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Kill Bill - Vol. 1

Kill Bill - Vol. 1

List Price: $29.99
Your Price: $19.49
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Well, let's hope THAT'S out of his system.
Review: Actually, I give more like two and a half stars.

While Tarantino is a genuine super-talent, he has yet to mature into anything of real value. When Brian dePalma and Joe Dante were first making movies about other movies it could be exciting. But by the time we get to rubbish like "Scream" the bloom is definitely off! I'd give anything these days for filmmakers to come up with just ONE original idea. (Derivative is still derivative - even when you try to pass it off as postmodern.)

Did I enjoy it? Sort of. It's well made and definitely NOT boring. It has a lot of nice bits - none of them original - but still nice. I will go see Vol.2. But I'm still waiting for a real original movie from Mr. T. 'Resevoir Dogs'was a clever remake. 'Pulp Fiction' was brilliant, but rather overrated. The overlong but underappreciated 'Jackie Brown' was also flawed - but it indicated a direction that might have borne fruit. 'Kill Bill' is a huge step backward in many respects. It's crazy-quilt nature means it doesn't hold together as well as any of the previous films.

Tarantino has seen and loves all the same movies I love, it would seem. This is probably what made it hard to get involved with this picture. I was too busy recognizing all the bits of music and restaged moments from other movies. Maybe that was supposed to make the movie more fun for me - but I just felt a little cheated. There really isn't anything else to the movie. I sometimes wished I was actually watching those other movies.

And the references themselves are supposed to be the payoff far too often. For instance - we get a scene with Bernard Herrmann music, dePalma style visuals and editing, and Daryl Hannah looking meaner and sexier than I've ever seen her in a snappy nurse's uniform and cute eyepatch. Any one of these elements would be cinematically intoxicating, and the movements DO get your movie-heart helplessly skipping beats. But then the scene aborts - it's a very effective buildup to diddly-squat. He knows what works on you, but he doesn't know how to use it. He was only concerned with fitting these elements in - they are in service of nothing. We then move on to the next collection of elements that worked in other movies.

The price Tarantino pays for stitching together a Frankenstein from just the good stuff is a movie that is no more than the sum of its parts, less cohesive than any of the movies he has (ahem) 'borrowed' from, and not nearly as good.

Is it still worth seeing? Sure. And if you aren't familiar with the sources (which probably includes most of the world), you might even think this movie kicks ass.

It's WAY more watchable than 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico.'

And he's not actually IN it, thank god.

Maybe there really isn't anything more personal for Tarantino than movie-love. That might just be all there is in his life. i don't know. But even if he has to fake it, it's time he stretched a little.

Orson Welles said that if you want to make movies you shouldn't look at other people's movies. While I wouldn't take that too literally, I can see what he was driving at - especially after seeing 'Kill Bill.' QT's previous output was a bit too reliant on what has gone before to really deserve the level of praise he has gotten in some circles. 'Kill Bill' is the wet-dream of a fanboy with more resources than Welles could even dream of most of the time. Maybe he needs to make a REAL B-movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great DVD, not the full version
Review: As opposed to many other, this review is for the DVD, not the
movie. That's what Amazon's reviews are all about. If you want
to know how good the movie is, check www.imdb.com.
The DVD contains the cut version of the movie (the b/w scenes)
and is superbly done.
If you are looking for the full version of the movie, try to
check for the Japanese version of it. It contains about 10
minutes more of footage and some scenes are edited differently.

Enjoy,
Eric

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: tsk tsk tsk tsk.....
Review: i dont know about this movie. it reminded me too much of the matrix series. the animation, the kung fu moves, the sequel. i think the director was in a hurry that he just wanted to make a movie like the matrix and make money out of it.

have you noticed all the asian guys with samurai swords have similiar suits as the agent smiths and come in big numbers? what a coincedence, huh? yeah right!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Fun, but too Indulgent
Review: OK, first things first. It's really violent. I don't think I give anything away there. Second, it has a few really cool visual effects. After a while though, one gets the feeling that Taratino has put together a pretty silly story in order to pay homage to a genre that he loves. I guess he's entitled to do that, but I won't be running out to buy it. There is always something much too strong for the average stomach in QT's films, and this one is no exception. The trucker/comatose-victim 'joke' is just sick.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: ghost dog
Review: has anyone seen the movie ghost dog? now think of ghost dog written by Quentin Tarantino, and done horribly

