Kill Bill: Vol. 2

Rating: 4/10 (20 December 2004)

Kill Bill 2 is a movie whose plot is as simple as it's name. There is little below the surface here, but the movie simply runs amok on poorly developed characters and low grade action sequences. Yes I know the movie is designed to mock or make reference to many other movies, notably martial arts films, but rather then using those "Hollywood" moments to enhance something Tarantino uses them like a crutch. Most of this is due to the plot, which with nothing new to offer simply flows in a boring and contrived way. In addition no major roles seem capable of overwhelming the poor script and dry substance of the movie. Its as if everyone there has resigned themselves to the fact that the script and plot are dead, and act a little on the dead side themselves.
Uma Thermon is clumsy and unconvincing as a vengeful super assassin. At least in the first movie one is capable of viewing the ridiculously over the top action with a bit of a grin and saying nuts to the plot. O ren also helps with a few fun lines like, "the price for mentioning my Chinese heritage as a negative is, I collect your f@#king head." O ren in general is more convincing though not great in her role. Uma's awkwardness forces Tarantino into doing what I often view as the first sign of a bad action movie. He uses up close shots of the characters during fast moments and distance shots during slow ones. This usually means that were one to view what just occurred from a distance, they would see it for what it is, clumsy and uncoordinated.
Overall this movie retains some of it's director's excellent tough mostly through the visuals, which taken as a picture rather then a moving film as breath taking. Tarantino makes use of start color contrasts to give one a sense of texture and beauty beyond the norm. Were I in the poster business I could take a thousand frames of this movie and make them into wonderful pieces of art. I should also note that I still believe in Tarantino, movies with finesse and masterful dialogues such as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction do not happen by accident and shine no less for the latter mistakes of their maker. I rate Kill Bill one and two as 6 together, perhaps a 6.5 for 1 and a 5.5 for 2, they were simply not that interesting, sorry Q try again.
~Tylahedras