204. Kill Bill Vol. 2

Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Uma Thurman

David Carradine

Michael Madsen

Daryl Hannah

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 9

"I've killed a hell of a lot of people to this point, but I have only one more. The last one. The one I'm driving to right now. The only one left. And when I arrive at my destination, I am gonna kill Bill."

Before Kill Bill Vol. 2 continues from where the previous installment left off, we take a look back to the wedding rehearsal of The Bride (Uma Thurman). Here she and her entire wedding party were murdered by her former gang, the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Prior to the attack, The Bride has a conversation with her former lover Bill (David Carradine) about her future plans. Bill wishes her the best, and agrees to pose as her father during the actual ceremony. Soon the Deadly Viper's, which Bill is the leader, show up to end the day. They kill everyone in the church, but fail to finish the job with The Bride leaving her in a coma. Since the massacre, The Bride has recovered and gone on her own journey of vengeance, killing two key members of her former gang (These stories were told in the first installment).

Upon hearing of The Bride's trail of revenge, Bill goes to warn his brother Budd (Michael Madsen) that he is next on her list. Late one night, The Bride sneaks up to Budd's trailer, but is caught with a shotgun blast of rock salt that hits her in the chest. He then takes her to a graveyard and throws her body inside a casket in a robbed grave. This seems to be the end of The Bride, but then she recalls her training in China and busts out of the grave. Once out of the grave she approaches Budd's trailer to see Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), another member of the Deadly Viper's, visiting him. Budd has agreed to sell his one of a kind sword to Elle for a suitcase filled with one million dollars. Although, Elle has booby trapped the suitcase with a black mamba snake that bites and kills Budd. Right as she is leaving, The Bride bursts into the front door and the two begin to fight, ending in Elle losing her other good eye. As the Bride walks out the door, only one stop remains, and she has every attention to KILL BILL.

I am not sure if I get Quentin Tarantino, or if he gets me. All I know is that there is no writer currently working in Hollywood that appeals to me more. He has this incredible ability to take the most normal settings, and bless them with some of the most brilliant dialogue you have ever heard. I understand that some people can just no sit through a film where all the people do is talk. Although if you listen to the pacing and words chosen by Tarantino, you cannot deny his unbelievable talent. I might be over-hyping his abilities here, but as a writer who desperately wants to make sense, I applaud Tarantino on his truly original style of writing.

One thing that I feel this film does well is that it omages, rather than copies. This film pulls and uses past films of the kung-fu and revenge genre's to make suitable film that belongs near the top in either catagory. Some of the same actors from these classic films are used to play new, but most of the time similar roles. Also, the music had a western appeal, which might make no sense for a film with so much martial arts, although it greatly works with thiw film. For true fans of the many genres that this film pulls from, Kill Bill Vol. 2 holds even more fun and significance for you.

Over the last five years or so, I have become a huge fan of the emerging "vengeance" genre. You could easily say that the Kill Bill films are what started that love in me. This film series lead me to find one of my favorite directors, Chan-wook Park and his own Vengeance Trilogy. If it were for that reason alone, I would always hold a special place for this film. Luckily, this film is much more than a stepping stone to other great films. Kill Bill Vol. 2 serves as beautifully written conclusion to an epic journey. The first installment of Kill Bill carried much of the action, where Volume 2 really focuses on the emotions of our heroine and her surroundings. This film paired with Volume 1, is a must see for all movie and film lovers.

*be sure to view my post for volume 1 coming this fall!