"Kill Bill is a triumphant achievement in American film, a cut-and-paste epic celebrating the crudest and most noblest human traits." Jeffrey M Anderson SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER "Kill Bill, Vol. 2 is every bit as wild a joyride as its prelude, but packed with richer, more resonant characters." Colin Covert MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE "As Volume 1 delivered a supercharged splatterfest, an adrenaline-saturated buzz saw of fury, Volume 2 pounds you with its emotion and Tarantino's dialogue." Jeffrey Bruner DES MOINES REGISTER "Now this is more like it! Mostly you remember the sadness -- a strange, tired melancholy distilled from a thousand weary Westerns" Sean Burns PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY "Many sumptuous ingredients, perhaps more than necessary, ultimately and surprisingly delivering an operatic tale of the unstoppable force of motherhood." Jeffrey Chen REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS

"The sword doesn’t claim a single victim this go ‘round, thus claiming Tarantino’s pen as the mightier. " Erik Childress EFILMCRITIC.COM "An exuberant celebration of moviemaking." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "An impressive, engrossing and almost nostalgic tribute to a world found only in the movies, and to the movies it was found in." Duane Dudek MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL "A great, glorious, wildly inventive joke, milking everything that appeals to Tarantino about the movies." Ken Hanke MOUNTAIN XPRESS "For those eager to take the ride, this is a nostalgic banquet of movie cliches lovingly preserved and enshrined." Louis B Hobson JAM! MOVIES

At A Glance

"Quentin Tarantino's deliciously perverse semisequel is the most voluptuous comic-book movie ever made." Elvis Mitchell NEW YORK TIMES

