Kill Bill - Volume One
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Movie Reviews of Kill Bill - Volume One
Movie Review: Tarantino's fourth film
Summary: 5 Stars
Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) get into a small discussion about a pilot episode Mia was involved in called "The Fox Force Five" in Tarantino's masterpiece "Pulp Fiction," which has a blonde woman, a Japanese woman, a black woman, a French woman, and Mia's character whose specialty was knives and supposedly known as "the deadliest woman in the world with a knife." Unfortunately, it was just the pilot that aired and Mia only got 15 minutes of fame. Nearly ten years later, the Fox Force Five would become resurrected and reincarnated to become the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad in Tarantino's fourth film "Kill Bill." The members: Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), aka Copperhead; O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu), aka Cottonmouth; Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), aka California Mountain Snake; Budd (Michael Madsen), aka Sidewinder; and lastly, The Bride (Uma Thurman), aka Black Mamba. Bill (David Carradine) is their boss.
The Bride (name revealed in Vol. 2) is left for dead when members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad and Bill interrupt her wedding by blasting anyone who's anyone, and putting a bullet into the Bride's head. Unfortunately, she miraculously survives, but is left in a coma. She awakens four years later, only to discover that her unborn child is gone, and that her body was used as a "love machine" by any perverted men who paid a doctor (called "Buck" here) to have sex with her comatose body. She escapes the hospital once she awakens and sets out to kill those who attempted to kill her: The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad.
This is Tarantino's wackiest, bloodiest, and yet, extremely creative movie he has ever presented to us. The fight sequences and sound effects feel as if we're watching an old martial arts movie from the '60s or '70s. The fast camera zooming to show a close-up of a character's face, avant-garde filming style, and the film's score reminescent of good ol' Bruce Lee films certainly provide us with one thing: art. Of course, Tarantino is known for ripping off other movies, but he works around it by miraculously making it seem innovative and his own. I'm not sure how he does it, but... he does. One of the highlights is the story of O-Ren Ishii. Tarantino could've gotten some actors to do the sequences, but instead, he tells the story through animation... Anime, to be exact.
And of course, the bloody fight scenes. They were at one time hailed as the bloodiest sequences in a movie ever, up until "The Passion of the Christ" was released. People frown on them by exclaming it as a form of celebrating violence. Compare this to "Natural Born Killers." It seemed that movie celebrated violence with Mickey and Mallory getting a kick out of killing whoever they want. "Kill Bill" is more over-the-top and cartoony. In other words, it's very unrealistic, which at the same time provides twisted humor. But Tarantino manages to keep the Crazy 88 sequence intact and slip by with a R rating by showing most of itin black and white. Since DVDs are constantly having more special features, why couldn't we have been treated with the sequence presented in color? As I've read elsewhere, the Japanese version of "Kill Bill" has the sequence in color.
I think one minor character steals the movie and fans seem to think so as well: Go Go Yubari. A teenage girl, dressed in a school girl uniform, and O-Ren Ishii's bodyguard. Is it because of her uniform, or is it because she's the only character that almost got the best of the Bride? It's one or the other, both, or neither, but I'm gonna settle with the latter. Go Go's fighting technique is damn impressive. She does all these crazy tricks with a ball and chain (perhaps that could be another reason she's a fan favorite). She's deadlier than even the Bride or any other character here. Whatever the reason, Go Go Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama) just about steals the movie.
And another highlight of the movie is the impressive soundtrack. Hearing "The Lonely Shepard" by Zamfir is worth buying the soundtrack alone. Just an absolutely beautiful and powerful track. Purchase whenever you get the chance. Oh yeah, can't forget other amazing tracks like "The Green Hornet" theme, the movie's theme "Battle Without Honor or Humanity," and "Twisted Nerve" (that whistling song). There's many other great tracks as well.
