Rating: Summary: Over rated Review: It was good, to an extent but it was too preditable. Granted the fight scenes were ok but it seemed as though they were redundant and for that matter it felt like it took a while to kill anyone. I thought i was in a bad mood when i saw it the first time, so i watched it again and realized how bad it is. Maybe the second one will redeem it but as for right now i didnt like it at all.
Rating: Summary: QT's homage to 70's HK flims Review: I liked the animation seqences (it looks better this way rather then having live actors doing the scenes.) I had no problem with the violence what so ever I thought the viokence was done very cleverly (like the Mandarin films of the late 60's early 70's the omes from that period were bloody and violent like this was) I hope a dvd set of both vols I & II are released uncut and as 1 movie (which I have heard may happen I hope its rated NC-17 as it was intended that way in the first place. The B/W scene plain just angered me why not just film the whole in black and white? If and when they DO release an ultimate collector's special edition I'll be there of course but I hope they change the dvd cover. 5 star flick but a 3 star dvd release the nusic is great too. The R2 Japanese dvd has the house of blue leaves scene in colour but I didn't feel like shelling $40 for a dvd or $200 for a limited box set. I hope Miramax is listening release a nice fully loaded box set with serious extas at the end of the year or early next year PLEASE!!
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: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Matrix Review: It's basically a comic book for teens. Overblown dialogue and fight sequences in the tradition of those ridiculous choreographed Hong Kong Kung Fu Flicks of the 70's. Sometimes stylish in a trashy way and with occasional flashes of great music (loved the Japanese girl rock band.) But overall it gets boring after a while and your eyes drift to the clock. Worth a watch just to see what all the fuss was about, but ultimately a dud.
Rating: Summary: Here Comes The Bride! Review: AWESOME!!! I have been agonizing over this release ever since I saw it in the theater! This film is incredible & my pick for best of 2003! What were the oscars thinking?!?! Uma so deserved best actress for her portrayal as Beatrice/The Bride. The DVAS rock, too! Darryl Hannah as a one-eyed assassin! Bless her heart! This film really sets you on the edge of your seat with anticipation. I cannot wait to see Vol. 2 and complete the puzzle. Tarantino's best!
Rating: Summary: Great Movie Review: First off this is not Tarintinos best movie. But it is still very good. Also, after seeing this movie first in theaters then on DVD it is much more impressive on the big screen. The fight scenes just arn't as good and the gun shot arn't don't even compar on a tv, maybe if you have a good sound system it would be different.
Rating: Summary: Cleverness for its own sake. Review: This film is a blood fest delivered as a sly wink with Tarantino's tongue planted firmly in his cheek. He pays tribute to many films in this movie, particularly Honk Kong martial art films of the seventies. Like good rock and roll, the film explodes into action from the beginning and really doesn't let up until the last scene. One can see that he and the cast had a good time making this film, and the fight scenes are hilarious and way over the top. Revenge is the film's theme taken to extremes and Uma Thurman does a fine job seeming to capture exactly what Tarantino had in mind. There were moments in watching the film that I wanted to take it seriously, but as the blood gushed forth endlessly, this was difficult to do. Tarantino appears to have a compulsion about seventies kitsch; somehow intending to make the tasteless and outlandish move beyond hip. The movie is tasteless, ultra-violent, but violent in a comic book context. I suppose this is why the violence lost its impact, because it's meant to be fantasy, dreams of a pubescent boy. There is no depth to this film in terms of narrative because it is really all about imitation and form. This film is not about the story, but a rendering of style, delivery and surfaces that sparkle. It is advertising copy stretched into a feature film. And as all good advertising does, it will grab our attention, dazzle our base emotions, manipulating our sensibilities, turning us into impulsive shoppers. This film is very clever, but that's exactly the point. This is about the wonder boy, Tarantino, reinforcing his image as wonder boy filmmaker, proving again how clever he really is. It is cleverness for its own sake. However, if one goes beyond the tired pastiche, ad copy rendering, and seventies music, Kill Bill is a cheap thrill though good fun while you're watching it, but is easily forgotten as the last credit rolls.
