@confusedmatthew Are you aware that the international "Whole Bloody Affair" version completely omits the second showing of Bill shooting the Bride in the Church? It also omits the last scene we see at the end of Vol. 1, where Bill says, "Does she know that her daughter is still alive?", so that detail is only revealed when she shows up at Bill's house at the end of the Vol. 2 portion. Would this have made the movie salvageable for you?
I like your point about guns vs. swords in this review.
Movies like this, that value melee weapons over guns, always put me in mind of Marvel's Deadpool, and how even a psychotic with dissociative identity disorder realizes the obvious advantages of a high velocity long range projectile weapon, when these other people don't seem to get it.
Pacing has always been my biggest issue with QT films. While I don't mind the long talkative scenes considering the writing is usually pretty good and clever, but sometiumes these scenes slow the pace down to a crawl and people tune out the dialoge and miss some of the gems.
I enjoyed the Bud story. It shouldn't have worked, but it did (for many viewers anyway.) It gives the character depth and you actually feel for him, assuming that the 'Black Mamba' will easily kill him. The twist is unexpected and very affective. And when the one-eyed blone villain kills him you are also surprised, feel sorry for him, and regard her as a serious villain now. Emotions are kind of good for a film. Fun and humour aren't serious drama. I normally like your reviews but this is silly.
I don't like the kill bill movies all that much, I never did. I just think they're both wildly unbalanced. One is excessive blood and gore with odd, jarring choices in character development and back story, and the other is a lot of exposition with barely any action. For those of you who love the movies though, I will always give credit for the excellent soundtracks.
@sanjurosama I didn't care for Vol. 1 the first time I saw it, either. But I would still highly recommend Vol. 2. Great dialogue, and actual character analysis, something the first volume lacked, but lacked for a reason: That was not what it was supposed to be about. Vol. 1 is all about the vengence and epic fight scenes. Then Vol. 2 comes in and poses some interesting questions that make the Kill Bill story REAL, questioning the Bride's actions that lead up to her attempted murder.
I'm starting to think there is something wrong with you, first you didn't like 2001, then The Incredibles and now Kill Bill II. Movies that are universally regarded as some of the best ever made. Maybe it's not actually the movies that are bad, but rather you who can't look beyond the tip of you nose. And actually the scene with Bud's employer does give us an insight into Bud's character, he was once a fearsome warrior, now he's a drunk who can't even meet on time or knows what days he works.
Matthew I think you missed the point about these films they aren't as much about the bride herself but rather bill and his organisation and give insight in how they came to be(and how they got destroyed). Don't think of the bride as the main character and I think you will enjoy the movie better. She is only a device which gives us a way of achieving that, even the training scene with that marshal arts teacher is only there to show us how all of them trained and what they all went through.
@Gemasted If that was Tarantino's intent, he screwed up even more. That isn't how the revenge genre works. The person seeking revenge is always the protagonist. If he wanted to buck with even that tradition, he'd have to go much farther. Ironically, he'd have to show even less of Ball's character. And he'd have to flesh out every bad guy, not just Liu's character.
In fact, you'd pretty much need Bill to be in the first movie, and detail everything from his point of view.
You know what Matthew you are one of the most unpatient internet critic I've ever seen. Tarantino is showing us Bud at work to show what kind of life he's living since his days as an assassin. Plus it's a little thing called character development. Oh the movie is not boring at all. The dialogue is top notch.
PS: Matthew not only do The Lion King fans want you buried alive. But every fan of all the movies you've given a negative review want you buried alive.
@trlkly I continue watching his reviews because well I'm a fan of alot of his reviews. Oh and btw about the whole burying him alive thing I was just responding to his statement about The Lion King fans wanting him buried alive. I was just joking. For fuck sakes! Can anyone take a joke anymore?
Vol 1 at least had some cool action, but man I hated this film. Maybe even more than Matthew because I really didn't cared for the buried alive scene.