Sorry about getting off-topic for a sec there. Tarantino has yet provided us with another masterpiece. I talk of both volumes as just one movie, but as separate, both are equally good. Tarantino still gives us the witty and intelligent dialogue he's best known for (especially in Vol. 2) with an amazing epic storytelling of revenge and loss. Vol. 1 has all the bloody action, and Vol. 2 makes up for the lost storytelling Vol. 1 rushed through. Both are essentials for the Tarantino fanatic. Sadly, the DVDs are lacking. We all know a DVD edition will be released later in the future. I hate it when that happens, but in the meantime, we'll see if one does come along.
Anywho, the "Kill Bill" saga are works of art.
Movie Review: Tarantino unearths yet another gem!
Summary: 5 Stars
With every cinematic masterpiece Quentin Tarantino creates, he just outdoes himself every time. "Kill Bill, Vol. 1" is no exception. Tarantino's style of surrealism knows no boundaries, as the display of various parts to form a unified whole always keeps the audience on their toes, leaving them scratching their heads, wondering where the story will lead and what will likely occur next. Like in another Tarantino film, 1994's "Pulp Fiction", "KBV1"'s storyline is broken down into various chapters, where here there are five of these. Here is a brief summation and synopsis of each of the five chapters: Chapter One: "2" (aka "'Kaboom' Goes The '...Wagon'"). The story begins in Pasadena, California, where "Black Mamba" (Uma Thurman) meets up with "Copperhead" (Vivica A. Fox). All hell will break loose, as it is here where we learn that the latter has tangled with the former in the immediate past, and that "Black Mamba" has vowed vengeance against "Copperhead" for perhaps killing her daughter. The two settle their differences in a ninja-style duel, which begins in the living room and ends in the kitchen. A human life isn't the only thing that meets a certain death here. Can you say "KABOOM"? Chapter Two: "The Blood-Splattered Bride". In El Paso, Texas, it is discovered that nine people were shot dead during a wedding ceremony at a local chapel, and two "Texas Rangers" happen upon the scene and do some Texas style investigating. Upon closer inspection, it is learned that one of the nine victims is "Black Mamba" herself, who later wakes up from a trance-like coma. Weirdness then ensues, as a couple of sex-crazed hospital employees attempt to take advantage of our unconscious "Damsel In Distress". Daryl Hannah is featured in this segment as the "Eyepatch Villainess", who obviously has a personal vendetta against the "Yellow Haired Mamba One" as well. The "Pussy Wagon" makes yet another appearance here. Chapter Three: "The Case Of O-Ren Ishii". An animated feature, this part of the story reveals how a very young female Samurai warrior went from a kind, righteous girl to an evil woman. As the story goes, O-Ren underwent a strict traing regimen, as taught by her father, whom O-Ren kills as a result of the abuse she has taken from him after all these years. As it turns out, this young warrior matures in her craft, taking vengeance on all who stand in her way. By her young adult years, she has graduated into Samurai warriorhood. It is at this point in the story where the animators who put this piece together should be given high praise for their top-notch artwork and animation mechanics, as well as for Tarantino himself for capturing the pure essence of this segment. This is definitely Blue Ribbon material. Chapter Four: "The Man From Okinawa". Here, things really start to move full steam ahead, as our yellow-haired female hero takes up residence in Japan to learn to become a full-fledged Samurai warrior. Black Mamba sets out to seek revenge against the people who put her in a coma, as well as those who killed her daughter. The yellow-haired one is then given a place of residence, where she begins training with a highly skilled instructor (Sonny Chiba). Soon, heads will roll, literally! Chapter Five: "Showdown At The Blue Leaves Room" (aka "Vengence Is Mine, Sayeth The Noble Buddah"). In the final chapter of this Part 1 saga, Black Mamba meets up with her arch-nemisis, O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu). These ladies have a major score to settle - would you believe at a Japanese style rock concert & party, of all venues? It is here (in Tokyo) where all hell will break loose, and many lives are in danger, including our blond heroine's (WARNING: Not for those with weak stomachs, as well as those who faint at the sight of a certain shade of red). Again, Quentin Tarantino does a masterful job of keeping his audience firmly planted on the edge of their seats, and lets the audience become a contributing factor to the outcome of the story. How so? By giving "Kill Bill, Vol. 1" a mystery murder-type premise, therefore letting the people excercise their brains to let them decide who the innocent bystanders and who the guilty parties are, as depicted in the movie. So, all that needs to be cleared up is whether or not Black Mamba's daughter is dead or alive, as one of her tormentors is made well aware of. "KBV1" is definitely worthy of several viewings, and will leave you saying to yourself: "I can't wait until Vol. 2 comes out" (which will be in 2004). That one is sure to be another winner for "The Q Man" as well, as both films come highly recommended for the ultimate movie viewing experience. Get "Q-ed" up today!Movie Review: Tarantino tells the perfect tale without a plot. Amazing!
