Review of Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) by Joshua D — 05 Dec 2015

The bloodshed continues in this conclusion to a great two-part film experience. It continues, but there is less of it as none of these villains rely on heavy arsenals of "bodyguards" as in the case of Cottonmouth in vol. 1.

The main thing this film accomplishes is that it fleshes out the main characters - The Bride and Bill - so much more than in the first installment. We actually get to see Bill's face throughout the film, witness the two having real conversations to develop their relationship, and we even witness some complex emotions from the Bride. Where the first Kill Bill was fun, vol. 2 is more about the characters.

This is not to say that vol. 2 is not a fun film. It is extremely fun - my friend audibly expressed satisfaction at certain moments throughout the film as it was his first time watching volumes 1 and 2 over the past two days. It is also notably very tense towards the conclusion of the film, and in this film Tarantino once again proves to be the master of the monologue with a great segment in which the mythology of a super hero is discussed. It certainly doesn't match up to the intro to Inglourious Basterds or Calvin Candie's monologue in Django Unchained, but its placement in the film is nearly perfect.

One disappointing factor of this movie is that, in my opinion, it seems to have a cop out instead of a well fleshed conclusion. I can't say much past this without a major spoiler, so I'll say you simply have to watch the movie to see what I am referring to. In a movie that incorporates the martial arts the conclusion may satisfy some, but I think it is a tad ridiculous compared to the rest of the two films put together.

While this film may impress me just a little less than the first, I am still eager to see The Whole Bloody Affair at a theater in my lifetime if I get the opportunity.

3.0/4.0.