Review of Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) by Theraggedflygon — 26 Jan 2020

Vol 2 has the colossal task of following up Vol 1, which was full of top tier action sequences. This half of Kill Bill instead is a lot more focused on the trademark Tarantino dialogue and drama. While Vol 1's story felt very shallow, Vol 2 instead expands the depth of the story significantly but does so at the expense of the action that made me fall in love with Vol 1.

Vol 2 is likewise much harder to act as a stand-alone than Vol 1 (as could be expected) since things pick up in media res and a lot of the storylines in this film are dependent on one being familiar with the first one. This is a good choice by Tarantino as it helps justify that these two films are in reality one super-long film.

While some people enjoy the sharp contrast between the contents of Vol 1 and Vol 2, I happen to find Vol 2 lacking as a result. Expecting another action-packed joyride, I was slightly disappointed to find a more dialogue and plot heavy part 2. That is not to say that the dialogue, writing, acting, or direction in Vol 2 is worse or better than Vol 1, it's just different. Vol 2 gives Thurman a better opportunity to showcase her talents as an actress, but that is compromised with the fact that this film is a bit more sleepy than Vol 1.

In addition to Thurman, the acting of David Carradine is fantastic as he plays one of the most convincing cinematic villains in recent memory. He is a complex villain that torn between the past and present and is forced to make a decision with which one he should align himself with. The performances of Madsen and Hannah also add to this film's incredible cast and villains.

Volume 2 gives its actors a better chance to showcase their opportunities, but with that increase in opportunity comes a decrease in the action that made Vol 1 such an amazing film. The gore gets turned down slightly in this one in the sense that there is less of it, but the action that is present is still amazing. The reason that this one comes up slightly short of its predecessor is that Vol 1 was simply iconic while this one fails to have any super memorable scenes that I haven't seen anywhere else. Certain moments come close, but I feel that Vol 1 is overall the better made and more memorable film, however it is quite close between the two.

Overall, Vol 2 is a satisfying conclusion to the two part Kill Bill storyline and gives Thurman a chance to really shine. The action is a bit lacking, but this is made up for by superior writing, dialogue, and plot elements not found in Vol 1. This film is a must watch if you enjoyed Vol 1 or if you desired less action and more drama in the first installment.