"Alright ramblers, let's get ramblin'."

Rating: 9/10 (3 March 2007)

"Reservoir Dogs" is a blast and a half. Quentin Tarantino's non linear method of telling a story keeps one viscerally engaged, almost as if you were really there like a fly on the wall with a direct view of the proceedings. It's a style that works without being confusing, even if you have some misgivings about following the story; and even if you do, a second viewing clears that up completely. Nor is Tarantino concerned about disposing of characters off screen, as he did with Brown (Tarantino himself) and Blue (Eddie Bunker). The technique tends to put even more focus on the surviving characters attempting to come to grips with their situation. As far as that goes, don't even concern yourself with following the Colors, it doesn't make much difference who's Brown, Blue, or Blonde, the players are so fully convincing you'll get wrapped up in their narratives as each contributes to the total package. Then as the pot simmers and comes to a boil, the result is a new kind of gangster film that Bogart and Cagney couldn't even imagine.
I wasn't aware of how much a comic book fan Tarantino must be, he helped guest direct 2005's "Sin City" of course, but here he peppers his film with Marvel Comic references to the Fantastic Four and The Thing, and a Silver Surfer poster pops up from time to time. It's interesting to see how a pop culture fan integrates his favorites back into the genre, completing a cycle of sorts. As a fan of both mediums, the combination adds another layer of enjoyment to the experience.
With a film like this, I can understand that there's really very little ground in the middle for viewers, you're probably either going to love it or hate it. For someone like me who's actually rather conservative, I find that anything Tarantino is involved with to be a unique and action packed joy ride. For a directorial first effort, "Reservoir Dogs" is an amazing piece of work, lulling you into a comfort zone with the opening diner scene, and then hammering away at your senses until that last fateful gunshot. No need to fill in any blanks here.