Plot: The Bride wakens from a four-year coma. The child she carried in her womb is gone. Now she must wreak vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her – a team she was once part of.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Blood Soaked Action Frenzy
Story: Kill Bill Volume 1 starts in typical Tarantino style by having the first act being from the middle of the story as we follow the Bride (Thurman) checking off her list of names she is going to kill after her former hit squad known as the Viper Squad crashed her wedding killing everyone and somehow The Bride survived. We see how she meets Vernita Green (Fox) for a fight to the death.
As we do in Tarantino we move back to the beginning of the story as we see the brutal beating The Bride took at the hands the Viper Squad and her recovery from the coma they left her in, we see how she travels to Japan to find O-Ren Ishii (Liu) and along the way get her weapon of choice a Hanzo samurai sword. This will be the first steps on this revenge blood soaked revenge mission by the Bride.
Kill Bill Volume 1 really is only the beginning of this story, we see what has happened to The Bride and where she is heading when it comes to her revenge. We only see the first chapters with the real personal stuff coming in the next film. This keeps everything simple which is needed and in typical Tarantino style you hardly notice the time pass by.
Actor Review
Uma Thurman: The Bride was left for dead on her wedding day while carrying child by the former boss and partners in the Viper Squad, awaking from a coma she starts on her own revenge mission against the people responsible and this outing we see her go after O-Ren and Vernita. Uma is fantastic in this role which could well be the one she will forever be remembered for.
Lucy Liu: O-Ren Ishii is one of the Viper Squad, she has been killing people nearly her whole life after witnessing her own parents killed. She has risen to the top of the Yakuza with her no-nonsense style which leaves anyone that crosses her dead but she will fight the Bride with honor. Lucy is great in this role where we see her taking on a role we wouldn’t be used to seeing her in.
Vivica A Fox: Vernita Green is one of the Viper Squad with the code name Copperhead, she has now settled down starting her own family with a child that would have been about the same age as the child The Bride lost. She plays that she wants a fair fight but The Bride knows better than to trust her making this a fight to the death inside her home. Vivica is good in this supporting role.
Daryl Hannah: Elle Driver is another member of the squad that has always been against The Bride and even tries to finishes the job. Daryl is solid but really is just another supporting character ready for the sequel.
Support Cast: Kill Bill Volume 1 has a supporting cast which is mostly just O-Ren’s soldiers which are being used to show just how deadly The Bride is.
Director Review: Quentin Tarantino – Quentin gives us one of the most perfect action films of recent years that even builds to the second part of the film.
Action: Kill Bill Volume 1 has amazing action going on with the seemingly endless final fight which takes a good half an hour.
Music: Kill Bill Volume 1 uses outstanding music to show the tone of each scene.
Settings: Kill Bill Volume 1 takes us to Japan for most of this action with the final act being inside the club.
Special Effects: Kill Bill Volume 1 has amazing effects to show the weapons damage on its victims.
Suggestion: Kill Bill Volume 1 is one I think everyone should watch, it really is something special. (Watch)
Best Part: Club fight.
Worst Part: Nothing.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Yes
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Budget: $30 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 57 Minutes
Tagline: This October, Go For The Kill
Trivia: As Quentin Tarantino was leaving Japan after initial location scouting and securing the studios, he heard the all girl band “The 5,6,7,8’s” playing over the store’s speakers. He was so intrigued by the music that he asked a clerk who the band was. When he was told, Tarantino, who didn’t have enough time to go to a music shop to get their CD, begged the clerk to sell him their copy. Quentin took the disc home, listened to it, and immediately signed the band to play during the “Showdown at the House of Blue Leaves” segment. All of the band’s songs, including the stand-out “Woo Hoo” are covers of early 60’s surfer songs.
Overall: This is really a special film that can be watched over and over.
Rating