I don't get why you're bitching about the scene with Budd at work and saying it was useless. It was to show how much his life sucks now, compared to before when he was an assassin.
I guess Matthew is confused about character development. Bud is shown being humiliated by his boss to establish character: he has fallen to the point where he puts up with that. The Viper hit squad assassin was so damaged by his work that now he can.t assert himself at all. Once again, what Matthew can't understand, doesn't exist.
@feskslog I do see where you are coming from. I happen to enjoyed other movies where people hated the talking scenes because I enjoyed those interactions. This scene just happen to do more for you then me. But I can see the scene from a different perspective. There was moment I felt brief pity for the guy, when he was being chewed out about the hat.
Actually, I kind of liked the second one more. Most of it is due to the fact that the second movie was not as over the top with violence. There's only one gruesome scene I can recall from Vol. 2: Thurman's character squishing that woman's eyeball. In the first film, that anime sequence, the whole fight with the crazy 88's, constant amputations and decapitations. Too much ridiculousness = not believable.
I kinda agree with Matthew on these movies. Vol 1 was kinda fun but I really didn't give a shit about the characters. Vol 2 on the other hand was really slow and dragged on for an eternity but I actually started getting interrested in the bride' character.
@feskslog Then what was the point? And he clearly wasn't fired. He was put on unpaid leave until his boss told him to come back into work. There is a difference. If he was fired, he would have been out right told " Get out of here and never come back " or " You're fired. " Being told to wait for a phone call to come back to work is not being fired.
Bud getting chewed out at work in and of itself is fine, but it doesn't need to be that long. It's not all that funny, it's pretty badly acted, and I didn't even remember it until I watched this part of the review. Tarantino on autopilot.
Some scenes may have contributed nothing to the story or characters, but I liked them anyway. The "angry boss" scene was interesting to me because it showed an interaction between characters that subverted my previous judgement of Budd.
When you talk about the pace it's like you're saying, "Tarantino failed the pace test because there's a sudden shift from 5th gear to 1st". Maybe that was his intention. Any decision not based on the orthodox of film-making will annoy some but stimulate others.
I actually liked the scene with Bud at work. It showed a ruthless killer and skilled assassin (though they never physically show him assassinating anyone, probably because Michael Madsen is completely out of shape) being reduced to a small, powerless bitch being bossed around by a guy he would have beheaded in a split second in his previous life. Maybe it's off point, but I feel it does give some insight into who his character has become.
@foodlovingpig My problem is that In order to give us insight into who his character has BECOME, we first need to know who his character WAS. Tarantino gave Lucy Lu the four star treatment in back story and it didn't amount to a thing. If he had treated Bud with the same courtesy, this scene might actually have worked. But we didn't know Budd before he came to work, so it doesn't help us to get to know him now. He's just a guy that was late.
@confusedmatthew Matthew, I don't always agree with you 100%, but here I have too. That scene with Budd at work was pure bullshit and was just a huge wast of time.
@confusedmatthew That's a good point. We don't know who he's become, but it still lets us know a bit about the small, insignificant man that he is. He sure as hell was someone bigger in his past, but like you said, we don't know much about his past other than that he was an assassin. It definitely would have been more effective had they shown us any amount of background for him outside of some passing dialog and a brief shot of him approaching the wedding chapel, but I still liked the scene.
Not agreeing with you on this films... I believe they are great, specially Vol 2... but, Tarantino is that way, you either love his work, or hate it... no middle ground. I know people that HATE pulp fiction!!! And that's so wrong I can't even begin to explain it.
By the way, WTF is your problem with Jackie Brown fool?? ;-) That flick is awesome and the most mature Quentin has ever being as a filmmaker!
