Rating: 
Summary: A dazzling mix of action and loopholes.
Review: Revenge has long been the inspiration behind many films and novels. A classic example is found in the pages of Moby Dick where Captain Ahab peruses the white whale in a reckless and deadly obsession fueled by his desire for revenge at all costs.
In the films "Jaws" and "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" both had strong themes of revenge central to their plot. For example, Khan desired revenge against Captain Kirk to the extent that he was willing to risk his life, freedom, and the lives of his crew to obtain it. In "Jaws" Quint places his crew, ship, and life in peril rather than allow his pride to be wounded and admit that he needs help in bringing in the shark.
In Quentin Tarantino's new film "Kill Bill: Volume 1", audiences are introduced to Black Mamba (Uma Thurman), a former assassin who is attacked and left for dead by her fellow employees on her wedding day. She awakens from a coma four years later with a steel plate in her head and a score to settle.
After escaping from the hospital undetected, Black Mamba sets off for Okinawa to mentor under a sword maker and prepare her body to take revenge. With the aid of a specially made sword, Mamba sets out to locate and kill her former cohorts especially her boss Bill (David Carridine) who put a bullet in her head on her wedding day.
Tarantino tells the story in a stylistic and at times bizarre manner that uses foreshadowing, flashbacks, black and white scenes, and anime in a non-linear story that jumps around nearly as much as the aforementioned Black Mamba during a fight scene. Thurman does solid work in a very demanding and physical role, yet does not get much sympathy from the audience as many have a hard time feeling tremendous sympathy for a person who is a stone cold killer. Lucy Liu provides a fine supporting performance as the head of a crime syndicate named O-Ren Ishi who is sought by Mamba, as she was present at the wedding day massacre.
There has been much mentioned in the media of this film being divided into two pictures rather than releasing a three-hour picture. In many ways, this is a disservice to viewers as after a fantastic action sequence, the film ends in under whelming fashion with only a slight bombshell of information being announced. While this does add a degree of interest, it does not provide the big hook that may be needed to make casual viewers want to pay to see the completion of the film rather than wait for the video.
That being said, Tarantino has provided viewers a film that is a dazzling combination of action and visuals that will delight some and frustrate others who are looking for more depth. The film shows that Tarantino is a talented and visionary filmmaker who is the master of mixing action, quirky characters, over the top action, and twisted humor to create a symphony of theatrical originality.
3 stars out of 5
Gareth Von Kallenbach
Rating: 
Summary: GLORIFIED GORE & VIOLENCE: QUENTIN STRIKES AGAIN
Review: In a world all ready filled with violence and horror, blood & violence chief Mr. Tarantino does it again. All he is proving is that his films are messier and more violent than the Jason or Freddy franchises.
I read the script and was abhored and appaled at what I read. It was nothing but expletives, blood, swearing, violence, odd wording, gore, stupidity (like we can't know the bride's real name until he feels we are ready) and blood. Did I mention glorified violence and blood and gore.
I have never ever been a fan of his because he places himself on a pedestal. He feels that he is the end all, be all of film making. He has to write it, direct it and star in it. I only hope someone parodies his film and call it KILL QUENTIN.
Another thing that bothers me is why do certain critics call certain extremely violent films (like this one) brilliant? What is so brilliant about watching another human being dying. I guess what is happening to our troops in Iraq would be considered brilliant to Quentin and those critics.
This is a disgusting example of how twisted our society has become toward entertainment. It is not enough that our men and women are still dying over in Iraq. But we need to have our minds at ease (away from all the killings in Iraq) with a movie that shows people getting horribly mutilated but in a "artistic-ballet" style.
Thank you Quentin Tarantino for having a disturbing and horribly graphic mind. You have solidified my distaste in you films. I think you are a horrible person for saying to the children of England: "You should go see my film".
Rating: 
Summary: Big, pulpy fun.
Review: It's quite apparent from Kill Bill Volume One that Quentin Tarantino has not lost any of his love for pulp fiction. From the opening black and white sequence of Uma Thurman to the final almost touching final fight scene with Lucy Liu, Kill Bill has the makings of an epic cult film. I say cult film because I'm sure the movie will polarize audiences. Tarantino takes some big risks with his film genre bending and mixing. Most of them pay off.