Summary: 5 Stars
Quentin Tarantino is, without a doubt, one of the most skilled and enigmatic movie directors of our time. He has this maddening habit of making us wait a ridiculous amount of time between his films (a trait shared with kindred spirit Stanley Kubrick) and then astounding us with the product he gives us when he finally does create one. Even his less than stellar films such as Jackie Brown still have style and flair that almost make the wait seem worthwhile. Following Jackie Brown, Tarantino felt the need to make fans wait six (!) years before his next film. In addition, he felt that need to split that film into two volumes in a move that smacked of poor editing and self-serving box office grabbery. Fortunately, the long wait and split film proved appropriate when one views with wonder the fruit that is, Kill Bill: Volume 1. Given Tarantinos undeniable skill behind the camera and intimate knowledge of action and film noir, it was only a matter of time before he tackled the genre of Hong Kong martial arts films. Kill Bill: Volume 1 shows that Tarantino has an implicit understanding of the elements that allowed that genre to appeal to so many. While it is undoubtedly one of the most violent films ever committed to celluloid, the violence is almost comical in its use of ancient special effects techniques. It also seems to quite fitting given the nature of the story. The story focuses on the quest for revenge by an underworld figure known as the Black Mumba (Uma Thurman) against her former colleagues, the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (or DiVAS), and their mastermind Bill (David Carradine) for their attempt to kill her, her unborn child, and her betrothed on Mumbas wedding day. They failed (barely) and now the Black Mumba is back to exact revenge against those who tried to take her life.
Kill Bill: Volume 1 is unique in the sense that it tells a compelling story without really having much of a plot. The film is straightforward in the sense that it deals solely with Mumbas revenge, but it is not straightforward in how that tale is told. Little hints at the very beginning show the audience that this film follows the same non-linear episodic structure that most of Taratinos films follow. As Mumba (who is only once referred to by name in this film) prepares to confront one of her targets, one Ms. Vernita Green aka Copperhead (Vivica A. Fox), she reviews the targets name on her checklist. One can see that the name O-ren Ishii aka Cottonmouth (Lucy Liu) has already been crossed out, but we have not yet seen that battle. In the between the actual fight scenes, Tarantino has inserted little snippets of anecdotes that tell the tale of the characters who perform in this play. We get pieces of Mumbas back-story and a brief snippet of Greens. One of the truly remarkable departures of the action scenes is Tarantinos anime related telling of story of O-Ren Ishii. To tell her story in anime is both inspired and practical. Use of anime seems like a perfect compliment in a martial arts movie and the story of O-ren Ishii is so explicitly physically and sexually violent that to tell it in live action would surely have garnered Kill Bill a dreaded NC-17 rating.
The fight scenes in Kill Bill: Volume 1 have been expertly choreographed and executed. One would be hard pressed to find a contemporary film that could make such graphic violence seem like ballet, but Kill Bill manages it. The scenes where Black Mumba fights O-ren Ishii and her Crazy 88s assassination squadron are the most expertly done and stimulating to watch. For extra flair, Tarantino has included Hong Kong legend, Sonny Chiba, in a role as Mumbas mentor, Hattori Hanzo. The other, smaller characters also serve to enrich the overall scope of the film and provide suggestions at what has passed and hints at what is to come. While initially seeming like a poorly conceived ploy, the division of this Kill Bill into volumes 1 and 2 seems wholly relevant after watching the first installment. There is a naturally break in the story as Mumba rests for her assault on her remaining targets (Bill, included) and it ends with as fantastic a cliff hanger as there has been in more than two decades of film. To put these two installments together into one might have watered-down its impact. Now, audiences will be left to wait a few months for the next installment to satisfy their hunger for the rest of this story. Few films carry that kind of power anymore. Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a film that does.
