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	Movie Review - Kill Bill: Vol. 2     (What this rating means)       Director: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, and Samuel L. Jackson Rated: R (violence, language, and brief drug use) Length: 137 minutes Genre: Action/Drama Website: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 PLOT The Bride (Thurman) continues her quest for vengeance against Bill (Carradine) and his associates. However, her daughter may be alive. How will this complicate the situation? Will the remaining associates be ready and waiting? A visualization of Quentin Tarantino's crazy mind ensues. JOHNNY'S TAKE Quentin Tarantino is a strange looking fellow. I think God was having a little fun one day and put His index finger on the top of Quentin's head and His thumb under Quentin's chin, and then pushed. You know what I'm talking about because I'm sure we've all done that with G.I. Joe and Barbie dolls. What does this have to do with "Kill Bill: Vol. 2"? Absolutely nothing. I just wanted to make the observation. However, despite Quentin's freakish looks and inexplicably blackcented speech, the man knows how to create some original material. Vol. 2 is no exception. The story in Vol. 2 picks up where Vol. 1 left off (this was originally supposed to be one movie, after all). If you didn't see Vol. 1 or if your memory's as dull as a Carson Daly interview then don't worry, Uma provides us with a little black and white narrative that wraps up events from the first movie. But if you're expecting Vol. 2 to be more of what Vol. 1 delivered, then you might be a tad disappointed. They're two entirely different movies. Vol. 1 concentrates mainly on over-the-top action and lots and lots of violence and gore, whereas Vol. 2 is more story and character-driven. Which you prefer will depend specifically on your tastes as a moviegoer. I like Vol. 2 better. First of all, Vol. 2 is devoid of the overly long anime scenes that Vol. 1 contained. That was cute for oh, about two minutes, but when the scene reached the length of Tori Spelling's face it just became a distraction. And while the action in Vol. 2 isn't as abundant as in Vol. 1; it's more controlled, more realistic, and as such, more meaningful within the course of the story. In Vol. 1, Uma killed a butt-load of men with her sword. The spraying blood and chopped off arms were so over-the-top that it wasn't really graphic. But after about the 20th arm got chopped off, it started to lose its charm. It's kind of like listening to Uncle Larry's story about the cat and the dishwasher. After the first couple of listens it really starts to lose its edge. Character development in Vol. 2 is also great. We finally learn why Uma decided to leave Bill and get married and what motivated Bill to track down Uma and kill her. David Carradine does a very good job as Bill. The character comes off as a brutal killer, but he's also the kind of guy you could be friends with as long as he was on your side. He did what he did, but he regrets it. He reacted out of anger. After all, "There are consequences to breaking the heart of a killer." Remember, Uma was a cold-blooded assassin who knew exactly what she was getting into when she hooked up with Bill. That doesn't make Bill's attempt to kill her acceptable, obviously, but in their screwed up little world you can at least understand his reasoning, as warped as it is. The supporting cast also shines. Daryl Hannah is a convincing shrew of a woman and has a really nice cat fight with Uma. Michael Madsen looks a little too much like Billy Ray Cyrus, but his character brings an air of coolness to the proceedings. He understands Uma's desire for revenge, and he thinks she deserves it, but that doesn't mean he's just gonna lie down and let her have it. There was also a really good scene where Uma was buried alive. I loved how the screen went completely black, and all we hear for the next couple of minutes is exactly what Uma would hear in her circumstance (the coffin being dragged on the ground, dirt thrown on top, the car driving off). This scene does a great job segueing into a scene with Kung Fu master Pai Mei. It's a scene that's goofy and funny, and gives us an understanding of what kind of training Uma actually has. This movie has a LOT of dialogue, so it may come off as slow-paced to a lot of people (that was Mr. Shade's feeling), but if you get into the story like I did, then you should enjoy the movie. Especially if you let the dialogue string you along to the conclusion. You may assume that the ending's gonna be pretty straightforward: Uma finds Bill, kills him, and VOILA, complete vengeance is obtained! But it's not that simple. A nice little twist at the end shakes things up a bit and kept me genuinely wondering how things would turn out. And though not everything was perfect, and I'm probably not gonna rush out and buy the DVD, all in all, things turned out fairly well. MAMA'S APPROVAL No, no, no. Mama doesn't want anywhere near this. Profanity is strong (quite a few "f" words, but not as many as you'd expect in a Tarantino film), and there is lots of violence and shocking imagery. Keep the kids and the very sensitive away. TRAILER COMPARISON The trailer is a pretty good depiction of what to expect from the movie, but if you haven't seen the trailer yet and you absolutely know you want to see the movie, then I suggest that you don't watch the trailer before seeing the movie. Thankfully, I didn't, and a couple of things were surprises to me that the trailer would've messed up. THE GIST Vol. 1 had more action, more gore, and more fighting. "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" has more purpose, more story, and more character development. Pacing can be considered either slow or derivative, depending on your style. If you're looking for a fast-paced, cartoonish gorefest like Vol. 1 then you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for good storytelling with a nice mixture of shocking visuals, fight scenes, and humor, then Vol. 2 should fill the bill. What? Oh come on, the pun was unintentional. I promise!	RETURN TO HOME PAGE Ghouls Eagle Eye Righteous Kill Tropic Thunder Traitor Death Race Star Wars: Clone Wars The Dark Knight Journey to the Center of the Earth Hancock Weekend Results: 1. Beverly Hills Chihuahua($29,300,465) 2. Eagle Eye($17,709,817) 3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist($11,311,751) 4. Nights in Rodanthe($7,368,259) 5. Appaloosa($5,050,310)

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