The Dude

"What video do you want to watch?"

"Shogun Assassin."

Ringo20000

I just got back from seeing it and it's absolutely brilliant. It's definitely a different pacing of volume 1 but I expected that going in. Interestingly I just read Ebert's review and he also mentions that Pai Mei's sequence was dubbed by Quentin as someone mentioned earlier yet mine was subtitled. I'm actually really glad it wasn't dubbed because that wouldn't have fit the mood. I'm also mad I didn't stay for the credits (That's actually one of my film professor's 11 commandments) but I went with friends and they were the ones driving so I didn't really have much of a choice.

Rypro 525

really liked it. while it doesn't have the frantic pacing of vol 1, i really took the slow pacing well.

one thing, if the movie was released in chronological order, would this be close to the order
the anime
the Pai Me training
the stuff at the wedding
the stuff at the hospital
the stuff with her getting the sword from sonny chiba
the house of blue leaves
the stuff with veretta green

vol 2 goes mostly in order with the exception of the pai me stuff, which is between the stuff with

RichC2

I actually really liked the credit sequences, more so than the "thing" after the credits (Which was pretty weak after the hype). Especially the I thought they were well done.

I think Pai Mei's laugh was dubbed by Quentin, you can actually hear a bit of a tone change in em, you should also note there is a mistake about the black mamba in his review, don't know why but note it dammit

das Monkey

I was going to go with "Brilliant," but "Incredible" will work. All of the character development and dialogue put aside from the first film are just fantastic in this one, and Vol 2 serves its purpose perfectly: it completes the story introduced in Vol 1 while elevating its depth of story and character to a much higher level such that the final product is far stronger than either of its parts. Having seen the whole thing now, I can safely say that I agree with the decision to split it into two films. Tarantino's done again what he does best, taking that which we already know so well and weaving it into something remarkably new and unique.

I didn't really expect to feel this way going in, but Uma really should get some serious Oscar consideration for her performance. The phrase "tour de force" almost seems insultingly inadequate.

das

P.S. I've had a crappy VHS copy of The Shogun Assassin on my shelf for what must be at least 20 years now, so I thoroughly enjoyed that reference.

RocShemp

You don't suppose Quentin pulled a Clue by releasing different versions of Kill Bill Vol. 2 at the same time? You know, one with Pai Mei dubbed and one with Pai Mei subbed.

Rypro 525

one question thats been bugging me about her having the child. even though she wasn't exactly "dead" but in a coma, but still, how could she have the child? and maybe i didn't catch it but was bill the bride's boss for a while?

nightmaster

This is definitely Uma's career defining role, regardless of what she chooses to do in the years to come. Before KB I was uninterested in Thurman's movies in general. Now I see her as a physical actress on her own tier. How could you top The Bride??? I saw it tonight and the constant shifts and suprises gave Vol. 2 a completely different feel for me. The performances throughout were inspired both in choice and in portayal. Hannah was AWESOME as Elle Driver, likewise Madsen as Budd. I'll be going again before the end of the weekend and upping the opening weekend gross on this one......

Ringo20000

I'm almost positive in Vol. 1 when she lifts the hospital gown after waking up there is a scar so I figure they did a C-section when it was time for the baby to be born.

Also I agree with nightmaster on Hannah. After watching her promote volume 1 i couldn't believe how annoying she was. I was hoping she would be the first to go, but I was pleasently surprised by her preformance one of the best villians I have ever seen. I truly hated her which is a good thing.

das Monkey

Some other thoughts:

Loved the credits
I didn't read any spoilers, so I thought it was great that her name was actually Kiddo.
at one of those damn Bed Bath & Beyond "20% Off" coupons on the desk in the strip club.

das

Rypro 525

liked all the subtle hints about her last name, since thats what Bill called her, since thats normally what you call your pals.

caiman

All the dialogue spoken by Pai Mei was dubbed by QT. But it wasn't in English. Just because something is dubbed doesn't mean it's in English. All of Pai Mei's lines were subtitled. I really doubt there are two versions.

Rypro 525

didn't know qt knew cananese.

Rypro 525

here's the script if anyone's intersted
http://sfy.iv.ru/sfy.html?script=kill_bill
noticed the black and white process shot that introduces vol 2, was supposed to be at the begining of the movie.

RocShemp

Okay, this is like what was done to Sonny Chiba in The Storm Riders (where he was dubbed in the Cantonese and Mandarin releases even though clearly hear him speak Japanese in the international trailer) or when X actor speaks Mandarin but is dubbed in Cantonese for general release or vise versa?

nightmaster

I'm guessing the Academy won't take much notice but I'd love to see Darryl get a nom for best supporting actress. Her performance was way over the top and it was intended to be......man, she should have been playing bad girls YEARS ago!

Drop

HEAVY SPOILERS in my review.

I absolutely love Volume 2, more than Volume 1. Everything was that much better, and I had such a great time. I can't remember the last time I watched a movie and was so incredibly involved in it that I wished that I could experience every aspect of the story.