Movie Review: QT Shows He Knows Action
Summary: 5 Stars
There's a scene in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" (1993) where Butch (Bruce Willis) just nearly escapes a most gruesome violation. He is tied to a chair, but is able to free himself. As he leaves the building where he was held captive, Butch takes a samurai sword off the wall, and proceeds-with his newfound weapon of vengeance-to hack away at those who took him captive. Keep that momentum going for 95 minutes, and you've got "Kill Bill." It's been six years since Tarantino's last movie, "Jackie Brown" (a movie I always thought was underrated) but the wait has been worth it."The Bride" (Uma Thurman) is gunned down and left for dead on her wedding day by a group of assassins that she originally belonged to, and which is led by a man named "Bill" (David Carridene). Comatose for four years, she wakes up and seeks revenge. Uma Thurman's character makes a hit list comprising of her former colleagues, including Bill, and proceeds to go after them one by one. In Vol. 1, The Bride makes it through two of her former companions: Vernita Green (aka "Copperhead" played by Vivica A. Fox) and Oren Ishii (aka "Cottonmouth", played by Lucy Liu). Don't worry, I haven't given anything away. While there is one plot twist (that I will not reveal), this is essentially the kind of movie that one cannot spoil. We know what's going to happen-but that's not why we watch. We want to see how it happens.
Pop culture references abound: There are references to Bruce Lee, Kurosawa's jidai-geki (period films), American sitcoms, Star Trek, breakfast cereal, Japanese TV dramas, and the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone. Tarantino is so steeped in film lore, that nearly every frame is paying homage to something or other. And as always, there is that feeling in scene after scene that Tarantino loves what he's doing. This is a man who loves cinema, and it shows. The pacing of the movie is also excellent. Even when there are downtimes, you will not look down at your watch.
What's different? One realizes early on that this is a movie about textures. Tarantino takes us through many in this movie: The movie is shot in color, of course, but we also get black-and-white, and slow motion sequences when he wants to empathize emotion or drama. There is also one animated sequence telling us the origin story of the Lucy Liu character--which is simply superb.
And there is one point in particular where "Kill Bill" is different from any Tarantino movie before it. If "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" were both characterized by long bouts of conversation, with short, intermittent points of action, "Kill Bill" is the opposite: wall-to-wall action, with brief, intermittent points of conversation. He has literally turned his own style upside down.
"Kill Bill" is Tarantino's homage to the kung fu and karate movies of the seventies. Needless to say, this movie is quite violent, and this presents itself as a problem in the world that Tarantino creates. More so than his previous movies, in "Kill Bill" he juxtaposes his own vision of hyper real violence with the hyper fantastic of the genre he is exploiting. The conundrum is: How to rationalize the two? Anyone seeing "Pulp Fiction" or "Reservoir Dogs" will remember the first time they saw either one how brutally real the violence looked, so much so that it has become one of Tarantino's trademarks. In "Pulp Fiction", when Uma Thurman's character ODed on heroin, it really looked like she had ODed on heroin. "Kill Bill" has that, (witness the opening scene of the film) but it is combined with the pure fantasy from the Kung Fu genre: the power leaps, spurting, candy-cane blood from decapitated mannequins, characters with elevated levels of hearing, etc. Tarantino is sometimes asking the audience to identify, or empathize, with his characters, while other times we are asked to step back and laugh, when the violence is so over the top. One or the other is fine, but putting the two together seems problematic-and I'm not sure that the movie resolves this issue.
This is definitely a movie to see. You have the pleasure of watching a movie made not only by someone who knows movies well, but also honestly respects the genres from which he steals. Tarantino has borrowed a fantasy world, and added his own brand of quirkiness (and realism) to it, with great success. This is a violent movie, to be sure, but we already know that: We go not only to see the violence, but how it is delivered.