It has been said that "The essence of a Tarantino movie is an inside look at the minds and hearts of violent people. That's what we go to see his movies for. It's climbing inside these people's psyches and showing what makes them tick." While that may be true for some, many would say that it's the action, the empithy for Tarantino's characters, the 'rooting' for the underdog or the spectacle that draws them in. All of these apply somewhat equally when it comes to the second edition in the saga of Bill and the bride-to-be, with "Kill Bill Vol 2". And while it is true to say that in the main, Volume 1 was driven by revenge, the sword and spectacular carnage, this final [?????] volume is very much character driven. If anything Volume 2 is far better than its predecessor with this exception, most viewers expectations will not be met in the final confrontation between Beatrix Kiddo and that snake of a man, Bill. Once again, Uma Thurman gives a strong performance, but, while it is her character that demands and deserves our attention, there are some magical moments and performances created the support cast that are indeed equally satisfying to watch. Heading these is Gordon Liu [Chia Hui Liu] as the somewhat devilish martial arts grand master Pai Mei who is brutal with his pupils. Both Beatrix and Elle Driver soon discover this. In amongst the flashbacks we see the concequence of their feelings towards the old man who sometimes appears quite merciless. Disrespect and indifference are not tolerated by Pai Mei. Even his appearance is akin to a demigod. Mai's purpose is to bring out the best in his pupil. Something they alone must do if they wish to truly master all the skills he will impart to them. Lui is a welcome breath of fresh air in this role providing some wry comic relief. Tarantino is quick to point out that, "My two favorite things in the course of making this movie,” he says, “as far as goose bump moments, was doing scenes with Sonny Chiba [who played the samurai sword maker Hattori Hanzo] and Gordon Liu." But here's the catch with Gordon Liu Tarantino had planned to play the role of Pai Mei himself. Why? Easy he says, "There was no way I was going to let the girls have all the fun!" So what changed his mind? Simple he says. "When he began to understand how demanding the pre-production chores on this complex film would be, he realized that he simply didn’t have time to act on top of all that, much less to train arduously for eight hours a day. He turned to Gordon Liu [the leather-clad leader of Lucy Liu’s Crazy 88's bodyguard squadron in Tokyo in Vol. 1] as the obvious choice to assume the role, a performer who had," he explained, "in effect, been in training all his life to portray a steely martial arts master." One character everyone will love is Bill's brother Budd played by one of Tarantino’s favorite actors, Michael Madsen. The last time the two had worked togther was way back in 1992 on the popular Reservoir Dogs in which he appeared as 'Mr Blonde'. On his character in "Kill Bill" he notes, "There’s a nice progression of Budd as a character. There’s the younger Budd in the early Viper days," he said, 'then there’s the older Budd that has gotten lost, who works as a bouncer in a strip club and lives in a trailer. We called him ‘Budd in a Bottle.’ He’s a character that I think is equally as memorable as Mr. Blonde." It's a long way from the role he played in the film "Free Willy". So how was it working with David Carrandine? "David has certain, uh, nuances of character, and I’m a bit of a quirky character myself. We had a sort of bantering relationship going on the set. So when they stick us together I think it’s easy to buy that we’re brothers." In Volume 2 viewers get to meet Beatrix's real nemesis, the evil Elle Driver [California Mountain Snake] played by Daryl Hannah and what a spectacle it is when these two go head to head. The trailer scene fight is a real adrenilin rush. "In the hierarchy of the Deadly Vipers," Tarantino explains, "Uma’s the top one. She’s the one who has Bill’s ear and heart. If Bill is the pimp, Uma’s character is the number one lady in his stable, the girl who keeps the other whores in line, and Daryl Hannah is Uma’s opposite number. They’re both these amazons with long legs, long arms, and long whipping blonde hair. They’ve been at odds from the beginning, and when Uma went out, Daryl went in. She was The Bride’s replacement in every sense." And what does Hannah think of playing the villian? "I'd never played a full-out villain before," she said, "so I was really excited when I realized what a bad ass Elle Driver was." I agree. She is one bad asses bitch with a passion for killing Beatrix. Is that because she really does want Bill for herself? "The Bride used to be Bill’s girl and now Elle Driver is Bill’s girl," Hannah says. "So Elle really wants to see The Bride go. She wants to be the one to finish her off." Another actor returning for Volume 2 is Michael Parks who appeared in the first edition as Sherrif Edgar McGraw but this time is cast as South American brothel owner and Bill's mentor, Esteban Vieho. Tarantino described Michael Parks, "as one of his favorite American movie actors." It appears that "Parks won the young Tarantino’s allegiance when he starred in the classic ‘70s television series "Then Came Bronson", and was later cast by writer-producer Tarantino in "From Dusk Till Dawn" [1996], directed by Robert Rodriguez ["Once Upon A Time In Mexico"]. So is "Kill Bill Volume 2" a faultless production? The answer is no. It's good. Very good. But; and isn't there always a but. There are two glaring but's. The first is this. If you're already a fan of Kill Bill and you took the time to see Volume one, you'll be champing at the bit for the story to pick up from where it ended. There is a lead in for those who didn't see the first edition and many will be echoing the though, "for Gud's sake get on with it". But the biggest but is left for the unsatisfying finish. Here fans are really let down. Bill wanders off into a dialogue that nearly drives the audience to despair. We want a real confrontation with Bill and Beatrix. Bloody hell, we don't want to see her talked to death. And Bill's inglorious ending? Well to put it mildly, and no other reviewer will dare say this; "It's f*****g piss weak." Never the less, even for those indiscretions I like most of my colleges, have no hesitation in saying that if this genre is your fare, then go see it. It's good. Nay indisputabley grand. Cast & Crew Bytes "Kill Bill Vol 2" was directed by Quentin Tarrantino ["My Best Friends Birthday", "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction" and "Jackie Brown"], produced by Lawrence Bender ["Intruder", "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction", "Good Will Hunting", "Jackie Brown" and "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights"], cinematography by Robert Richardson ["Platoon", "Wall Street", "A Few Good Men" and "The Horse Whisperer"], edited by Sally Menke ["Cold Feet", "Reservoir Dogs", "Nightwatch" and "All the Pretty Horses"], the sets were decorated by Sandy Reynolds-Wasco ["Stacking", "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction", "Jackie Brown" and "The Royal Tennebaums"] and the costumes were designed by Kumiko Ogawa ["Nabbie no koi" and "Kill Bill Vol 1"] and Catherine Marie Thomas ["Arresting Gena", "Tape", "Sidewalks of New York" and "Ash Wednesday"]. Yuen Wo-ping ["Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow", "Drunken Master", "The Matrix" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"] acted as the Martial Arts adviser to the film.
"Kill Bill Vol 2" stars Uma Thurman ["Johnny Be Good", "Final Analysis", "The Golden Bowl", "Tape" and "Paycheck"], Michael Madsen ["Reservoir Dogs", "Donnie Brasco", "Free Willy", "Thelma and Louise", and "Wyatt Earp"], Daryl Hannah ["Splash", "BladeRunner", "Steel Magnolias", "Grumpy Old Men" and "Grumpier old Men"], David Carradine ["You and Me", "Mean Streets", "The Long Goodbye", "Death Race 2000", "The Serpent's Egg", "Gray Lady Down" and "Bird on a Wire"], Michael Parks ["The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover", "The Evictors", "The Hitman", the television series "Twin Peaks" and "From Dusk Till Dawn"], Bo Svenson ["Special Delivery", "Breaking Point", "North Dallas Forty" and "Heartbreak Ridge"], Perla Haney-Jardine ["Dark Water], Samuel L Jackson ["Together For Days", "School Daze", "Patriot Games", "Jackie Brown", "Changing Lanes", "Shaft" and "S.W.A.T"], and Chia Hui Liu [credited as Gordon Liu] ["Four Assassins", "Executioners From Shao Lin", "The Lady Is The Boss" and "The Year Of The Gun"] as Pai Mei. The Story

