sit in perfect harmony with one another.