I have to say straight off that I am very objective about Quentin Tarantino’s films. I have never really been swept along in the crowd of people who think he’s the best thing to come along in American cinema in a long time, so it might strike you odd that I should be reviewing his latest offering. Well, being objective, I felt it was my duty to give it a shot – or in this case, a stab.

Kill Bill is Tarantino’s homage to martial arts flicks. Its whole style is quite removed from his past work, simply because he has swopped guns for swords. This is a story of revenge, rushing back and forward in time as The Bride (Uma Thurman) exacts justice on the members of the Deadly Viper Assassin Squad who tried to kill her four years before on her wedding day, travelling from suburban America to Japan to find her enemies.

Thurman is on fine form, whilst there is sterling support from Lucy Liu as Japanese Yakuza boss, Cottonmouth with her army of psychotic school-girls and masked, black suited warriors; Darryl Hannah as a one-eyed killer and an unseen David Carradine as Bill.

Tarantino has concentrated hard on his visuals, from creating vibrant colours in his images and the Japanese animation to the meticulously choreographed fight scenes; but the violence seems so unrealistic at times that it seems to verge onto something created by Monty Python.

He has also split the film into two parts, a risky move at the best of times as sequels far too often do not live up to expectations (such as the recent Matrix Reloaded). I was left somewhat unmoved by the whole thing, but anyone who loves Kung-Fu movies will probably think it’s wonderful.
(3½/5)

Release Date: 19 April 2004