Rating: Summary: AMAZON HYPE ALERT #2!!!!!!!!!! Review: Next 12 pages of reviews by nameless, faceless people that do not exist. Thank you Amazon for confirming my first instincts. 1 Star, for the movie and for Amazon.com.
Rating: Summary: Not At All Lost in Translation Review: This is brilliant film, and a stark contrast to Lost in Translation, which lost me. Sure the Japan stereotypes are there but unlike falling flat and reflective of a "bad trip" to Japan by an immature director, QT buzzes with creativity, humor and dazzling cinematography. For comparision, check out the streaming glimpes of neon Tokyo in Kill Bill Volume I with those in "Lost." The action in this movie is surreal; QT's incorporation of animated film reflects Japanese technology at its best and the QT inimitable touch. I've lived in Tokyo 20 years and loved Kill Bill; I only wish the release of both volumes would have been simultaneous or presented as one film; gladly would I have paid the extra bucks to see the film in its entirety.
Rating: Summary: Brilliant, Classic Film Review: Quentin Tarantino is the most gifted director of all time, eclipsing Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorcese in one fell swoop with this incredible film. Although it is clear to me now that Tarantino is a genius, I didn't always have such a high opinion of him. Before Kill Bill, I had seen Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Jackie Brown, and I was thoroughly disturbed by all of them. Behind all of the slick dialogue and clever plot twists, there was no substance at all. Nothing. They all left me entertained, but I felt strangely sick and hollow, much like after a drinking binge or a night of meaningless sex. To me, it all seemed like carefully crafted nihilism, film that was as soulless as it was entertaining. I did not understand all of the people who were hailing Tarantino as a masterful writer and director, and after seeing Kill Bill, I was even more confused. All I could see was violent scene after violent scene, gallons of blood, but no depth or payoff. Like his other films, the characters were all stylish and cool, but 2-dimensional ghouls nonetheless. I was perplexed, and after reading more glowing reviews of Kill Bill, I felt like I had missed the boat once again. Then one day it hit me. And then I realized like I was shot, like I was shot with a diamond, a diamond bullet right through my forehead. And I thought, "My God, he is a genius." Much like his brilliant predecessors, Tarantino was putting a mirror to the audience, forcing them to look deep within themselves. I had finally seen what the others had known all along: Kill Bill, behind the slick veneer of banal dialogue, ultra-violence, sex, and downright vacuousness, is actually a brilliant commentary on the state of our society. With this realization, I viewed his previous three films again. Needless to say, I was mesmerized and enthralled by their soul-searching depth. Never once in his films, or even in exclusive interviews, will Tarantino divulge his primary purpose. To be sure, Tarantino is deeply concerned by the gratuitous violence, eroding values, and cheapened tastes of our decaying culture. By bravely diving into the ever-deepening cesspool once again, Tarantino has made the ultimate cinematic sacrifice with Kill Bill. His large popular following, being keenly aware of his sublime message, rightfully recognizes Tarantino's place at the apex of cinematic artistry. He is uncorruptable and uncompromising, never watering down his courageous message or pandering to the poor tastes of the audience.
Rating: Summary: Violent but entertaining! Review: I wasn't expecting to like this movie but it was really great because of it's creativity, style and extremely fitting music. The music, I'd say was one of the best things of the movie, because not only was the music in itself interesting, but really enhanced the film and matched the scenes perfectly. The main thing is that Uma Thurman really hasn't grown at all as an actress and the few lines she does say feel completely wrong and take you out of the film. She's similar to Keannu Reeves and Brooke Shields - nice to look at but awful acting. Additionally, she looks totally out of place as a kung fu warrior. Her arms are so thin and skeletal (not lean and tone like Jennifer Garner) it's like trying to sell Kate Moss as a boxer; and her hands are so big, something's asymetrical and off balance - very unjapanese. And finally, Uma's moves are clumsy, she's like flailing and sloppy. This is expecially brought out in the scene with Lucy Liu, who actually is a black belt, I believe and Lucy's crisp, sharp, quick and precise moves really bring out Uma's newness to the art. However, in spite of Uma's acting being less than par than any of her co-stars, the movie is really slick - although very bloody and violent. Tarantino made a good call to have the most violent scenes in black and white as color would have been too gruesome. I also enjoyd the animated segments of the movie.
