Review of Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) by Hoops2448 — 06 Oct 2011

Kill Bill Volume 1 is a gripping tale of betrayal and vengeance whose only real fault is that it isn't as detailed or captivating as Volume 2. Kill Bill tells the story of The Bride who was betrayed and left for dead in a church in El Paso by her once lover Bill and how when she awoke from a 4 year coma all she wanted was revenge.

However that is not the only thing going for it as it is also a satire and a tribute to Kung Fu films in general. Of course Tarantino brings his own directorial flare to the film as well as his signature dialogue but the first volume plays more like a tribute than a film of its own where as the 2nd shines on its own merits and story.

If anything it is the concentration on lesser characters like O-Ren Ishii that brings the film down because she is the weakest of the main group of characters (although Lucy Lui's acting is fantastic as always).

This concentration seems like a mistake but in a way it does help set up the 2nd by showing how hard it was to take on only 2 of the 5 targets The Bride goes after. However the Hatori Hanzo section of the film does work especially well as it embraces Kung Fu and Samurai film conventions while also allowing for certain comedic elements and also fleshing out The Bride's excellent character before getting into the more action heavy second half of the film.

Overall it is one of Tarantino's best works but is just overshadowed by Volume 2 which just does everything that Volume 1 does but does it better.