The action sequences that were talked about are actually not as sustained as rumoured. In fact, it really shows a sign of maturity in Tarantino that the action takes breaks so the audience can take a breath before the characters start in on each other again. It makes the characters more human, too, since even those in the best shape could not withstand these constant pounding without taking a short breather. The story? It's a revenge plot, plain and simple, and as pulpy as those get. Plus the actors are all quite up to that task. They all go about chewing up the scenery, which fits quite nicely into the film as it's set up. It's good to see Thurman again. Here she takes the lead as The Bride with much vigor and attitude because The Bride is pissed. Her old assassin team has killed her entire wedding party and even tried to kill her, but didn't quite finish the job. Now she wants to get even. And it's great fun. With over the top fight scenes with heads and limbs flying to bodies squirting blood like hoses, Tarantino is wearing his cheesy gore film influences on his sleeve. There are several film genres here and the best is the back story on Lucy Liu's character when the film switches to Japanese anime to set up the audience for the second half of the film which takes place in Japan. The dialogue is more classy in this half of the film only between Thurman and Liu. Instead of using the F-word (as Tarantino is want to do in his films), they shoot more witty barbs at each other as if there was once great respect between them. This sets up a scene at the end of their fight that is actually touching and makes The Bride human instead of just a killing machine. Of course, the film ends with a cliff hanger because Miramax didn't want to release a 3 hour plus film; however, with some creative editing it ends nicely and sets up for Kill Bill Volume Two. It gives hints about The Bride's husband, the baby she was carrying, how she was found after going into hiding and her relationship with Bill to name a few things. All of which are very soap opera, but a soap that is very stylized and willing to take chances. None of this would have worked had it not been for Tarantino being self-aware he was just making a big piece of entertaining fluff. In other hands, it would have just been another over-wrought pile of junk. And even if Miramax cut it in two, it's nice to know that they have allowed out a film that tries to push the envelope.
Rating: 
Summary: Genre Highlight Revival
Review: I myself have read the early script and have followed the development of Kill Bill. Although I have not seen the movie yet, and I am pretty sure it isn't even finally cut, but no matter what you want to expect or what doubts you may have, Kill Bill will be more influencial than the movies it's influenced by. Kill Bill is a HOMMAGE to all kinds of Tarantino's favorite movies which is reflected by the choice of actors, characters and ways of filming. I especially look forward to the scene where Uma Thurman is gonna cut a baseball in half in mid-air!! Be sure to watch the awesome Trailer.
Rating:
Summary: Something Very Different From My Favorite Director
Review: I recently saw a rough cut of Kill Bill with Quentin and some other friends. I did costume design for Jackie Brown when Quentin and I began our friendship. Because we hadn't talked in over a year I was delighted to be invited to his studio for a night of partying.
From what I've seen of Kill Bill so far it is Quentin's special way of honoring the Hong Kong action genre which has strongly infleunced his style. I think it will be a solid film that will please, but because of its extreme violence, some people may be turned away. I don't want to give away any key plot points, so I'll just tell you it probably won't be what you're expecting, but it will definetely kick ass. A simple synopsis of the plot I will here give. Uma Thurman plays a hitwoman who comes out of a coma and goes on a journey of vengeance against her former master that put her in that coma. On behalf of Quentin and myself, I hope you enjoy the film.
Rating:
Summary: What a bloody great movie this is!
Review: In keeping with Tarantino tradition, the body count is high, the profanity flies, and the soundtrack kicks. "Kill Bill" is a tour de force, with the familiar Tarantino storytelling devices, such as chapters and a non-linear storyline. I found the amount of blood in this film surprising, even with having had full knowledge as to the nature of the film prior to heading to the theater. Where other movies would have pulled away after the slash of a sword, Tarantino delights in showing the audience the aftermath of each hack and slice. The result is a mixture of elicited emotions - from revulsion to slack-jawed amazement. It's obvious that Mr. Tarantino has a certain degree of reverence for Asian cinema, and an affinity for all things Samurai. The fight scenes are a marvel; both horrific and beautiful at the same time. The cinematography was exciting and inventive, and the acting sufficiently overdone - which meant that it was just right for the type of movie "Kill Bill" is trying to be. I suppose what it all boils down to is this: Kill Bill Vol 1 is a movie I will watch again, and again, and again.
Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: i loved this film! great STYLE, great action, great story. and very funny. i loved the use of zamfir's famous tune for the samurai scene! it's a delicious homage (or parody?!) of various genres - japanese samurai (esp kurosawa), chinese kung fu, american spaghetti westerns. wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Stylized - and stylish - gore
Review: "Kill Bill, Volume 1" is difficult to rate. The plot can be described in a single sentence, the characterization is almost nil, the violence is graphic and gratuitous, and yet . . . Tarantino delivers a film unlike any other. The "chapter" divisions between scenes, the interspersed gritty-textured black and white segments, and the superb soundtrack give it an art-house feel while the highly choreographed, over-the-top fight scenes (which comprise at least ninety percent of the movie) recall the classy "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "The Matrix" as well as a long heritage of martial arts films. The gore itself is pure horror film, but in the context of Tarantino's carefully set up noir atmosphere, it has a bizarre elegance of its own. The plot? A former assassin (Uma Thurman) seeks revenge on those who tried to kill her and her unborn baby years before. In this, the first volume of a film broken in two, the assassin (known both as The Bride and Black Mamba) manages to face only two out of the five on her list. Nearly two hours to exact revenge on two people and ninety percent of the film is fighting? You got it. Okay, there are some (graphic) flashbacks. And a fifty or so man Tokyo gangster (graphic) diversion. And some keen visual humor thrown in. But mostly, we see Uma Thurman in sleek, seventies-style garb wield her knives and swords as no other woman in cinema has. It's a shame Tarantino could not part with scenes from the final fight, which seems to last for an eternity, so he could combine both "Kill Bill" films into one. This one ends so abruptly and with so much unfinished business that it really cannot be considered complete without its second half. Take the R rating seriously; only mature teens and older should watch this since the violence is glamorized and desensitizes even the adult viewer. Full of profanity, raw aggression, and blood, this film is definitely not for everyone. I give this film three stars for plot and concept, but five stars for style. Although as a stand-alone film, it doesn't hold together the way "Pulp Fiction" does, the second volume promises to provide the coherence and significance. Plan to follow-up your viewing with Volume Two.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Film, but See It on the Big Screen
Review: With "Kill Bill, Volume One," Quentin Tarantino, whose near-miss "Jackie Brown" deserves more audience acclaim than it gets, finally manages to make a bonafide film, as opposed to bloody, low-budget romps like the vastly overrated "Pulp Fiction" and the better but stagey "Reservoir Dogs." Here, he confidently frames scenes, uses music and dialogue to maximum effect, and knows when to back off and let his actors carry scenes that are truly cinematic (even if they, too, seem lifted from "Thunderball," "Goldfinger," and any number of martial arts movies and 60s westerns). Of course, those of us old enough to recall that American television pretty much churned out watered-down versions of this stuff every week may wonder what the fuss is all about and why the heck it takes so long to make it, but compared to most so-called films today, "Kill Bill, Volume One" shows a level of competence that is generally lacking. The plot--if there is one--is simple: An assassin known here only as "The Bride" (played with exceptional vigor by Amazonian Uma Thurman) seeks revenge against her former comrades, whose death squad turns her wedding rehearsal into a massacre. Their leader--the enigmatic "Bill"--is voiced by 70s favorite David Carradine with gravelly menace, reminding us that too many great actors (including Sonny Chiba and Gordon Liu) have to suffer through lousy roles before finding their mark. Refusing to abandon his patchwork approach to story-telling, Tarantino nonetheless keeps the pace of his film high-octane, even in more thoughtful moments, bridging the otherwise disjointed elements nicely, and it is to his credit that each scene is charged with emotional electricity--and enough action to satisfy even the most jaded of moviegoers. Though "Kill Bill, Volume Two" features much more and better character development, not much in the sequel comes close to eclipsing the sheer adrenaline of this film's climax--nor the sheer beauty of being transformed, the way film should, from one environment to the next, here with just the sliding of a paper door. It's also to Tarantino's credit that the film loses something in the transfer from large to small screen, something rare in contemporary movies, which generally seem like big TV shows. His vision is such pure cinema that my only real gripe is that on the small screen we can't quite savor it the same way.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Quintin...Leaves you wanting more!
Review: I generally don't review movies but I feel that the Kill Bill series begs for my two cents.
Volume One has all of the classic elements of that make Tarantino a fixture in edgy modern cinema.
To begin with I will point out something that often goes unsaid. Music and soundtracks often are overlooked when it comes to their impact on a film. In this movie, the choice of sounds and music is perfect. (Almost like a movie by Cameron Crowe). While this doesn't contain songs by Pearl Jam or the flavor of the month, a perfect example is the scene (a la Reservoir Dogs) when Lucy Liu's band of bad asses shows up on scene in a local joint in Japan. This blends perfectly into the music of a Japaneese pop band which entertains the customers...that is until something happens.
I don't wish to give away the plot and surprise secrets of this film (as it is some of the brilliance of which makes the movie) but suffice to say the movie is raw, edgy and has a hint of empowerment of women as a theme.
Some of the things that happen to Uma Thurman are raw and horrific but again, not placed in the film for sheer titilation.
The pace of the film is epic and the culmination of the film simply leaves one asking...why end it here...where is the conclusion...ah...one must wait until Kill Bill volume 2.
What else can be said without giving the movie away (as I am sure others who have reviewed the film have done).
Art direction. The choice of colors, and scenes and shots is akin to another great...Stephen Soderburgh. There is simply so much going on in the film making in this movie...it deserves to be ranked as one of the better films of this generation. There is comedy (such as a scene between Uma and a sushi chef...and his assistant). And the subtlety of the movie is not to be overlooked.
Enjoy this movie!
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