I mean, I really wanted to like Kill Bill Vol. 2. I really did. It’s a rare moment indeed when I get to the cinema these days, even more so on the day of release. But after 75 minutes of drawn out dialogue before the one and only (and all too brief) fight scene of note, any thoughts of this being another film in the same mould as the first part were long gone.
That said, there’s the cute homage to 70′s kung-fu in there, reminiscent of Monkey Magic; Quentin Tarantino gets as close as he has to the horror genre at one point; the loose ends are more or less tied up from the first part and well, you can guess what happens to Bill. But boy, will your patience be tested. There is some reward for the viewer in some genuinely touching moments late on in the film, but otherwise, be prepared for 137 minutes of dialogue, background story and not very much chop-socky fight action at all.
Doubtless the debate about whether it should have been one edited film or the two feature length parts that it’s ended up as will be fiercer than ever now. There are some bloated and extended sequences in the second film that even Stanley Kubrick would consider editing down, and entire scenes that could be dropped with no real noticeable impact on the overall story. Tarantino’s knack for snappy dialogue seems to have meandered off the tracks, too.
Overall it’s worth watching if you’ve seen the first in order to get the bigger picture of who and what Uma Thurman‘s character is all about. Set your expectations appropriately and get a caffeinated soft drink on your way into the theatre, and you’ll be OK.
