Kill Bill: Volume 1

It goes without saying that Quentin Tarantino’s creative vision is an acquired taste. Love him or hate him, his film making style and attention to detail is something that is worthy of respect. Respect, however, does not make a film good or bad, just noteworthy.

Uma Thurman is Black Mamba, an ex-member of an elite team of hit men and women, ruled over by a myterious beneficiary named Bill. Uma is left for dead along with her wedding party when her team betrays her at the altar. Of course, we don’t know why, and probly won’t unless you spend another 9 bucks next year when Volume 2 is released.

To be honest, I’m really not sure of what to make of the movie. Tarantino looks to emulate the cookie-cutter japanese kung-fu movies of the 70’s, with extreme angles and a mixing of films styles. He succeeds in creating a wildly visual storyline that relies on constant camera moves, bright colors and over the top martial arts scenarios. Add to that a heaping helping of blood and gore to get the first of two films that rely on flash backs and voice overs to get the point across.

The movie was entertaining, and in a way, intriguing, despite it’s offensive and often disgusting fight scenes. That alone can’t save it from an average rating. The movie has it’s moments but for the most part it struck me as an ego stroking journey for Tarantino and Thurman who apparently came up with the story while they were working together on Pulp Fiction. This became even further evident during the credits when the first line you read is “The Bride created and develped by Q & U”, Quentin and Uman, in case you didn’t get it.

All in all, I can’t help but want to see the second volume just to find out what the heck was going on in the first one! Which could very well be the goal. Make a mediocre movie, over-write the script turning it into two movies, so you can sucker the original viewers into seeing the rest of what should have been one movie in the first place. Kinda hard to follow? So is Kill Bill.