rent or buy ghost dog
a better street samurai movie

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Doesn't Stop to take a Breath!
Review: From the opening credits this film is more launched than introduced to the audience and doesn't really let up until the last tantalizing (go the the sequel) scene. Like the incredibly succesful Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Kill Bill was filmed all in one go, and originally intended as a single movie, (which would probably have been overlong).Being cleverly split into two volumes,the film flows incredibly well with solid continuity, but even more cleverly is the short 4 month gap between Vol 1 on DVD and the Vol 2 in theaters idea, to keep the film fresh, and the fans interested. It's difficult to use words like "classic" when describing Tarantino, but love him or hate him, you have to admire this piece of work which is certainly on a par with Pulp Fiction. One wonders whether the bankability of Tarantino's name is enough to draw an audience alone regardless of the material, without the added bonus of the viewer almost knowing what to expect before they walk into the movie theater. This must surely gives him the luxury of a virtually free hand in the creativity of the plot, characters, and the action, in fairly safe comfort of the knowledge that the picture will be well received. Kill Bill is a simple revenge story, and a pastiche homage to a slew of film genres, most notably the dubbed Kung Fu action movies of the 70's. From the cheesy Raymond Chow style movie credits to the breathtaking choreography, many in the know have even recognised the juxtaposition of individual scenes, from previous Chinese classics. The film is gloriously over the top, but not overacted. There is a strange reassurance to the strength of the lead performances, playing with such dead pan sincerity, amidst even the most farcical elements of the film, and the end result is a real treat. As usual the movie is littered with expletives, and whereas the violence content button seems to have gone into overdrive, the almost astral exaggeration of the fight and blood letting sequences, actually re-emphasise the fantasy of it all. It is extremely doubtful that this film would have had much success, or even exposure without Tarantinos credentials, but as it is, it's a great experience for fans and newcomers alike - sure to be a hit with Vol 2 already in Theaters.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: omg,what a terrible movie!
Review: This movie is so violent and bloody and over-the-top its silly! The dialogue is stupid,the fight scenes and settings are clearly ripped off from other movies.I cant believe how people rave about this movie! Its trash! If you must see violence,then see it in a more substantial and believable context,like "Passion of the christ." I also recommend "The Pianist" with Adrien Brody.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't Believe The Hype
Review: It's amazing what people will claim to be great movies now a days. Though I do not wish to say Tarantino is untalented as a director, I believe him to be one of the best of his generation, I can not say he did well at all with Kill Bill. The story is uninspired. It seems he took about five minutes to create as much was necessary to link a bunch of violence together. I have heard many people say Tarantino borrowed ideas from such greats as Kurosawa, and borrowed many themes from old westerns and samurai flicks. Unfortunately there is a difference between borrowing and down-right stealing. Some shots in Kill Bill look exactly like shots from other films.

Another problem with the film is it's complete adherence to the Tarantino outline for a movie. Quite formulaic. Cheesy music, overacting, over-the top blood, and a jumpy timeline. The delivery of many of the lines, as well as the lines themselves, are just way too cheesy. Thurmans voice-over narration comes off a bit like that of a used car sales man. It all just sounds cheesy and the actors delivering them come off as hammy.

As for the fight scenes most come off as a bit ridiculous. Especially the fight with the crazy 88.

If you are looking for a great movie in a japanese style go for the real thing. Find a good Kurosawa, Miike, Ishii, or Ichiro film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: pure viewing EXHILARATION!!!
Review: I wasn't real impressed with "Jackie Brown" so I approached this film thinking that Tarantion might well have already peaked with "Pulp Fiction"---boy was I wrong! Just as Sergio Leone took westerns to a whole new and higher level, so Tarantino does to chop-socky martial arts flicks, plus a huge dose of 'TUDE.

The fight scenes are fast, furious and in your face; the dialogue is vintage Tarantino uber-cool; there's tons of self-parody and black absurdist humor throughout; the pacing is mostly seamless and quick; the camera work is flawless; the soundtrack as typical for a QT movie just rocks. Sure there's lots of blood and guts but it's all very aesthetically well done, you really don't feel grossed out so much as fascinated and giddy. The violence is cartoonish, and since Uma is the protagonist there isn't the usual obnoxious testosterone swagger we so often get in these action films.

Through it all Tarantino applies a beautifully subversive twist to the martial arts action genre: here, the women (especially one Uma Thurman) are not only foxy but fierce and fearless while the men are mostly just pussycats at their mercy.

Made me want to go see Volume 2 pronto! I'd love to watch this film in a cinema in some traditional, pre-feminist, male-dominated patriarchal society like Japan or Egypt!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Pay to see it at the movies? No. Rent it? Yeah, OK...
Review: Yes, I have seen many Sir Run Run Shaw kung-fu flicks too. But I would never have thought to rip off that genre to the degree that Tarentino did in this movie. He even used the same music in spots! But if you are going to rip off a genre, this is a good one to pick.

Fortunately, Tarentino manages to keep this film from turning into another "Crouching Tiger" (a snoozefest to end all snoozefests) by adding alot of bloody shootouts, swordfights and knife fights that are well choreographed. Tarentino even managed to throw in some Anime segments as well. I was amazed that two of the biggest acting downers in history are in this movie (Uma "Avengers" Thurman and Lucy "Any-Movie-That-She-Was-In" Lui) but it was still entertaining! Go figure.

Should you buy this? I don't know, I would rent it first if I was you. Some poor fools actually paid serious bucks to see this at the theatres - I would'nt go that far.


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