Kill Bill - Vol. 1

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Entertaining Film by Tarantino
Review: When a Woman (Uma Thurman) was left for dead for Four Years and Six Months Ago. Her soon to be Husband (Christopher Allen Nelson) is also dead at the wedding rehearsal in Texas. Now awake and paralyze, once she`s awaked. She discovers that her unborn child is also dead. Four Years and Six Months Earlier, She discovers before she was left for dead that her previous gang-Deadly Viper Assasination Squad (a.k.a-The DiVAS) detrayed her. Now the woman with no name decide to make a list of Five People to Kill (Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl Hannan, Micheal Madsen & David Carradine as Bill), who detrayed her. Now it`s time for payback with a vengence!

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino (Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction, Resevoir Dogs) made a entertaining action-adventure thriller loaded with explosive action and outrageous humour. Thurman gives a Physical Action Performance, which she`s terrific. The woman with no name is better known as The Bride in the film, Her Character is Created by the Director and the Actress:Thurman. Kill Bill Vol.1 is only half of Tarantino`s written script. Which the Studio-Miramax Films couldn`t release the film in Four Hours, so the director and the studio decide to cut the film in half and release the another half in theaters in six months after Vol.1 is release. Tarantino payes tribute films like The Man with No Name Trilogy, The Bride Wore Black, Lady Snowblood, The Count of Monte Crisco, Once Upon a Time in the West and a Confrontion of Honour as in Swordplay/Saurai/Kung-Fu Movies.

This is a Unique Blend of Tarantino`s Early Films, done with Style and Energy. DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an strong DTS 5.1 Surround Sound (also in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound). DVD Features are a featurette, music videos and trailers of all film that Tarantino`s had directed. Some disliked the film, because it didn`t have Tarantino`s unique brand of dialogue but his style and his love for movies are here. One of the Best Movies of 2003. This film is not for the Squeamish. The film has Excellent Cinematography by Robert Richardson (Who Worked on a Previous Film that Tarantino recieve Story Credit for Natural Born Killers, which Tarantino disowned that film). Do not miss this excellent film. Super 35. Grafe:A.

Rating:
Summary: Tarantino Triumphs
Review: I have never considered myself a Tarantino "fan" and probably still don't. However, "Kill Bill, Volume 1" has all of the pieces I remember from my youth, watching any old martial arts films or shows I could find. An "homage" film in it's purest and most un-apologetic form, "Kill Bill" is true to the craft and cuts no corners. The soundtrack is fabulous, and the movie plays like live-action anime. While I didn't care much for "Pulp Fiction", and was a bit leery about "Bill," I'm so glad I saw the film. I rate it as one of my new all-time favorites.

Rating:
Summary: Try watching anything else
Review: Really. Watch this, then watch anything else. How do you feel? This is not a student film (Mike Moore) or a piece of s*** (most films). Nothing is sacrificed for your benefit. When The Bride opens the paper walls of The Blue Lotus and enters the pristine snowstorm . . .there is no more powerful visual piece in popular film and not even a close one since Close Encounters. People suffering? Overdone. Plot twists? Overdone. Let any other director even TRY to direct a film where the ultimate outcome is revealed in the title.

Not since AIRPLANE has a genre been so perfectly lampooned and improved in the same film.

Rating:
Summary: Destined to be a folk classic
Review: Kill Bill Vol. 1 grabs you by the throat as soon it begins. Then it keeps you entertained laughing and cheering for its heroine.
It is one of those movies that has classic lines and sticky tunes that will keep you coming back to watch it over and over.
If you (or someone you like) watch movies that deal with revenge and classic kung-fu theather (with girls doing the fighting), this is the movie for you.

Rating:
Summary: I only wish I could say more
Review: But i really can't im am just awstruck I had no idea a movie can be made that way. It was perfect just so perfect. If you like any movie that has no wait i cant even say that. It is so good that I would reccomend it to 4 year old no joke. I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .

Rating:
Summary: Genre Classic
Review: Reviews of the film are numerous here, so I won't go into plot detail other than to say this is Uma Thurman as the ultimate killing machine killing other people who are almost, but not quite, as good at killing as she is. Kill Bill vol. 1 is the more action oriented of the two volumes, not that vol. 2 isn't without its good share, but vol. 1 is NON STOP ACTION. The final 30 minutes of the film is one big, bloody fight at the House of the Blue Leaves. This is director Quentin Tarantino's homage and entrance into the genre of revenge films. It's also his homage to the Japanese genre of samurai movies, Yakuza gangster films and anime all rolled up into a blood soaked, sword swinging sushi roll.

