“Kill Bill, Volume 2” (Miramax)
“Kill Bill, Volume 2” suffers from sequel-itus, which means the second installment is not equal to the first. In this second part Uma Thurman returns as “the bride” and she is hell-bent and determined to kill Bill, the man who almost killed her. But where the first volume was exciting and fun, this one bogs down in plot and emotionalism. Where is Lucy Liu when you need her
The movie opens with “the Bride” on her way to where Bill (David Carradine) is. She flashes back to scenes where she met and dealt with Bill’s murderous brother Budd (Michael Madsen). She also has a run in with assassin Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah). But these are only potholes in her highway to Bill.
We also get a chance to see the Bride get martial arts training from the renowned master Pai Mei (Gordon Liu). This is a fun part of the film but it goes on a little too long, as does the entire movie.
At the end of the film Director Quentin Tarantino tries to inject some emotionalism dealing with motherhood. It doesn’t work. If we wanted hearts and flowers we would go to Steven Spielberg. From Tarantino we just want action and violence which he gave us in “Volume 1.”
The acting in the movie isn’t bad, it is just overdone. Uma holds our attention and Hannah and Madsen add some fun with their roles. Carradine is still playing his role in “Kung Fu.” He’s just as wise and sensitive as ever, and just as deadly.
The movie is rated R for violence and profanity.
There are scenes from “Volume 1” that stick with me till this day. None of “Volume 2” does. It is forgettable as soon as you leave the theater. Never has a sequel been as jarring a disconnect from the first installment as this one is. Not “The Matrix” follow-up movies, or the “Harry Potter” sequels have swerved off into a different direction like this one does..
If you liked the first one as much as I did, you can’t help but be disappointed in this sequel. But if you like less action and more mystical dialogue you might prefer the second. Might is the key word here.
I scored “Kill Bill, Volume 2” a dulled sword 4 out of 10.
