Kill Bill

After Quentin “QT” Tarantino (one of my all-time favorite filmmakers) directed his third film, “Jackie Brown,” he resumed development of a script title he and Uma Thurman were working on since their first collaboration in “Pulp Fiction.” Without nothing on their plate, they brainstormed ideas for “Kill Bill” fleshing out Uma’s character known as “The Bride.” Story centers on The Bride, a member of The Deadly Vipers led by her boss and fiancé, Bill. Suddenly, he betrays and shoots her. The Bride miraculously survives and wakes up from a coma. She begins her quest by hunting down her former partners and eventually come face-to-face with Bill.

Due to the length of the film, Kill Bill was split into two volumes. QT pioneered splitting a film into two parts. Examples listed below. “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” doesn’t count. They’re already established as three installments. Despite the fact these films are split into two, I consider them as 3 hour+ epics like “Lawrence of Arabia.”

Che
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (ugh)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay
It
Dune
Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning
Wicked

Anyway, Kill Bill Vol. 1-2 earned critical acclaim and made enough money at the box office. Uma Thurman earned a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Actress in a Drama.” Unfortunately, Charlize Theron took home the prize for her performance in “Monster.” I consider Kill Bill as one of my Top 5 Quentin Tarantino films.

Pulp Fiction
Django Unchained
Kill Bill
Reservoir Dogs
Inglorious Basterds

As of 2024, QT has yet to make his 10th and final film. He has two side hustles as an author and hosts a podcast series called, “The Video Achieves.” It’s a darn shame he scrapped “The Movie Critic” as a potential project. I hope he makes his 10th film as an epic sendoff. He hasn’t made a film since “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”

Today’s review contains no SPOILERS. I’m giving some of you including fellow movie critic, BloggedByEric a chance to see this 3 hour+ epic.

Polished & Messy Aspects

Polished: Uma Thurman did a fantastic job for her performance.

Quentin “QT” Tarantino did an awesome job directing. He and Uma wrote the script.

Other Cast Members such as Lucy Liu, Darryl Hannah, Michael Madsen and the late David Carradine all did a superb job for their respective performances.

Action Sequences never shy away leaving a bloody mess. The Bride’s fight with the Crazy 88 and O-Ren definitely earns Bonus Points.

Besides the aforementioned battle, one of my favorite parts is the slow motion walk while Battle Without Honor or Humanity” plays in the background.

Cinematography didn’t suffer from technical issues throughout.

Fun Fact 1: Dakota Fanning (one of my all-time favorite actresses) mentioned she auditioned for a role when she was a kid. Luckily, she finally got her wish playing a henchwoman in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Fun Fact 2: Logic mentioned Kill Bill as one of his favorite movies.

RZA (Wu-Tang Clan) handpicked songs and sampled a few tunes.

Pacing didn’t seem to bother me at all. I was hooked since the beginning.

Both volumes retain QT’s signature trademarks

Pop Culture References
Bloody Mess
Tracklist of Tunes
Dark Humor
Dialogue Driven Scenes
A Trunk Shot
A bigot you love to hate
Close-Up of a woman’s foot (EW!)

The film’s influenced by Clint Eastwood’s “The Dollars Trilogy,” Bruce Lee and samurai films, particularly Akira Kurosawa.

During a fight with the Crazy 88, a Wilhelm Scream is used.

Elle Driver’s whistling scene was later referenced in “American Horror Story: Murder House.” Back when Ryan Murphy actually made a great series. “Glee” doesn’t count. It sucks donkey balls.

The Bride’s yellow outfit pays homage to Bruce Lee’s signature outfit from “Game of Death.”

An anime flashback sequence depicts O-Ren’s troubled past. QT’s into anime.

Michael Parks reprises his role as Earl McGraw. He first appeared in “From Dusk till Dawn.”

We learn about The Bride’s backstory. Her true identity is later revealed.

One character has a monologue about his fascination with superheroes. QT’s also a fan of Marvel and DC.

Sid Haig and QT’s good luck charm, Samuel L. Jackson make cameo appearances.

A Plot Twist changes everything. Way better than Ang Lee’s “Hulk.”

Messy: An optional con involving an extreme close-up shot of Uma’s feet. Quentin’s got a thing for women’s feet. Capturing photos or footage of women’s feet isn’t sexy. Regardless of gender, feet are gross and smelly.

If you have a short attention span like a TikTok user or not a big fan of 3 hour+ films, this may not be your cup of tea. I on the other hand, didn’t feel miserably bored. I’m used to watching long movies. I typically play a video game 3-4 hours a day.

The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!

Kill Bill is one of Quentin Tarantino’s best works. I wish a follow-up became a reality. Sadly, we’re in a dark age we can’t have strong female characters anymore because a-holes like Paul Feig, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, Frank Marshall and most notably, Kathleen Kennedy ruined it. If Kill Bill were made today, Hollywood feminists would’ve tarnished QT’s art. Otherwise, his career’s f**ked. James Mangold was a victim of Kathleen’s wrath. It’s not Mr. Mangold’s fault for destroying Indiana Jones’ fifth and final installment. Blame, that diabolical bitch. I find men portrayed as dumb and women as bossy know-it-alls as downright offensive.

Someday, I hope Mr. Tarantino gives us a kickass 10th film. Probably an original work or adapt Django Unchained and Zorro crossover comic. All we can do is cross our fingers.