Today’s quick review: Kill Bill: Vol. 2. The Bride (Uma Thurman) continues her bloody quest for revenge, this time setting her sights on Budd (Michael Madsen), now working as a bouncer in Texas, Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), Bill’s right-hand woman, and finally Bill (David Carradine) himself. But to get to Bill, the Bride must confront her past, including her training, her relationship with Bill, and the reason she left him.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is an action movie from director Quentin Tarantino and the second and final entry in the Kill Bill series. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 picks up where the first movie left off, as the Bride hunts down the assassins who beat her and left her for dead. Her mission is split between flashbacks to her past, her methodical progress in the present, and the violent martial arts combat needed to kill the Vipers.
Compared to the first film, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 sacrifices action and stylization for story and drama. The fight scenes, while still creative, are more limited; instead, extra time is spent on the Bride’s training and background. Likewise, the direction, while still sharp, lacks some of the playful nature of the first film. As the Bride nears the end of her journey, the story takes on a more serious tone, with focused storytelling to match.
David Carradine deserves special mention for his performance as Bill, a character he manages to make both subtly charismatic and quietly dangerous. His character alone is enough to justify the slight shift in tone and style; the man kept in the shadows for the first film does not disappoint. For her part, Uma Thurman continues to impress, a steely action heroine with a human side that shows more as she draws closer to Bill.
Watch Kill Bill: Vol. 2 if you enjoyed the first film. While not unwatchable on its own, the second installment’s main purpose is to tie up the story begun in the first. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 does a credible job at this, with good doses of violent action, intelligent direction, and superb character development. Skip it if you are sensitive to violence or disliked the first one. Watch with caution if you are expecting a carbon copy of the original.
8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for action, style, and drama.