The fight scenes may not have been has awe-inspiring or visually exciting, but they were all about a million times more intense and emotionally griping.

The dialouge was fantastic, and every actor was so appropriately chosen, that it makes me wonder how anyone else could have been under consideration for any of these parts.

David Carradine as Bill really blew me away. His portrayl of Bill was such an amazing thing to watch. He was so slick and likeable, but when he died, I was so happy. He was just the kind of scum that I could be best friends with, but I would question how we even became friends to begin with until the die I died. I really hope Carradine gets some more high profile roles, he's just so enjoyable to watch.

Micheal Madsen as Budd, was the perfect younger brother to Carradine's Bill. He had the presence of being able to be better than Bill but never amounted to it, and never wanted it. His short-lived screen life was very dissappointing to me, but I think it also reflects the character's life.

Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver topped the untoppable bitch that was O-ren Ishii, by being the most despicable one-eyed c*nt I've ever had the pleasure of seeing on film. Hannah played her so perfectly that I don't think I'll ever watch Splash the same way again.

Gordon Liu as Pai Mei, was just simply inspiring as the most enjoyable teacher that I'm jealous I can never have, but I'm glad that never was, and can never be, because I most certainly would not have any eyes (or much of a life) to see this great film.

Perla Haney-Jardine as B.B was such an unexpected and enjoyable performance that without her, the final chapter would not work. She was just so cute and so perfectly Bill and Beatrix (hence B.B.?).

Uma Thurman as The Bride aka Beatrix Kiddo, was everything I could want in a heroine. She was Clint Eastwood, Bruce Lee, Toshiro Mifune, and any other badasses I can't think off, rolled into one beautiful (gorgeous ) blonde package, with her own feminine edge that is simply her own. She really went through everything an actor can go through in a role, and I really think she deserves atleast an Oscar nomination.

The music in this was even better than the first. I loved it all, and it was great to see QT go directly to the source for many of the musical ques. I did feel that the only song slightly out of place was The Theme from a Fistful of Dollars, during the scene were Budd had taken the Bride down with his shotgun. I just didn't think it was appropriate, but that just may come from my association with it's source and original use. I'm hoping on my next viewing this problem recieves a good old Five-Point Palm - exploding heart technique, and dies in five steps.

I think the film perfectly balanced the two main genres it was birthed from. As far as I could tell, the film was split right down the middle between Spaghetti Western and Kung-Fu. It of course had the QT stank all over it, and that, in the end, is what made it so great.

I think my favorite (if a little corny) touch was how Bill's heart was broken (well exploded) twice, figuratively and then literally. I really think this isn't so much a revenge film, but more about a story of being heartbroken (I know that sounds pretentious). I think QT might have written a great deal of this when he was having relationship difficulties himself.

So yea, I loved this film, and I can only think of a single fault with it, which is so minor. I think anyone who thinks these films (as seperate entities, but apart of the same story) should be cut in the slightest, is being ridiculous, IMO (of course). There were so perfectly paced, and so well executed that at times I felt like QT was channeling the great directors of the respective genres. QT was not becoming them though, he was only asking for their guidance, and they were happy to give it.

das Monkey

It was a great touch how he didn't really sell the sword. I also liked how he wasn't killed by Beatrix, but a Black Mamba nonetheless.

das

Dr. DVD

Saw it. Loved it. Let me say that if Uma Thurman does not at least get an Oscar nomination for her work in this film (actually these films), then the academy is truly blind to stuff like this.



I will say more later, but I really do not see how in the world this would have worked as one movie. I'm sure with editing it could have, but QT really has two different homage movies under his belt. The first one is a Hong Kong cinema flick, and the second a Spaghetti Western, with the exception of Pei Mei's stuff.
One question:

Also, the Carradine Brothers rock! David Carradine played this Bill quite well, and his brother Keith did a great job of the historical "Wild Bill" Hickock on Deadwood. Thank God Warren Beatty dropped out, I doubt anyone else could have owned that role like he did.

Dr. DVD

My Pei Mei sequence was subtitled, and from what I understand QT decided NOT to use his voice for Pei Mei. It certainly didn't sound like him, that's for certain.

jeffkjoe

Will someone who saw the movie please tell me:



Thanks!

caiman

Mondo Kane

Make that 2 of us!

FiveO

Saw it tonight....loved it.

Couple interesting observations though...

Here is a spoiler from the Screenplay....





Now....maybe I was just tired...but I did not hear Austin, Tx...I heard CA somewhere. Just a QT glitch?

Also....I did not see that Elle

Can anyone confirm or deny?

Interesting screenplay....I'm going to have to read through it all one day and catch some other inconsistencies.


Great flick...definitely a variant from Vol. 1. 3.5 out of 4 for me.

Jackskeleton

Well the thing about that is it's the first lines of Vol 1 giving out her name, yet QT bleeped out her first name. He fooled us.

Wha...