Review of Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) by Cameron J — 18 Jun 2012

Forget Bill, I think Uma Thurman killed Daryl Hannah, because after this film, you didn't "see" (Eye joke unfortunately intended) her anywhere, and hey, as good as she was in some things, after "You Can't Stop the Music", it was only a matter of time, because after that, it was too hard to look at Hannah the same way, so she may as well have just left. Well, either that disaster of a film was why we could never look at her the same way, or it was her aging, because she's gotten to look kind of rough, and seeing as how her acting really wasn't all "that" good, she can go, seeing as how her looks were about the best thing she had going for her. Okay, now, she had quite the body going on for a while, yet her face really was never all that stellar, especially in this film. I hate to break it to y'all, but eyepatches don't really make you look better, unless, of course, you're Uma Thurman, because with that one crazy eye she's got, I don't think we'd miss it all that much if she were to cover it up. Man, I'm sounding pretty mean, so I guess I better put away my list of David Carradine jokes, because with this film being about his sick desires coming back to do him in, I could pick up more momentum than he did in "Death Race 2000". No, he was a good man and a good actor, though not the only acting talent in this film, and certainly not the only person who's a better actor than Quinten Trantino. Okay, maybe he's not the worst in the world, though he's certainly a much better writer and director than he is an actor, which isn't really saying that much, seeing as how is a really good writer and director, though not without his typical faults that are present here as always.

Reportedly, the series was filmed to be a single film and the decision to split that final product into two "Volumes" came later, and I find that somewhat difficult to believe, unless, of course, the complete cut or, as Tarantino calls it, "The Whole Bloody Affair" cut gets to especially become a serious mess upon reaching the so-called "Chapter 6" that opens this installment, because this second half betrays the first in quite a few areas of storytelling. Actually, outside of the fact that this installment somehow feels almost radically different tonally and somewhat thematically, I don't know if this installment so much betrays its predecessor, as much as it's so faithful to at least the flaws of its predecessor that it actually intensifies them. Where "Volume 1" was relatively less talkative than your usual Tarantino affair, this installment is as slow as any other Tarantino film, slowed down mainly by way too much exposition, and as much as I like to know what I'm getting into, allow me to quote the immortal Mr. Elvis Presley in saying that "all this conversation ain't satisfactioning me." It doesn't help that, while the overlong dialogue pieces in this film are a tad more consistently purposeful than they are in other Tarantino scripts, there are still points where they just go on talking about some bull that doesn't really do much than showcase Tarantino's snappy dialogue and, less enjoyably, help in slowing the film down almost to a crawl, thus creating some dull spots that still aren't terribly intense, yet present, nevertheless. When that's not happening, the film will hit points where it, like "Volume 1", gets cheesy to the point of knocking you out the film, yet the absurdities are not only more prevalent in this film, but also more intense, partially through surprisingly gaping lapses in subtlety in Tarantino's homages. With just about every other mistake made in "Volume 1" amplified this time around, it should almost go without saying that this film is more uneven, whether it be through pacing issues or such jarring and overlong focus shifts upon such aspects as wildly overdrawn flashback segments that throw the pacing miles off, and no matter how much this second installment steps up to the plate, its many missteps, just about all of which are lifted and intensified from the predecessor, thus leaving this an lesser sequel. However, make no mistake, this film still ultimately steps up to the plate, and while it does trip quite often along the way, it still stands firm, mostly secured by the strengths from "Volume 1" to which this follow-up is faithful.

Another aspect that supports the theory that this series was not actually filmed as a single feature is the fact that they just happened to bring in Tarantino's good buddy Robert Rodriguez to join RZA in composing the original score, whenever in the world you hear it. This film picks back up its predecessor's and other Tarantino films' tradition of composing the soundtrack almost entirely with third-party material, and while this mostly unoriginal soundtrack isn't quite as stellar as that of "Volume 1", it's still a joy to listen to, especially whether you love good nostalgia or love it when nostalgia is used ever so cleverly. Some moments of nostalgia aren't as subtle as they typically are in other Tarantino films, which is really saying a lot, yet the boy always at least knows how to manipulate his unoriginal soundtracks to where each track fits so comfortably into this world that it's easy to forget that it's not actual an original part to this world, and Tarantino does just that yet again with this film. While the idea behind this story isn't quite as fresh as it was back in "Volume 1", the film still also stays faithful to its predecessor's clever technique of neatly and uniquely bonding its homages to where they compose a genuinely original storyline, thus augmenting the final product's compellingness, initially spawned from Tarantino's general story writing and telling efforts. Sure, this storyline is written and even directed considerably more sloppily, yet it's still strong, almost to the point of transcending the sting of sloppiness, keeping you engaged, not just with Tarantino's snappy dialogue or top-notch action direction, but also his very intense set pieces, really brought to life by his direction, which keeps the film alive with intrigue that may not be terribly consistent, yet remains present just enough for you to stick with the film, especially when it begins to incorporate unexpectedly deep dramatic subtlety that may not be enough to raise this film past or even to the level of its predecessor, yet stands as one of the most poignant aspects to this entire series, thus paving the for a deeply satisfyingly rewarding end. Still, it's not just Tarantion who keeps you compelled, as each one of his performers remain sharply charismatic, with Uma Thurman once again heading strong as an enthralling presence of intensity and mystery, as well as a degree of humanity that makes her a compelling lead indeed (Ha-ha, I rhymed). The film hits all of the faulty points that its predecessor did, and harder than ever, while the high points it lifts from its predecessor aren't touched with enough superiority to break even, yet they're still such strong high points, leaving the film one to watch, nevertheless, being an ultimately satisfying capper to the saga.

In the end, the film is rather tonally contradictory to its predecessor, yet remains faithful to the flaws of "Volume 1" to the point of exacerbating them, whether it be the slow talkativeness and excessive dragging or off-putting moments, spawned from considerable lapses in subtlety and jarring focus shifts, thus making for a sloppier and sadly lesser installment, yet one that still ultimately satisfies, both as a finale to the story and as its own effort, boasting an excellent soundtrack that's cleverly manipulated nostalgia creates genuine originality, something that can be said about the still very unique and, at an eventual point, even unexpectedly dramatically poignant story, really brought to life by Quentin Tarantino's generally snappy writing and direction, as well as by a slew of charismatic performances, heading by the once again winning Uma Thurman, who helps in making "Kill Bill Volume 2" a generally rewarding film, by its own right, and final touch to Tarantino's saga.

3/5 - Good.