However, I can only recommend putting THIS DVD version of the film in your collection if you're a die-hard "gimme my Uma fix now" fan that wants to own the US theatrical release version. Director Quentin Tarantino has already put together a re-edited combined version of both volumes for the 2004 Cannes film festival. And Miramax has already let it slip a "special edition" of vol. 1 will likely coincide with the release of vol.2 on DVD. I hope that these future DVDs will include the full color House of Blue Leaves scene Tarantino made for the Japanese and Hong Kong release versions of the film. I've seen both the US and Asian versions and I must say the full color rampage Uma goes on is much more intense than the partial black and white US version. The 20 minute "making of" is informative, but you can tell there's a lot more to be said by all involved on this film, and we'll likely see and hear it when the "special edition" is released.

Bottom line: The film gets 5 stars. This extras-bare DVD version gets 2.5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Wow, more than I expected.
Review: I am a Tarantino's fan and let me tell you, he didn't dissapoint me at all with this movie, not at all. Of course all the blood and fights are exagerated but when you know Tarantino's work you know what to expect and that's the beauty of it. Uma Thurman made an incredible performance as always, you just gotta love her. The combination with animation to tell Lucy Liu's story was brilliant. I thought I was going to hate it but no, even the cartoons show all the necessary emotions!
Thinking about getting the DVD, please do!

Rating:
Summary: Kill Bill Volume 1 - A film that defies the norms...
Review: Having watched "Pulp Fiction" several years ago and not liking it too much, Quentin Tarantino's films weren't too prominent on my radar screen until this film came along. I would have to say that "Kill Bill Volume 1" has raised my opinion of his film making talents quite significantly. This film is one that defies all the norms in an action film for me in that normally, for me to consider an action/revenge film to be a very good one there has to still be a fairly decent plot behind it. Don't get me wrong here, this film has a "decent" plot behind it, it's just not one of great depth in so much that it is merely, "they tried to kill me, I lived, now it's time to hunt them down and kill them." It is that unorthodox script that leans heavily on corny and campy dialogue that makes it that much more entertaining. Fair warning to those weak in the stomach though as the film also relies on a heavy amount of unrealistic gore that might turn even the strongest of stomachs.

Performance wise, Uma Thurman is perfect for this role, simply put, the tall and exceedingly beautiful blonde kicks some serious rear end in this film. Other Tarantino favorites show up in this film such Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah and David Carradine, all performing extremely well in their respective roles.

Also worth mentioning is the score/music for the film, primarily produced by "The RZA." Between the score and some of the music provided by a band of three Japanese women known as The 5, 6, 7, 8's, all combine to further enhance the experience of this film.

The Premise:

As stated above, the premise for this film is pretty straight forward; Uma Thurman plays "The Bride or Black Mamba," a former member of the Viper hit squad that wanted out but they didn't want her to go so they attempted to kill her but she only ended up in a coma. Four years later, she's out of the coma and she wants her revenge... What follows from there is a great action flick that touches on several genres besides the revenge film that leans heavily on Japanese sword happy action flick.

I highly recommend this film to any and all fans of films of this type and would also suggest it to those who, like me, might've passed on Tarantino films in the past; this film experience is well worth it. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

-The Making of "Kill Bill Vol. 1"
-Bonus Musical Performances by "The 5, 6, 7, 8's"
-Quentin Tarantino Movie Trailers

Rating:
Summary: Half of a Masterpiece
Review: I'm gonna say up front that for the purposes of this review I'm interested in the movie itself rather than the actual DVD, though I will say that you probably ought to wait around for the set with Volume 2 as well, which should be coming out late this year.(No real specifics are available about it, that I'm aware of, though it is believed that it'll have the extended and colorized scenes from the Japanese cut, which the first DVD release doesn't have, on top of being a complete movie, rather than just half of one.)

