Rating: Summary: Best of 2003 Review: Kill Bill is a huge departure for Tarantino, with his prior three films being unique from one another, but comfortably set within a laid-back, gangster dialog-filled setting. What most people don't know, is that the man is not soley interested in a certain genre. Watching Quentin speak about film can be almost as exciting as one of his movies, and to listen to him for only a minute is to understand that he has a rarely broad knowledge of the medium. In Kill Bill he obviously applies his knowledge and love of low-brow Asian action movies as well as American exploitation films. Watching Kill Bill you would never guess that it was a first time foray into action by the director, and this is largely because of the wealth of things Tarantino had already learned from the masters going in. Kill Bill is an admitted accumulation of amazing moments in grind cinema, "filtered" (sometimes more heavily than others) through the directors brain, similarly even to his previous movies (Reservoir Dogs is often noted to be largely a product of the HK film City on Fire).Despite his notoriety for taking from other films, its undeniable that Tarantino had developed a style of his own; often mixed up chronology, witty banter-infested dialogs, impeccable music placement, and calculated pacing and cinematography. His free use of homages to past cinema has even become a sort of trademark. In Kill Bill, however, a lot of these characteristics are absent or less apparent. Dialog is brief, and the words are stilted and delivered very purposefully. It could be called cheesey, but I found it to be extremely effective thanks to quality acting and directing, though it wouldn't be out of place in a '70s exploitation film. Kill Bill takes from older movies probably more than any of Tarantino's other films, and much more obviously. Fans of the genre will be able to pick out many, as most of them are completely on the surface. It's easy to resent a movie for liberally taking so much from other movies. Many of the scenarios, for instance, are taken directly from other movies, as are costumes, characters, and action sequences. The music too, is recycled. The movie does not have an original score, rather it plays along with selected songs and pieces of other movies scores. Even still, the movie can't be called a rehash or simple homage. The music cuts are often ingeniously paired with scenes you might not usually pair them with. The Green Hornet theme for B******e's arrival in Tokyo, or a sweet song from All About Lily Chou-Chou when she looks at Hattori Hanzo's swords for instance, work remarkably. The selections are all great pieces of music, and this movie's enjoyment is largely derived from the soundtrack. Along with his unpredictably effective soundtrack, Tarantino has similarly paired elements from the films he loves, to create a hybrid that isn't really like anything else, despite their shared parts. Without giving anything away; those who aren't familiar with these movies will be blown completely away, and those who are and aren't jaded about it will smile as they completely "get it". Surprisingly, the best moments from so many films, paired together without the context of each of these individual films, works. Quentin Tarantino really is a master director, creating as one reviewer below said, "perfect" movies, in that they are perfectly executed. The ideas in his films are largely unoriginal, and yet his execution is. It wouldn't be wrong to say that this movie is comparable to Gus Van Sant's remake of Psycho, in some ways. Any way you look at it, Kill Bill is an exciting first half a film, and anyone mildly interested shouldn't be disapointed.
Rating: Summary: He is a God Review: This movie is so good, it's difficult to explain why. Some intellectual types have justified liking it with lines like this: 'It's a ridiculous plot, but Tarantino pulls it off with so much style that it's enjoyable.' This is a considerable understatement. Tarantino pulls it off with so much style that it makes you wonder if it is ridiculous, after all. He's found such a way of working with these cliches and scenes of mindless blodshed that it's an insult to use words like 'cliche' and 'mindless' anymore. Really, I don't even understand what he's done, I can only bow down in awe of it. This movie is the highest class of art. It's life-altering. Buy it. You can't own the original of the Mona Lisa, but you can own this movie.
Rating: Summary: movie making in its purest, most fun Review: I was going to write my normal format of review, and then realized there isn't much can be reviewed. The story is very simple, like many early Chinese kung-fu movie. There is only one theme: revenge. Uma Thurman is set out revenge for her being shot and her lost baby. Uma Thurman is going to kill Bill-her former boss and the one who sent her into a coma; and she is going to kill him and everyone who is standing between her and him. You kill me, and I will kill you. Just like that. And since there isn't much of story, the whole movie is a showcase of how to tell a story. Or rather, see how Uma kill. You will get a mixed of fist fighting, knife fighting, kung-fu fighting, and samurai sword fighting. The whole movie is placed in a totally different world from ours. For example, I doubt you will see people carrying their big samurai sword onto an airplane. Anyways, this is a highly stylized movie, you will see black and white, Hong Kong wired works, Japanese anime, yakuza showdown...all Asian influences. The movie is simply outrageous-action film in its simplest, purest form. And all is exciting. You will see when people bleed, they don't just bleed. Their blood shoot out like a jet; the blood will shoot up to the ceiling and coming down like rain. People will bath in blood, literally. And the final showdown at a snow-falling Japanese garden, two beautiful women (Uma & Lucy) waving big samurai swords, fighting with flamingo music is just too erotic. It is not a movie that will win awards, or to be discussed afterwards over a coffee. But it is fun and exciting to watch. The audience not only cheered for Uma, but gave a round of applauds after. That is pretty rare if you considering this is a "B" movie. Go see Uma kill Bill. (...)