Rating: Summary: Not just for Tarantino fans Review: This viewer hates gratuitous gore and violence in general, wasn't a huge fan of "Pulp Fiction," but loved this film. Tarantino's genius is the ability to get into the heads of people raised on pop culture, harvest all these crazy images from film, TV and music and tie them together into a story line that makes sense and is satisfying on a deep level. He's definitely evolved with this film, which has a moral center in the Bride whether fanboys want to admit it or not. The fights are spectacular and funny at the same time and Uma Thurman actually acts with more than her cheekbones for a change. Topping it off is a fantastic soundtrack which I went out and bought the same night. Only weak point, in my view, was Daryl Hannah, whose acting is sub-replicant level. But even if you think of yourself as squeamish, give this film a chance.
Rating: Summary: a movie that pays homage to cult classics... Review: (waiting to see vol 2, especially due to high critical review; making up for vol 1 shortcomings). tarantino's style and taste may not be for the average viewer (anyone who disliked pulp fiction, reservoir dogs, natural born killers, true romance) and it may turn off those with narrow visions. although he has had his hand in films like desperado and from dusk til dawn, those films pale in comparison. a fact is that desperado and the 2nd half of from dusk were robert rodriguez's film. rodriguez is a good friend of tarantino and i'll give him credit for being able to produce entertaining movies on a low budget but, he is nowhere near the caliber of tarantino. rodriguez can be called a good director with ingenuity but he'll NEVER be a great one like tarantino (once upon a time in mexico was the biggest proof of that; johnny depp was the only redeeming element of that sequel). back to kill bill, this film (which was split due to time constraints and tarantino's refusal to delete scenes to please the studios) was done to pay homage to all the cult films he loved while growing up and working at a video store. if you've ever watch old school kung fu films (shaw brothers: 5 deadly venoms, bruce lee's game of death: yellow & black track suit), japanese samurai films (lady snowblood: geisha assassin, lone wolf and cub; shogun assassin), sergio leone's spaghetti westerns (all the clint eastwood films) and so much more i can't recall, you'd watch kill bill more with a keen eye. it's so much more than just graphic violence. it's about style and innovation. it updates past film noir into modern millenium visuals. viewers shouldn't go into this believing this is your typical action and violence film. it's an awestrucking rollercoaster ride into a cinematic experience. i anticipate vol 2 will even be better....
Rating: Summary: Best is yet to come Review: Tarantino is a genius of film. No question about it, his movies are fun, witty and violent. Everything American culture has come to love. When I saw this movie all I could think about was what came next. Part 2 I predict will be far better. My only gripe with this DVD is the lack of special features. Basically it is limited to musical performances(which I think suck) and some movie trailers. I'm hoping the release of Kill Bill Part 2 will at the very least have director commentary.
Rating: Summary: Killer "Bill" Review: - Revenge is a dish best served cold. - Old Klingon Proverb "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids." - O-ren Ishii and "The Bride" exchange a pop cultural reference (and a hint to "The Bride's" real name) before squaring off in "Kill Bill". Even before I saw this film back on 10/11/03, I had a strong feeling I was going to be owning "Kill Bill" on DVD, and I was right (I purchased it on 4/14/04!). One of the best films of 2003, Quentin Taratino's 4th film is, perhaps, one of, if not, his best film to date. Not as "quirky" as "Pulp Fiction" (still a great film though), "Kill Bill" is a justly violent revenge film that pays tribute to the chop-socky, grindhouse, exploitation films that graced drive-ins, and rundown theaters of the 1970's. A female assassin known as "The Bride" is setup on her wedding day, with her former employer "Bill" and his gang known as "The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad", killing her, and her friends on her supposed wedding day. "The Bride" miracously surivives and spends the next four years in a coma. She awakens to find her baby gone (she was pregnant at the time of the massacre), a hole in the left side of her head, (a permanent reminder courtesy of Bill) and a cold, blood chilling need for revenge. She does get her revenge, dispatching, former fellow employees, Vernita Green, and O-ren Ishii with her gang, "The Crazy 88's" led by Johnny Mo & Go-Go Yubari, with a vengeful wrath that would make Khan blush. This