Kill Bill: Volume 2
I didn't like Kill Bill: Volume 1.
To sum up, it seemed like Quentin Tarantino wanted to introduce audiences to a variety of film styles at the expense of an actual plot. Using just about every trick in the book, Quentin did just that, introducing us to 70s Blaxploitation flicks, anime, and a bunch of other styles I couldn't identify. The anime was the most galling (both the actual animated short that had little relevance to the plot, and the attempts at live-action anime), as anime was meant to be a sort of shorthand for artists - the big eyes are easy to draw, the flashing movement means less frames, etc. Quentin took it and turned it into some sort of art form and then acted as if he owned it, only he didn't pull it off convincingly to folks who know their anime.
But Kill Bill: Volume 2 (KB2), makes up for it. Indeed, if the two movies had been edited down and put together, the whole thing would be a masterpiece. Instead, it's a film that's good enough to make me wish Quentin had taken the deep breath he took between the two films and edited them down into a cohesive whole.
So what does KB2 do right?
Quentin knows he had so much ridiculous violence in the first movie that it's probably still giving the Ratings board fits. So as a result, he uses the threat of violence to excellent effect. The katana that The Bride normally wields is almost never used - indeed, the big "sword fight" keeps getting interrupted by the fact that the sword isn't always the right tool for the job. Quentin lets us know that he KNEW he went too far in the first movie and it was to prove a point. I just wish the first movie hadn't taken so long to make it.
Like the first movie, Quentin takes the time to pay homage to other flicks. There's a delicious 70's Kung-Fu type flashback sequence with a white bearded, longhaired master. Everything's there, from the sword hopping to the waist dodging. Only this time I got it - I knew the films Quentin was mimicking and thought it was funny. Also, he didn't bounce around at high speed amongst so many movie styles that it gave me a headache.
As always, Uma Thurman gets to emote. She emotes rage, terror, and affection with great range. Her lines are gawd-awful, however (I'm still debating whether or not that's on purpose). Since there's less sword-fighting going on, Uma looks less ridiculous wielding her sword like it's an axe. Uma's utterly unconvincing as a martial artist, so this is a good thing.
There are a variety of parallels in the characters and their depth. Issues of motherhood vs. fatherhood, the well-being of a child vs. the violence a mother will go to protect said child, the ability to kill a man or let him ultimately kill himself, and even the theme of an eye-for-an-eye is present. Quentin covers a range of topics and makes you think, makes you aghast at the situation, and then drives relentlessly forward with his own conclusions. There are no hanging questions.
One word sums up this movie: focus. Quentin retains it, keeps it, and draws the audience in along with him, even through some very long conversations where no limbs are being sliced up like fine ham. If there's a flaw, it's that KB2 is a very different film and it's likely impossible that people will love both equally.
If KB1 was a series of flashy moves with no substance, KB2 is the gut punch that takes the wind out of you. Two thumbs up from Maleficent and I.
To sum up, it seemed like Quentin Tarantino wanted to introduce audiences to a variety of film styles at the expense of an actual plot. Using just about every trick in the book, Quentin did just that, introducing us to 70s Blaxploitation flicks, anime, and a bunch of other styles I couldn't identify. The anime was the most galling (both the actual animated short that had little relevance to the plot, and the attempts at live-action anime), as anime was meant to be a sort of shorthand for artists - the big eyes are easy to draw, the flashing movement means less frames, etc. Quentin took it and turned it into some sort of art form and then acted as if he owned it, only he didn't pull it off convincingly to folks who know their anime.
But Kill Bill: Volume 2 (KB2), makes up for it. Indeed, if the two movies had been edited down and put together, the whole thing would be a masterpiece. Instead, it's a film that's good enough to make me wish Quentin had taken the deep breath he took between the two films and edited them down into a cohesive whole.
So what does KB2 do right?
Quentin knows he had so much ridiculous violence in the first movie that it's probably still giving the Ratings board fits. So as a result, he uses the threat of violence to excellent effect. The katana that The Bride normally wields is almost never used - indeed, the big "sword fight" keeps getting interrupted by the fact that the sword isn't always the right tool for the job. Quentin lets us know that he KNEW he went too far in the first movie and it was to prove a point. I just wish the first movie hadn't taken so long to make it.
Like the first movie, Quentin takes the time to pay homage to other flicks. There's a delicious 70's Kung-Fu type flashback sequence with a white bearded, longhaired master. Everything's there, from the sword hopping to the waist dodging. Only this time I got it - I knew the films Quentin was mimicking and thought it was funny. Also, he didn't bounce around at high speed amongst so many movie styles that it gave me a headache.
As always, Uma Thurman gets to emote. She emotes rage, terror, and affection with great range. Her lines are gawd-awful, however (I'm still debating whether or not that's on purpose). Since there's less sword-fighting going on, Uma looks less ridiculous wielding her sword like it's an axe. Uma's utterly unconvincing as a martial artist, so this is a good thing.
There are a variety of parallels in the characters and their depth. Issues of motherhood vs. fatherhood, the well-being of a child vs. the violence a mother will go to protect said child, the ability to kill a man or let him ultimately kill himself, and even the theme of an eye-for-an-eye is present. Quentin covers a range of topics and makes you think, makes you aghast at the situation, and then drives relentlessly forward with his own conclusions. There are no hanging questions.
One word sums up this movie: focus. Quentin retains it, keeps it, and draws the audience in along with him, even through some very long conversations where no limbs are being sliced up like fine ham. If there's a flaw, it's that KB2 is a very different film and it's likely impossible that people will love both equally.
If KB1 was a series of flashy moves with no substance, KB2 is the gut punch that takes the wind out of you. Two thumbs up from Maleficent and I.
Labels: Martial Arts, Movies
posted by talien | 8:59 AM
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