When I first went to see this film way back in October I was not particularly excited and a tad ambivalent. I'd seen and loved Reservoir Dogs, but I hadn't seen Jackie Brown or Pulp Fiction, and I didn't really know much of anything about Kill Bill. But my friends wanted to go and I'd heard some good reviews so I checked it out. I was, to put it lightly, highly impressed. It is, as people often describe Tarantino's work, a movie about and based on other movies, rather than on reality. But that's alright, cause I find movies to be much more entertaining than reality, and this is my favorite movie of 2003, bar none. (Which is particularly impressive, considering that it's only half a movie)

One of the most common criticisms of this film is that it is too derivative. My response to this is twofold. 1. It's not really particularly derivative as far as genre film-making goes. Action movies are the probably the most clichéd genre of film, with the possible exception of the horror movie. 2. I don't really care either way, as I'm not really looking for anything original when I see an action movie. I'm looking for nicely choreographed violence, and anyone looking for anything else shouldn't go see action movies. And that, obviously, goes for anyone considering seeing this, too. (That is, until it is released with Volume 2, which isn't action-oriented, and would completely change the dynamics of the film)

All that said, this isn't as action-oriented as most reviewers make it out to be. It is, however, almost utterly visually and atmospherically oriented, which is sorta the same thing, or at least has much the same effect. Thus, character development is held to a minimum, and the dialogue is not up to Tarantino's standards, but the visuals never cease impress and the soundtrack is completely perfect. It mixes things up well from a visual standpoint, moving from simple, unadorned hospitals to an anime style sequence to intentionally cheesy and phony miniature sets to some exquisite Japanese visuals, particularly the snowy garden at the end.(The eerie, red sunset alongside the plane is particularly noteworthy as well) It combines the simple with the beautiful with the cheesy with the blood-splattered, and they all work.

The film is divided into 5 chapters, which each play as a sort of vignette, (though they involve the same characters, obviously) which eventually comes together when you see it all. The problem is, you don't see it all until you've seen Volume 2, which is compounded by the fact that this volume contains the scenes which are most tangential in the film. Thus, it is a movie of great scenes, not all of which may be terribly relevant to the rest of the story, but all of which entertain me, which is far more important, to me anyway. And, although it doesn't necessarily come to much from a plot standpoint, it all fits together wonderfully stylistically and atmospherically. Furthermore, all the extra scenes work to create a more complete universe, one which extends beyond the scope of the actual movie. It's a difficult effect to describe, but I really like it.(It's another thing that you won't fully be able to appreciate until you see Volume 2) But there's no getting around the fact that Volume 1 alone fails to create a complete, satisfying story. This doesn't really bother me, but it is a valid criticism.

In keeping with the surreal, alternate universe sorta feel of the movie the action is wildly stylized and extremely balletic. More significantly, it is simply stunning. The main fight in the House of Blue Leaves is simply my favorite action scene in film. It's beautifully paced and has a smooth, flowing beauty to the choreography which provides a powerful contrast to the absurdly exaggerated gore and carnage of the scene. The final fight with O-Ren is quite excellent as well. It's much slower and more deliberate, but has an undeniable intensity to it. (The music for that scene is absolutely perfect, and completely makes the scene. It fits the mood exactly and is perfectly timed) The other fights are first rate as well.

I've referred to how excellent I found the music of this film a number of times, but it requires further examination. It is schizophrenic, perhaps even more so than the visuals, and manipulates the mood of the film in much the same way. The cheesy yet effective Nancy Sinatra song from opening credits sets the tone nicely, and the Morricone-esque music from the anime sequence provides a great contrast to the Asian visual theme.(The brief piece that is played as they pan up the assassin's sword is particularly powerful.) But I'll cut off the specifics, and suffice to say that I could easily have listed half a dozen more scenes where I find the music to be particularly effective. Some have complained that the soundtrack was overbearing, and I understand how someone could feel that way, but I personally loved. It is a bit over the top, I guess, but over the top is what this film requires.

Well I've rambled on long enough I suppose, though I don't think I've quite shown how much I love this movie. Just go check it out if you haven't already, and then go catch the equally excellent second half before it leaves theaters.

Rating:
Summary: cool stuff
Review: well what can i say about this movie? im not a movie critic but ill tell you what i liked about this movie..i thought this stuff was unreal..it was really violent and i do not consider this a comedy at all..i've literally never have seen such abuse in my life..so these assassin pplz go after eachother..god knows why and i like the japanese style of this movie..lucy lui did a great job..her heritage means a lot to her.