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What sets Kill Bill above other films in the revenge genre is the level of characterization.

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KILL BILL

VOL 1

Review by Matthew Anderson

Theatrical Preview Screening

Company: MIRMAX/A BAND APART

Action/ Adventure Movie

Running Time: 2 hours 30 MIN

Rating:R (Suspense, violence, gore, language)

EXTERNAL EXAM

A mysterious woman has arrived in town to visit an old friend. The woman is "The Bride", the old friend is Vernita Green aka Copperhead. Both are former members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, an elite guild of killers that worked for an enigmatic gangster named Bill.

The Bride's visit is not a pleasant one. She has arrived at Copperhead's suburban home on a quest to kill every single Black Viper member. Nothing, not words, not weapons, not even children will stop her from enacting her terrible revenge.

It seems that four years ago, "The Bride" was Black Mamba, a Black Viper Assassination Squad member. On the day that a very pregnant Black Mamba was supposed to get married, the entire wedding party is massacred by her former team mates. After softening her up, Bill delivers the finial blow.

Instead of killing her, all they did was put her in a coma. Now, she is awake, and a very pissed off. From Japan to the US, she leaves a bloody trail of death and destruction in her wake.

In spite of her success, Bill is not worried. For you see, he has a secret. This secret is so powerful, it is the only thing that can stop "The Bride's" mission to Kill Bill.

FINAL EXAM

It had been 6 years since Quentin Tarantino's last film "Jackie Brown". When Kill Bill showed up on the entertainment radar, it garnered interest not only from the film community, but anime/Asian cinema enthusiasts as well. The reason; Quentin Tarantino freely admitted that this movie drew it's influence from various forms of Asian cinema. Shaw Brothers Chop Socky flicks, Samurai Egia, Yakuza movies, and even anime would be equally represented.

With all the press and anticipation this film has garnered, the question is, "Was Kill Bill worth the wait?"

The answer, hell yeah!

Let me start off by saying that the plot is typical of most revenge flicks. We have our heroin, beaten, tortured, and left for dead. Miraculously, she recovers, with the images of those who "killed" her burned in her mind. Like "The Crow" she goes from minion to minion, killing them on her way to the top dog.

What sets Kill Bill above other films in the revenge genre is the level of characterization. We understand why "The Bride" feels so much pain and anger towards Bill and her team mates. We learn what set Black Viper member O-ren Ishii on her path to become a killer and the most powerful Yakuza leader ever. We discover what part sword maker Hattori Hanzo played in creating Bill, and why he breaks his 25 year vow never to make a weapon that will kill. Every character gets their 15 minutes of back story, and every tale leaves an impression.

The action is awesome. Once again, Yuen Wo Ping has shown the world that he is the master of action. His fight sequences are beautiful, full of energy and excitement. By going "old school" he shows that you don't need computer enhanced special effects to give us a good show.

Like Tarantino did with Pulp Fiction, continuity goes out the window. This was actually a good idea. If the move was shown in chronological order, the finial act would have been anti-climatic. Jumping around the story also gave Tarentino a great place to end volume 1. The cliffhanger is totally unexpected, and I guarantee that you will not be able to wait until Volume 2 comes out next year.

The acting is excellent, with Uma Thurman carrying most of the movie. She has a very broad range, being able to go from sad and despondent to quick and cunning in a matter of seconds. She also has great comedic timing, and she kicks ass better than most "action" stars.

Lucy Liu gives a rather restrained performance, compared to her work in films like Payback and Charlie's Angels. It must have been hard to keep it calm and cool, but she did it.

Chiaki Kuriyama is perfect as Go Go Yubari. With just her eyes, she communicates that she is a total bad ass she is. You quickly discover that she won't take any crap from anyone. With her turns in this movie and Battle Royal, she may become one of the biggest action stars to ever come out of Japan.

The music is pretty funky. A combination of Spanish music, 60's pop, avant guard Japanese rock, and even a little disco really set the tone for this film. Credit to The RZA for creating yet another distinctive score.

The animation from Production IG is very well done, but not what I expected. It is very rough looking, focusing on the visceral aspect rather than the details. Don't get me wrong, the style is perfect for the story being told. If you are expecting something like "Blood: The Last Vampire" you are going to be in for a shock.

For those of you who are a little bit squeamish, be warned. There is a lot of blood and dismemberment. According to the IMDB, over 400 gallons of blood were used in the film. I believe it!

This movie is a fan service paradise. References to Bruce Lee, Samurai Eiga, Yakuza movies, spaghetti westerns, and classic television are just the tip of the ice berg. You can see Tarentino's admiration for Asian directors like Sezuki Seijun, Hiroyuki Nakano, and the Shaw Brothers by the way he uses their unique visual styles. You even get a Red Apples Cigarettes reference (a brand that appears in every Tarantino movie.)

Kill Bill is everything we have come to expect from Quentin Tarantino. Cool visuals, great acting, interesting characters, and a perfect fusion of different film styles. If you miss it, be prepared for a visit from the Black Viper Assassination Squad!

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