Two cups of solid action, half a pint of humour, a pound of great cast, layered with a generous dollop of True Romance.

Rating: 10/10 (11 December 2009)

I enjoyed this film so much, it's one of my top ten all-time favourites. Oddly enough, my top ten favourites do not include a single Tarantino-directed movie - I honestly wonder if all his writing would be this good with a competent director, like Scott, or if the uncredited Avary's influence was what made this particular movie stand out for me.
The story is nothing new or original. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. S*** happens. It's almost a traditional yarn, but so lovingly spun that it deserves to be a classic. It's not life-changing genius. It's not world-shaping art. It's never going to be the subject of a classical literature degree... but it *is* engrossing, entertaining, enjoyable, and honestly, utterly, undeniably romantic.
The cast is brilliant, and expertly placed to shine in their respective roles. Almost every line is quotable and no scene is wasted. Sure, the dialogue is recognisably Tarantino, but it's just not the same winding monotony that taints the interplay in his own directing ventures - it flows well and doesn't get in the way of real acting. Exchanges between characters feel natural.
Yes, it has violence (this is an action movie after all), but it serves to enhance the elements of peril that pull the viewer into the plight of our plucky couple. The most harrowing moments in this movie involve the least gun-play, deriving their impact from strong performances and believable pain or sacrifice. Despite some tried-and-true Hollywood-style action too, there is an appreciable element of reality and plausibility that makes suspension of disbelief an effortless endeavour.
This movie has compelling characterisation, perfect pace, well-directed dialogue, an appropriate measure of action, and characters you can really root-for... not to mention that this cynical critic can't watch it without almost (not quite, but almost) getting all weepy.
If you're a Tarantino fan and you haven't watched this, you may be neglecting his best work. If you are *not* a Tarantino fan and you haven't watched this, you may be neglecting a true classic.