Movie Review: Tarantino tells the perfect tale without a plot. Amazing!
Summary: 5 Stars
Quentin Tarantino is, without a doubt, one of the most skilled and enigmatic movie directors of our time. He has this maddening habit of making us wait a ridiculous amount of time between his films (a trait shared with kindred spirit Stanley Kubrick) and then astounding us with the product he gives us when he finally does create one. Even his less than stellar films such as 'Jackie Brown' still have style and flair that almost make the wait seem worthwhile. Following 'Jackie Brown', Tarantino felt the need to make fans wait six (!) years before his next film. In addition, he felt that need to split that film into two volumes in a move that smacked of poor editing and self-serving box office grabbery. Fortunately, the long wait and split film proved appropriate when one views with wonder the fruit that is, 'Kill Bill: Volume 1'. Given Tarantino's undeniable skill behind the camera and intimate knowledge of action and film noir, it was only a matter of time before he tackled the genre of Hong Kong martial arts films. 'Kill Bill: Volume 1' shows that Tarantino has an implicit understanding of the elements that allowed that genre to appeal to so many. While it is undoubtedly one of the most violent films ever committed to celluloid, the violence is almost comical in its use of ancient special effects techniques. It also seems to quite fitting given the nature of the story. The story focuses on the quest for revenge by an underworld figure known as the Black Mumba (Uma Thurman) against her former colleagues, the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (or DiVAS), and their mastermind Bill (David Carradine) for their attempt to kill her, her unborn child, and her betrothed on Mumba's wedding day. They failed (barely) and now the Black Mumba is back to exact revenge against those who tried to take her life.
'Kill Bill: Volume 1' is unique in the sense that it tells a compelling story without really having much of a plot. The film is straightforward in the sense that it deals solely with Mumba's revenge, but it is not straightforward in how that tale is told. Little hints at the very beginning show the audience that this film follows the same non-linear episodic structure that most of Taratino's films follow. As Mumba (who is only once referred to by name in this film) prepares to confront one of her targets, one Ms. Vernita Green aka 'Copperhead' (Vivica A. Fox), she reviews the target's name on her checklist. One can see that the name O-ren Ishii aka 'Cottonmouth' (Lucy Liu) has already been crossed out, but we have not yet seen that battle. In the between the actual fight scenes, Tarantino has inserted little snippets of anecdotes that tell the tale of the characters who perform in this play. We get pieces of Mumba's back-story and a brief snippet of Green's. One of the truly remarkable departures of the action scenes is Tarantino's anime related telling of story of O-Ren Ishii. To tell her story in anime is both inspired and practical. Use of anime seems like a perfect compliment in a martial arts movie and the story of O-ren Ishii is so explicitly physically and sexually violent that to tell it in live action would surely have garnered 'Kill Bill'' a dreaded NC-17 rating.
The fight scenes in 'Kill Bill: Volume 1' have been expertly choreographed and executed. One would be hard pressed to find a contemporary film that could make such graphic violence seem like ballet, but 'Kill Bill'' manages it. The scenes where Black Mumba fights O-ren Ishii and her 'Crazy 88s' assassination squadron are the most expertly done and stimulating to watch. For extra flair, Tarantino has included Hong Kong legend, Sonny Chiba, in a role as Mumba's mentor, Hattori Hanzo. The other, smaller characters also serve to enrich the overall scope of the film and provide suggestions at what has passed and hints at what is to come. While initially seeming like a poorly conceived ploy, the division of this 'Kill Bill' into volumes 1 and 2 seems wholly relevant after watching the first installment. There is a naturally break in the story as Mumba rests for her assault on her remaining targets (Bill, included) and it ends with as fantastic a cliff hanger as there has been in more than two decades of film. To put these two installments together into one might have watered-down its impact. Now, audiences will be left to wait a few months for the next installment to satisfy their hunger for the rest of this story. Few films carry that kind of power anymore. 'Kill Bill: Volume 1' is a film that does.