Last night, I had the good fortune to check out a preview of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Volume 2. Now, I will keep this as spoiler-free as possible, so you need not worry.

First off, this film is almost a complete departure from the first. It isn't nearly as action-packed, and the violence isn't as over-the top or gratuitous. This is going to seriously dissapoint some, and I will admit that this was not the film I was expecting to see. That having been said, KBv2 is still full of goodness. It has loads of great Tarantino dialogue (which some compained the first film lacked), and the performances couldn't be better. Uma's Bride is fleshed out even more, and we now get to see the reasons why she left the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad to begin with. The root of her conflict with Bill is also explored. Uma simultaneoulsy makes the Bride vulnerable and tough-as-nails. Her performance is so good, I actually found myself forgiving her for Batman & Robin. Likewise, David Carradine is incredible as Bill, and you really have to wonder why this guy doesn't get more work. He is so much better an actor than I ever realised.

Michael Madsen puts in a great turn as Bud, brother to Bill. Ultimately, he's the only character who really shows remorse for his actions, and it truly adds gravity to the story. He's a three dimensional character, not just some fodder for The Bride to carve through. Daryll Hannah has her career best performance as Elle, who is just so ruthless she's frightening. Her battle with The Bride is one of the highlights of the flick.

I don't even know where to begin with Gordon Liu's Pei Mei. He is the best thing about this whole friggin' thing! He's like Yoda with a temper! I won't say anymore about him, because I seriously don't want to spoil it for y'all. I will just say that his part is worth the price of admission alone.

All in all, this is a much quieter film. It is almost the polar opposite of Volume 1's cartoonish bloodbath. One does have to wonder how different the whole thing would have been if it had been edited as one film. I do think Tarantino definitely chose to save all the subdued, character driven moments for this half. That's not to say that this one doesn't have its violent moments, because it definitely does, but they are not anywhere near the blood spraying, severed limbs flying frenzy of v1. I'm sure there will be a backlash against this movie, since its going to dissapoint those hoping for more of what they loved about the first installment. I was a little dissapointed myself, at first, but the more I think about it, the more I really loved this flick! There are some nice surprises, (and a cameo that definitely brought a smile to my face) that add to the experience.

Jedimaster's movie report card grade: A-

i'm so excited to see this film! it has been ages since i've been excited over a movie, too. i forgot what it feels like!

Thanks. I had a feelin' that it would go in a different direction. Am counting down the days.

I can't read this post till I see the movie this weekend, I'm avoiding all reviews, spoilers or not



of course, I'm lame and never saw Volume 1 in the theater...i'm watching THAT on DVD tonite and hopefully seeing volume 2 on Saturday

well, I have read some amazing reviews of Vol. 2 and
I am glad Tarantino is giving more importance to the
characters and their motivations this time

I´ll have to wait until summer to enjoy it though

endorphin74 said:

I hope you have a big ass tv set because you got to see this film on
a big screen to fully enjoy it

Revenge is a dish best served cold.....


.....Now i will be waiting for his next film ....a WWII film.....Inglorious Bastards .....

The entire part in Japan of Kill Bill Vol I was fucking horrible, so maybe it's a good thing is Vol II is different. Not that I'd be running out to the theatre to go see the sequel.

PusherMan said:

Unfortunately, you may be waiting a while. My friend, with whom I went to see the film with last night, knows Tarantino fairly well. She said last time she talked to him that he was still working on the script, and that he wasn't in any hurry to finish it. She thinks he may be stuck for an ending. Of course, that could all change at a moments notice if he suddenly gets a great idea.

On a related note, she made the comment last night that the finished film of vol. 2 was actually fairly different from the script he had shown her a couple of years ago. Apparently, he made some major changes during the filming. I found that to be fairly interesting. I'm anxious to get into a discussion with her as to what changes were made (didn't have time to last night).

Another cool side note is that she was with him when he came up with the "Wrath Of Khan" quote! They were watching the film, and when Khan delivered the line Quentin grabbed the script and started scribbling (all the while chuckling to himself). She didn't know what was going on until she saw the finished film. Personally, I thought that was pretty amusing. Cool to see an idea's genesis.

J0eyC0c0 said:

Totally disagree. I thought the fight sequences in Japan were fantastic. Completely over-the-top, and a great homage to 70's Kung Fu and explotation flicks.

v2 may be more your cup of tea, although there still might be plenty for you to dislike (particularly the fight between The Bride and Elle).

Hi Jedi... How are you???

I have been reminded every day since I saw Vol.1 that this is coming out this weekend..

BabyCakes said:

I'm good luv, howzabout you?

JediMaster said:

I'm a doin well...

BabyCakes said:

Glad to hear it!!! Did you get my pop-up?

JediMaster said:

Nope....

BabyCakes said:

Check your orgnotes.

:bkwwettinghispants:

JediMaster said:

I agree with Jedi....the scenes in Japan was like a Kung Fu Ballet.....

PusherMan said:

PERFECT description for it P man!!! I'm so gonna steal that when I describe it to folks!!!!

JediMaster said:

No Problem.....(just remember all rights are reserved.....)

PusherMan said:

JediMaster said:

Now that's interesting, as I've had the script that leaked onto the net for ages. I'll be
intrigued to see what's been changed (assuming of course, that the script I've got isn't
a later one that is almost the same as the shooting script)

The only real difference I remember between Vol.1 and the script I had was Go-Go's character.
In the script, there were 2 twin sisters - Go-Go and Yuki Yubari, whereas in the movie they
had been combined into 1 character - Go-Go (who used some scenes originally intended for
Yuki). This also meant that the 'Yuki's Revenge' section (which would have appeared near the
beginning of Vol'2) obviously has been dropped.

BorisFishpaw said:

How are the fighting scenes described in the script? Is it detailed or does it just say "they fight"?

The main points in the fights are quite detailed-out in the script I have.
Though I have heard that the "Elle and I" fight has expanded somewhat in the finished movie.

Vengeance, ‘Kill Bill’ rule at box office
Tarantino sage debuts at No. 1, ‘The Punisher’ at No. 2

1. “Kill Bill Vol. 2,” $25.6 million.
2. “The Punisher,” $14 million.
3. “Johnson Family Vacation,” $6.4 million.
4. “Hellboy,” $5.7 million.
5. “Home on the Range,” $5.4 million.
6. “Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed,” $5.1 million.
7. “Walking Tall,” $4.6 million.
8. “Ella Enchanted,” $4.4 million.
9. “The Passion of the Christ,” $4.2 million.
10. “The Alamo,” $4.05 million.

I just saw it last night.. It was actually pretty good... I liked it better than the first one, HOWEVER.. IT could of been a little shorter. It was about 1/2 hour too long.

JediMaster said:

The blind organ player?
I heard QT wants to do a "spin-off"/vol. 3 with Vernita Green's kid doing some slaughtering to get to The Bride to get her revenge on her mom...

Neversin.

Vibrator said:

You can read it here:

http://www.killbill2.net/script.html

Neversin.

I saw Kill Bill: Volume 2 Friday night and although I loved the movie, I loved the first one more.