movie easily has "cult film" written all over it. The action is almost non-stop (the last 45 minutes alone is worth the 5 star rating). Tarantino is at the top of his game. His direction in this film is tight (the film moves from color, to black and white, to silhouette in the fight at The House of Blue Leaves with ease, the viewer is thankful for it, without being to jarring). The performances are great (the cast members who were a part of the "DiVA" squad went through some martial arts training for the film). If you've seen "Kill Bill Volume 2", watch this film again and you might see some subtle hints to the second film (the reference to "Trix" cereal hints at "The Bride's" real name, an eye pull during the final battle hints at Elle Driver's fate in "2" and notice in this film that when "The Bride" walks through the airport to get to The House of Blue Leaves check out the billboard in the background advertising Red Apple cigarettes. Does the woman look familiar? It should. Its Julie Dreyfus who plays Sofie Fatale). "The Bride", unfortunatly, doesn't kill Bill in this opening installment, but, there is always "Kill Bill Volume 2". Die-hard fans of the genre will not be dissapointed. As for the DVD, its a must own, but don't expect a lot of special features (a 20 min. making of segment, 2 music videos by the "5,6,7,8's", with trailers from other Tarantino films as well as trailers for "Kill Bill: Volumes 1 & 2"). Hopefully, with the release of "Kill Bill: Volume 2", Tarantino will release an ultimate "Kill Bill" edition in the near future.
Rating: Summary: Perfect! Review: Though I've never seen any other film by Tarantino, including Pulp Fiction, I'm very interested after watching this amazing movie starring Uma Thurman, called Kill Bill, Volume 1. This movie's basically about a bride-to-be who finds herself waking up from a coma she's been in for 4 years, only to realize that the ones who she onced worked with, the ones who had orchestrated the plan to eliminate her, had stolen the one thing precious to her...her baby. Amazingly surviving a brutal beating and a shot to the head, Uma's character, codename "Black Mamba", quickly sets out to seek revenge...her ultimate goal being to kill the one (who was the father of the baby), Bill. This film is filled with comedy (thankfully, not to where it has so much that it ruins the movie), suspense, action, gross-out/outrageous scenes, and surprise after surprise! This movie will ultimately leave you wanting for more...and now that Volume 2's hit theatres, those wanting more will be satisfied. Volume 2 won't disappoint. For all the bad things that have been said about her, Darryl Hannah (through both volumes) does an amazing job playing an one-eyed assassin whose goal's to ultimately defeat the "greatest warrior she had ever encountered." Her character, Elle, is a slightly mysterious, yet creepy character who wants nothing more than to put an end to The Bride. But, nothing major will happen between Elle and Black Mamba until the second volume. The action scenes in Kill Bill, Volume 1 are amazing! The fighting is something else...like...how could I describe it... "perfected-fighting" --- by this I mean, fighting that's interesting, stylish, and overall amazingly breathtaking. The action scenes are that outrageous and they'll leave you wanting for more. Uma has some pretty interesting battles, including a major one between Lucy Lui's character and the "Crazy 8" group, as well as the back-up group, the "Crazy 88" .... The Crazy 8 really is crazy....the creepiest member being a young girl named Gogo wielding a spiked steel mace that also has razor blades sticking out of it....'What she lacks of in years is made up for in madness'... something to that effect, anyway. Kill Bill, Volume 1 is basically an outstanding movie that movie lovers have been longing for... a movie about revenge, filled with lots of action, some comedy, and a plot which anyone could relate to...seeking revenge on those who take the most treasured thing away from you. A definite two thumbs-up! 5 Stars for the first volume of Kill Bill!
Rating: Summary: Thank you so much Q, I LOVE YOU! Review: How much do I love this movie? Let me count the ways. First of all, this filled a void in my violent loving heart. Don't get me wrong, I can't stand violence in real life but this was pure fantasy. O, wouldn't it be lovely to get revenge on all those people who do you wrong? How it filled that void for me. If you don't have that desire, I suggest you look elsewhere. But if you want revenge, if you want to be absolutely positive that you will win no matter what, I think you will like this. Beautiful fight scenes,crazy characters, I can't wait to see the second one. I am so glad there is a someone out there that thinks like I do.
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