"I'm calling you a killer. A natural born killer. You always have been, and you always will be."
Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004) 136 min
The film begins with the Bride behind the wheel of a convertible talking to the audience, recapping the first volume and explaining that she is on her way to kill Bill. And then, like the first volume, it jumps to a completely different scene. To sum it all up, after Sofie (Julie Dreyfus) was found she informed Bill that the Bride had been asking for information about the other members of the Deadly Viper Squad, so Bill paid personal visits to the other assassins to warn them. His brother Budd (Madsen) is now the bouncer at a strip club and hasn't worked with a sword or any other martial arts weaponry for years, he even sold his Hanzo sword. When he fights the Bride it is his instincts that keep him alive, although they get him in trouble later. Since the first two assassins were killed in the other volume (Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii and Vivica A. Fox as Vernita Green), the only other member of the DVAS (Deadly Viper Assassination Squad) is Elle Driver (Hannah) who with only one eye is the Brides biggest competition for Bills affection and praise. Interspersed with these fights is the backstory of the Brides relationship with Bill. It is at his suggestion that she trains with his master Pai Mei (Liu). Pai Mei has a long white beard and wears all white. He is able to transcend normal human abilities with his fighting skills and forces the Bride to carry water, punch through a thick board that is 3 inches from her body, and other "fun" tasks until she meets his standards, which apparently she does. We also learn that her daughter is still alive, although she does not know this.
The fight scenes are less gruesome (other than with Elle) and more calculating (including lengthy discussions between characters). While the first volume had homages to martial arts films along with changes between color & black-and-white, this volume uses more technical changes such as changing the type of film to make the scene appear more claustrophobic and more scenes of self-mockery done in a tasteful, loving way.
While both volumes are intense, exploiting what Tarantino does best: action & dialogue, I prefer the second volume. It unwinds the story, filling in the gaps and showing why the characters react the way they do. And at the end of the film there is closure, which the first film was unable to deliver (it wrapped up what it had, but left you wanting more). The battle between the two blondes is intense, and less artful than you would imagine, but still unexpected and absorbing. Also watch for the short scene involving Esteban (Parks), Bill's stepfather who adds more depth to Bill while still charming the Bride and the audience. The snake symbolism is more pronounced in this volume, which made me realize all the assassins have snake code name which define their personalities...the black mamba is the deadliest and Bill is the leader, the only one able to control the snakes and use them for his bidding while 'charming' and loving the deadliest one.
Rent it once: If you want to watch it, I'd suggest watching Volume 1 first...both films can stand on their own, but they make more sense together. And it's worth the watch, less disgusting and more about what the characters say and why they say it.
--: It shows the other side to Tarantino's skill and I love that Michael Madsen is in this film since he was in Tarantino's first film Reservoir Dogs...it's not for everyone but this volume is easier to watch than the first one (even though it is significantly longer)
The fight scenes are less gruesome (other than with Elle) and more calculating (including lengthy discussions between characters). While the first volume had homages to martial arts films along with changes between color & black-and-white, this volume uses more technical changes such as changing the type of film to make the scene appear more claustrophobic and more scenes of self-mockery done in a tasteful, loving way.
While both volumes are intense, exploiting what Tarantino does best: action & dialogue, I prefer the second volume. It unwinds the story, filling in the gaps and showing why the characters react the way they do. And at the end of the film there is closure, which the first film was unable to deliver (it wrapped up what it had, but left you wanting more). The battle between the two blondes is intense, and less artful than you would imagine, but still unexpected and absorbing. Also watch for the short scene involving Esteban (Parks), Bill's stepfather who adds more depth to Bill while still charming the Bride and the audience. The snake symbolism is more pronounced in this volume, which made me realize all the assassins have snake code name which define their personalities...the black mamba is the deadliest and Bill is the leader, the only one able to control the snakes and use them for his bidding while 'charming' and loving the deadliest one.
Rent it once: If you want to watch it, I'd suggest watching Volume 1 first...both films can stand on their own, but they make more sense together. And it's worth the watch, less disgusting and more about what the characters say and why they say it.
--: It shows the other side to Tarantino's skill and I love that Michael Madsen is in this film since he was in Tarantino's first film Reservoir Dogs...it's not for everyone but this volume is easier to watch than the first one (even though it is significantly longer)
Rating: R for violence, language, and brief drug use
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Uma Thurman as The Bride (Black Mamba)
David Carradine as Bill (Snake Charmer)
Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver (California Snake Charmer)
Michael Madsen as Budd (Sidewinder)
Chia Hui Liu as Pai Mei
Michael Parks as Esteban
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