Kill Bill: Volumes 1 and 2
It's difficult to grammatically phrase this, so though there are two Kill Bill films, they are essentially only one movie. So...one of the most talked about movies of recent times is Kill Bill. (I hope that worked). The first film's end leads directly into the second film's beginning, and so I'll consider Kill Bill one film occasionally. Then again, Kill Bill as a dual film brings about an unusual event: the second film is superior to the first. How often does that happen?

Volume One is director Quentin Tarantino's return to the big screen (he is best known for 1994's Pulp Fiction). The film begins with an obviously battered woman (Uma Thurman) being talked to by a man known only as "Bill" during her wedding rehearsal. He shoots her in the head, but the woman miraculously survives. "The Bride," as she is known by, wakes up from her coma four years later with one objective: to kill Bill (and the rest of his squad of assassins).

The rest of Volume One is essentially The Bride hunting down these assassins and killing them. While the fight scenes are extraordinary and fun to watch, they can get repetitive and boring due to their length. Though I was mesmerized by the action, I felt that I was missing something throughout the movie. This is because the background information is sketchy. Throughout the movie, I was waiting for certain questions that I had to be answered.

  • How the hell did The Bride learn to fight as she does?

  • Who is Bill and why did he attempt to kill the Bride?

The movie ends without those questions being answered. For those flaws, I considered it simply a "cool" film, but it lacked the elements that make a movie actually good. And the "cool" parts of the film did get repetitive and almost ridiculous. The scene in which The Bride takes on the Crazy 88 is too far-fetched to be entertaining.

I went to see Volume 2 a few hours after watching Volume 1 for the first time. Volume 2 is an excellent movie; it outshines Volume 1 in every way. Finally, my questions were answered: Tarantino didn't leave out these key questions and plot details. The flashback of The Bride's training under Pai Mei is fantastic and is necessary for two key moments in the film (the grave exit scene and the final fight). Volume 2 continues where Volume 1 left off and keeps the "chapter" layout alive. The combat is not repetitive in Volume 2. And while you know what will happen in the end, it is still presented with a surprising, almost humorous twist.

Volume 2 makes the dual films a must-see. If anything, the presence of Volume 2 makes Volume 1 a superb movie simply because it should be viewed to feel as if you've watched the entire movie. You won't be disappointed if you watch both films.
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