Rating: Summary: An awseomeme Motion Picture Review: Any director that can come with a song like "That certain Female" by the greatest rockabilly singer who ever lived---Charlie Feathers,and use it effectively in a major motion picture,deserver a nod as Best Director. Better than a rental---buy this one and add it to your collection!
Rating: Summary: He Shot Me Down and I was Forever Grateful Review: Wow. Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill:Volume 1" is my new most favorite movie. And I am a tough critic. If you liked "Pulp Fiction," "Natural Born Killers," "Fargo," "The Piano," "The Professional," or "Sling Blade"--then you may trust my judgment, because these are among my favorite flicks. Despite a violent childhood, I have spent my adult life endeavoring to become an honest, kind and gentle person. I did not realize (until this movie) that an innate sense of justice and a desire for revenge against my perpetrators had been riding around in my belly for almost 40 years. The first viewing of the film left me stunned and speechless; one week later I was back in the theater. The Bride's quest for revenge was embarked upon without apology--a concept foreign to my "good girl" facade. I cheered through the second viewing. I wept through the third. I sat gratefully through a fourth viewing because it was the last night the movie would be shown on the big screen in my town. Maybe Mr Tarantino did not intend to reach so deeply into my ravaged soul. The movie is artistic,techmologically innovative and campy as hell. Perhaps I give him too much credit. But maybe not--maybe the emotional, spiritual, psychological and sociological depth of this film is purposely hidden between the lines. Maybe Tarantino knows that in a cynical and desensitized world, a bitter truth cannot be disguised with a spoonful of sugar, but rather with a bucket of blood. Good people with angry bellys should see this film. See it at least twice: the second viewing is a completely different experience than the first. And by the way, Uma ROCKS!
Rating: Summary: Japanese vs. American Version Review: I thought Kill Bill was a great film for many reasons, and a bit of a dissapointment for a few others. Ultimately, I thoroughtly enjoyed it, though honestly I can't be bothered to write an actualy review, least of all beacuse I know nobody's gonna read it. I'm an American student on exchange in Tokyo, so I saw this film as it was presented to the Japanese market. At the time, I didn't know it was any different from the American version, other than there being not subtitles during the spoken Japanese. After seeing the film, however, I started seeing things on the internet about the American version being black in white in parts to tone down the violence, so I went out and found that version of the film. Not to dissapoint anyone who was looking for torrents more blood, but there really isn't much of a difference. The only part of the Japanese film that is more violent is the colorized fight scene at the end, but it's only, what, three minutes of the whole scene that's been changed, from when Uma rips that guys eye out until they end up in the blue room for the showdown with the final group of Yakuza. I feel both versions of the film have their merrits. The black and white enhances the visual eclecticism of the film, which goes along with the countlessly shifting colors and anime sequence, while the full color version is much funnier, and the colorized blood is so violently red and copiously abundant that it can't help but make you laugh. The only other difference is that Uma cuts off Sophie Fatal's other arm when she's got her in the trunk of her car. That many have actually been in the American version, but I don't think I saw it. Anyway, so there it is.
Rating: Summary: Just remember to breathe . . . Review: Quentin Tarentino's Kill Bill Vol 1 is the first movie of it's kind I have ever seen. Although it has very painfully obvious references to Kung Fu movies of the seventies, including, but not exclusive to, the very suit that The Bride wears for most of the end of the movie. I fully believe that this movie could be labeled under the dark comedy genre, in that many of the jokes involved in the movie range from the fact that The Bride's name is disguised by a censor beep, to her spanking the so-called body guard with her sword, to the Monty Python blood spurt that encites a humorous reaction from the audience. Yes, I did laugh almost every time someone lost a limb, and the absurd fountain of blood shot out. Despite how the movie has been either insulted profanely, or praised emphatically, I enjoyed it for every minute the screen was lit. From the moment the Klingon proverb was projected to the point where Bill asks Sophie . . . oops, I almost said too much. If you think you might be interested in this movie you will probably love it instead . . . so try it! Kill Bill; it's not just a movie, it's an assassination!
Rating: Summary: Wait until they do a Deluxe Version Review: I love this movie, but everybody, just wait until they bring out Kill Bill 1 and 2 together on DVD, uncut... waste of money to buy this one or the 2nd one seperate. Common sense, people.
Rating: Summary: Want to Feel Really Bad? Review: Want to feel disgusted and depressed for almost two hours? Watch this senseless sexually violent piece of tripe. Whatever happened to writing a good story and presenting it in a creative way? I guess if you think that rape and sodomy of a comatose woman is funny, then this movie is for you. The violence and horror is completely tasteless and certainly not enough to save this movie from being banal and idiotic.
Rating: Summary: ONE OF THE ILLEST MOVIES EVER..... Review: Quentin has done it again! You have to admit that the man is a genius! I truly admire his style and how he has no boundaries in keeping the script as real as it can possibly get. This movie is mesmerising from beginning to end- I think the hottest part was how he integrated japanese anime into the storyline. I can't wait to see what else he has in store.....this movie was worth the nine dollars & five years waiting for the man to do it again.
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