When Quentin Tarantino decided to split Kill Bill into two separate films, he left the first film at a critical point. The Bride had just offed Lucy Liu and her Crazy 88's and Bill had just revealed to the audience that her child was actually still alive.
That revelation made me, like most audience members, aww and sigh as we had to wait six months for the conclusion. Now Kill Bill Volume 2 is on DVD for fans who missed the theatrical version to find out what happens as the Bride (or ****** ******) as the film reveals her name to be finally, makes her quest towards killing Elle, Budd and eventually Bill.
Like many fans upon watching the film I was caught off guard by how drastically different the movie is when compared to the first half. Gone is the ultra violent sword fights in great quantity and anime inspired cutscenes, in favor of something more along the lines of backstory and love. Much of the film sequences the events that led to The Bride's training and eventual massacre at Two Pines Chappel.
The movie still has a few violent scenes including one involving some eye gouging but for the most part the film is tame in comparison to the amount of blood shed in the first. The music is another drastic change, as the songs lose their catchyness and are replaced with cliched speghetti western flair. There's quality material here in the sounds but I didn't come away humming or singing anything as I did with the first.
Perhaps rising to the top of the hill is more exciting than the climb back down. Part 1 took us to the top and part 2 takes us back down the hill. Kill Bill 2 has a nice ending that resolves the film neatly in a believable manner. I am salivating at the prospect of an eventual single DVD retelling the entire story as it once was meant to be.
The Disc:
As with the first disc, Buena Vista brings home Kill Bill 2 in a 2:35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen presentation that looks gorgeous. The film itself is a different type of visual beast but looks just as wonderful as the first. Sounds in the DD 5.1 soundtrack are equally impressive. The included DTS 5.1 track sounds even better with plenty of range in the surrounds. There's not as much action in this half as the first but the surrounds make good use of what's there on both tracks.
Extras on the disc begin with Behind The Scenes Featurette, a 26 minute feature that has the usual interviews and behind the scenes material of a Miramax presentation. Quentin offers plenty of insight here that is interesting but I personally would have preferred an audio commentary track sequenced with the movie.
Next is a feature that ties into the different kind of music that the film offers this time around. Chingon Performance from the Kill Bill Vol. 2 Premiere offers a live performance from Robert Rodriguez's marachi like band. The music is pretty exciting with Rodriguez looking extremely excited about the singer's ability to hold a note.
Finally there's a deleted scene involving a thug on an asian street that is closer to the style of the first film. It is a hilarious battle with an ending that is quite caustic.
bottom line:
A great film when tallied with the first but pretty much confusing and droll if viewed without having seen the first half. Kill Bill Volume 2 is a MUST HAVE as a partner to the first but not quite as good as the first if compared alone. Still Q & U have written a saga worthy of new fans for years.
4 out of 5
By - Brian Gray
