Surprisingly wonderful

Rating: 9/10 (9 February 2005)

First of all, let's make one thing clear: I have never been a Tarantino fan and have never seen his other movies. They never appealed to me one iota. Yet the trailers for Kill Bill so intrigued me I finally had to watch Kill Bill, Vol. 1. I liked some of it, I started to understand why he is critically adored, but as a whole, it really wasn't outstanding. KB1 was fun to watch, but sometimes over-the top and lacking in coherence and plot. I watched KB2 simply to see how it ended but without high expectations. I was blown away.
From the black-and-white beginning where Uma addresses the camera to the final shot as the credits roll, there are so many brilliant moments I can't even list them all. The flashbacks to the wedding chapel and her conversation with Bill completely draw you into the characters and (which KB1 never did) make you care about what happens to them. The scenes in the coffin are so claustrophobic you feel trapped yourself, and the moment when her hand bursts out of the dirt is so terrific it induces cheering. Walking into the diner covered in dirt and politely asking for a glass of water is another great moment, reminiscent of the gunslinger walking into a bar. There are other wonderful Western homages and Western-style music which are incredibly cool as well. There are of course great action sequences with Pai Mei and Daryl Hannah and cringe moments (the snake and the eyeball) but thankfully, no ludicrous blood spurting as in Vol. 1. (There are also very funny moments as well, in particular the reaction of Daryl Hannah to the tobacco spit - a totally girl moment and absolutely hilarious.) But the genius of Kill Bill, Vol. 2 is in the dialogue between Bill and the Bride (aka Beatrix Kiddo we discover), and in the wonderful scenes with their daughter (such as: playing with toy guns; David Carradine making sandwiches, butcher knife in hand; tucking her daughter in bed for the first time; the superhero discussion... all moments to savor).
Ultimately, KB2 is an amazing tribute to motherhood and what makes us women. Even such a cold-blooded killer as Beatrix changes her entire life and does anything to save her child once she learns she is pregnant. The credits say it all: the shot of Uma smiling at her daughter, driving away, and AKA: Mommy as the last line - a defining part of her character from this point onward. She isn't just a killer, as Bill implied, who can never lead a normal life; she can be something more. It's a shame that a lot of women will see this as a guy's movie and not be drawn to it; as a woman, I loved the movie even more for the development of Uma's character and her stunning performance. And I have far more respect and admiration for Tarantino as a filmmaker than I ever did before. If you think this movie isn't exactly your cup of tea, try it anyway (if you have a tolerance for the action sequences) - you might be delightfully surprised.