Kill Bill: Vol. 1

Several years after the fading of unbearable hype, Kill Bill is still a spectacle that has no equal in the realm of multi-genre action. Despite Tarantino being somewhat annoying from a media standpoint during this period, his sense of revenge's tempo, the soundtrack, and the supporting characters were almost perfect. And when Hattori Hanzo appears and I swallow all previous prejudices, there is nothing left but to give it five stars. (20/04/2005)

There is a certain dose of exaggeration and typically Tarantino humor that the viewer must embrace right from the beginning, otherwise the film be a lousy experience. Tarantino is firmly in control and directs the way he wants, which is, of course, evident in the result. The whole film carries an excellent atmosphere, enhanced by perfectly tuned exteriors and brilliantly interwoven music. Kill Bill fulfills all the film elements to the fullest but it may happen that a more conservatively inclined viewer won’t find their way to it and will not like it. It was also very interesting to see Uma Thurman, who underwent intense training for this role and it is truly visible. Tarantino plays with visual composition, constructs dialogues well, and overall the film is more captivating with a plethora of references and clever tricks, rather than a basic message as such, which is truly simple. (08/11/2003)

Forget about seeing just another Tarantino flick. There’s none of his typical catchphrases, nor a plethora of absurd situations. One of the few echoes of his first two films is the absurd scene in the hospital when "Buck comes to fuck" and then his favourite ordering of the plot into chapters. At times I was emotionally moved, at times I was thinking, "Is he being serious? We're supposed to buy this?" But I didn't move a muscle the whole time I was sitting in my chair. There are scenes with a very magical atmosphere, especially the final duel with in the snowy Japanese garden, with Lucy Liu in a white dress and slippers, falling snowflakes and contrasting with Uma Thurman's yellow suit, all beautifully lit and the interesting sound of a water pump. Or for example the moment when during one of the fights the background suddenly changes to a blue screen with black frames, with only the silhouettes of the fighters in front of it is very impressive. Kill Bill has so many audio-visual sensations that the hour and a half was more than enough. The plot may be shallow (the final sentence made me feel like I was hearing a snippet from a soap opera), but form overwhelmingly wins over content. Tarantino managed to turn a well-trodden genre and not very original premise into a very impressive spectacle. We'll see with Volume 2 if it holds up. PS: This film must be watched in widescreen! It loses a lot with the TV crop. (11/10/2003)

I really like older Tarantino films, and even though they are in genres that I don't particularly enjoy, Tarantino managed to direct them creatively and with added value, which every film fan must appreciate. Whether it was Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, or Jackie Brown, I always found something that enriched me. Kill Bill marked the beginning of the era of Tarantino films without added value, which may fascinate genre fans with their "purity," but I completely avoid them. Kill Bill pays homage to East Asian action films, which is something that doesn't appeal to me at all. The characters lack even minimal depth, and there's no need to talk about the screenplay. It is completely empty, purposeless nonsense, lacking emotions and character psychology. I would add that it has decent camera work and music, for which it deserves one star from me. Overall impression 25%. (16/02/2008)

The positives are clear: it's nice and colorful, it's got a good camera and nice hit music. It also has a "cool" pulp aesthetic. That's what pets like, right? And it's sweet postmodern “shit". A beautiful video clip. Great craft, Quentin is good at that. As well as magnificent boredom and the best filmed vacuum I can imagine. Pulp Fiction may have been silly, but at least it had something inside. Kill Bill is only able to pile up clip sequences and obscure the absolute lack of narrative dynamics with subtitled chapters, nice manga sequences, and a stylish (and utterly self-serving) narrative multi-voice. Dear Quentin, I thought I didn't like you, but Kill Bill brings a whole new intensity to our relationship. And Uma is quite pretty... It's a good thing you and I have something to talk about, man. Bleh! (21/09/2005)