Rating: Summary: Pretty Good movie Review: I have good things and bad things to say about this movie, just so no one would take this as a full on rant (cause it isn't) I'll first list what I liked about it. I like the fact that this movie is a bit (note: bit) different than any movie I've seen so far. Of course he's taken lots of different things from other film genres but what film doesn't nowadays? Practially every film has nearly been done and done to death, can't fault QT for that. I loved the Anime part for Cottonmouth's story. The first fight scene with Copperhead was brutal and I loved it, it was wild and unfilm like which added a level of realism. Now for the bad (or near bad) After the kitchen knife fight I was expecting something along those lines throughout the film. Meaning, the realism of that fight scene made me believe that most of the fight scenes would have that same level of realism to it. But as the movie went along the scenes just got more and more cartoonish. Like the blood shooting out of every chopped off limb. Maybe it was something QT was aiming for and therefore was done on purpose but it just didn't do much for me. It brought me out of the "realism" of the brutality in the movie (which IMO would have been better) and brought it to a out of this world fantasy. Once again something QT may have been aiming for but did nothing for me. Now don't get me wrong, I still loved the fighting in the movie, I even loved The bride fighting Cottonmouth's 17 year old guard. But still there was something off about this movie. Uma Thurman was off for me. When she stabbed a guy and lifted him up in the air I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that scene. IMO I think "The Bride" should have been a more bada$$ hard as nails type woman, Uma looks like a mouse to me. The only scene she was remotely believable as "The Bride" was the Kitchen knife fight. There I was like "Ok, this woman is ready to kill this b*tch" But then as it all went practially in cartoon mode I was like "Ok, This woman is ready to be a super hero" Which seems to be what QT was aiming for since in the previews for "Kill Bill 2" it says something about her becoming a hero. But still Uma was all wrong for this part, it was hard to buy her as a bada$$ killing machine. IMO, she just didn't belong. I guess I have to see this whole movie as a live action anime film which it basically seems to be the route it took. As for the violence, I can't see how anyone could even take it seriously enough to get offended by it, it was like something out of a cartoon instead of something real. Also how come none of the crazy 88 carried guns?! I'm quite sure it would have been really hard for Cottonmouth to become Queen of the Tokyo underworld with the mediocre sword using crazy 88 as her backup, the other Yakuza clans would have just pulled out their guns and blew them all away, but apparently no one uses guns in Japan. Uma battling over 40 or 50 guys with swords? Give me a break (but I still liked it.) Also the 'Viper death Squad' and 'the Bride' should be featured on "worlds dumbest assassins", e.g. She (bride) accepts coffee from a women she tried kill two mins earlier and actually drinks it, Copperhead is too dumb to even poison the freaking cup. 'California Mountian Snake' is too dumb to just push the top of the needle down to inject the poison before answering the phone, Bill is too dumb to just let "CMS" kill her, Cottonmouth is too dumb to hire compentant men who carry guns. But still, overall I still enjoyed the film, I liked the music, liked the story (good old fashioned revenge!) and I enjoyed the characters all but Uma, actually one reviewer was right when they said the only interesting characters are the ones 'The Bride' is killing off. Also I can't really feel for Uma's character, I mean, I understand why she would want revenge, the beginning was brutal, but still I can't really feel for her plight. So I'll give it a 3 to maybe 3 1/2 stars.
Rating: Summary: Live action anime Review: Awesome! It really plays like a live-action anime. The first chapter seems a little stilted, but as the movie progresses, it really opens up. In a very wierd, and somewhat disturbing way, it's a barrel of laughs. The Monty Python-esque blood is a nice touch, too. Tarentino does not disappoint with Kill Bill Vol. 1. I can't wait for the second one!
Rating: Summary: In the presence of an artist . . . Review: I don't know jack about Kung Fu movies, I haven't seen most of the spaghetti westerns in years, and I'm no cineaste. When I saw this movie, though, I got the reaction I always get from QT's films - I was immediately electrified by the power, the beauty and the originality of his vision. Tarrantino is a master, and everything he does is bold and interesting. Sure it's violent and cartoonish, but in his hands even the humblest materials become art. Don't ever miss a Tarrantino film.
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