"A beautiful, twisted, complex martial arts soap opera." Richard Roeper EBERT & ROEPER

The Bride is back, and needless to say she is still pissed. Very Pissed. It's two down and three to go in Vol 2 of the Quentin Tarantino "Kill Bill" saga. Uma Thurman is every bit the hero and once again sensational as she sets about extracting her revenge on those who left her bloodied body on the floor of the wedding chapel. She's now more than ever determined to kill Bill. But Beatrix will need more than determination. First she must escape the clutches of Bill's sadistic brother Budd. And that will still leave her arch nemisis Elle Driver [California Mountain Snake]. Elle would give anything to see her dead. And if Beatrix survives these two she still has to track down Bill. Track down and kill Bill. The Verdict "Even though the end is a dud, this second installment far outshines its predecessor thanks to sensational performances by Michael Madsen and Gordon Liu. But in the big picture it's Tarantino's talent and Thurman's strong portrayal that makes a grand combo. Hypnotically fascinating to watch "Kill Bill Vol 2 rivals such greats as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". A visual treat." The Cast

Uma Thurman David Carradine Michael Madsen Daryl Hannah Chia Hui Liu Michael Parks Perla Haney-Jardine Chris Nelson Bo Svenson Jeannie Epper Claire Smithies Clark Middleton Laura Cayouette Larry Bishop Sid Haig Reda Beebe Samuel L Jackson Caitlin Keats Sonny Chiba Vivica A Fox Chiaki Kuriyama Lucy Liu Stevo Polyi LaTanya Richardson Venessia Valentino

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Beatrix Kiddo/The Bride/Black Mamba Bill/Snake Charmer Budd/Sidewinder Elle Driver/California Mountain Snake Pai Mei Esteban Vihaio B B Tommy Plympton Reverend Harmony Mrs Harmony Clarita Ernie Rocket Larry Gomez Jay the Bartender Lucky Rufus Janeen Hattori Hanzo Vernita Green/Copperhead Go Go Yubari O-Ren Ishii/Cottonmouth Tim L F O'Boyle First Grade Teacher

The Crew Directed by Quentin Tarantino Produced by Lawrence Bender Cinematography by Robert Richardson Film Editing by Sally Menke Casting by Koko Maeda & Johanna Ray Production Design by Yohei Taneda & David Wasco Art Direction by Daniel Bradford Set Decoration by Sandy Reynolds-Wasco Costume Design by Kumiko Ogawa & Catherine Marie Thomas Visual Effects by Jennifer Lee Special Effects Supervisor Jason Gustafson Run Time 137 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2004 - Miramax Films - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2004 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages - All Rights Reserved