@ComandoPadentro I disagree about either loving or hating QT's work. I loved Pulp Fiction, thought Reservoir Dogs was great, Jackie Brown was just okay, Death Proof was complete and utter shit, and Inglorious Basterds, while not terrible, did nothing for me and was really overrated. As for Kill Bill, I liked volume 1 simply for the action (like CM, i really didn't care about the Bride). Part 2 was a MASSIVE letdown
This is the Kill Bill film I'm more familiar with, so I'm glad to see you giving insights into what bothered me so much about it. I do hope you explain how senseless the eye patch lady's actions are in the second film. It doesn't make sense even for the non-character that was BARELY established in these movies. It's a really pathetic attempt to keep the plot going.
Also, I can at least respect the second one better because it's more western oriented, where it BELONGS.
I have to disagree with you take on the "Bud's late for work" scene. Tarantino uses scenes like this for texture. I feel sympathy for Bud's situation (though not for Bud). He's got an asshole boss and isn't satisfied with his life. He feels put upon, and after seeing Bill, nostalgic. He's not a Ronin; more a Brigand. He fell from grace, and he wants to escape. I don't have a problem with the scene: Just that it's telling the wrong story.
Enjoyed this, looking forward to part 2. it's a bit sad that the most intellectual stimulation one can receive in this world is from critiques of media, not media itself. Keep up the good work, of course.
The tone of this movie was so different from the first that it took me a few minutes to adjust. I thought the buried alive scene was well-done and the fight between Ellie and the Bride was a nice shift into the realistic.
cuz of being dragged through glass by the rest of the movie, slowly and deliberately, the buried alive scene only served to roll my eyes. it was just another lonely place to ride out the movie and, still, learn nothing.
tho i did see the first in theaters, i thank god every day that i never saw the second there. its because of these movies that I avoid tarantino's work all together.
I'll never pay to see a single movie he makes cuz he shouldn't be rewarded for shitty diner-napkin writing.
@bunnystick I agree completely. My only point was that the scene on its own was very well done. It did - however - offer nothing to the film its self.
You know, I always wait to watch your reviews until all the parts are out. I feel like if I can watch it all flowing from one part to another, I can understand and form an opinion on your points better. I'm waiting until all of Kill Bill Vol 2 is up before I start Vol 1. Can't wait to.
I just can't wait for The Whole Bloody Affair to be released in the US on DVD/Blu-ray. Slightly more action in the Vol. 1 half, and that first opening with the Bride talking in the car is completely removed.
@monkeyman9119 That seems to be a lot of peoples reaction. I get the feeling that I might have a few more advocates for my review of Part 2 than part 1.
@confusedmatthew Are you aware that the international "Whole Bloody Affair" version completely omits the second showing of Bill shooting the Bride in the Church? It also omits the last scene we see at the end of Vol. 1, where Bill says, "Does she know that her daughter is still alive?", so that detail is only revealed when she shows up at Bill's house at the end of the Vol. 2 portion. Would this have made the movie salvageable for you?
Killermike2178 1 month ago
I like your point about guns vs. swords in this review.
Movies like this, that value melee weapons over guns, always put me in mind of Marvel's Deadpool, and how even a psychotic with dissociative identity disorder realizes the obvious advantages of a high velocity long range projectile weapon, when these other people don't seem to get it.
That always puts a smile on my face.
kanyehater100 4 months ago
So um....how ya feel about Sucker Punch?
raynarayskye 6 months ago
Pacing has always been my biggest issue with QT films. While I don't mind the long talkative scenes considering the writing is usually pretty good and clever, but sometiumes these scenes slow the pace down to a crawl and people tune out the dialoge and miss some of the gems.
TheDalinkwent 6 months ago
I enjoyed the Bud story. It shouldn't have worked, but it did (for many viewers anyway.) It gives the character depth and you actually feel for him, assuming that the 'Black Mamba' will easily kill him. The twist is unexpected and very affective. And when the one-eyed blone villain kills him you are also surprised, feel sorry for him, and regard her as a serious villain now. Emotions are kind of good for a film. Fun and humour aren't serious drama. I normally like your reviews but this is silly.
Neurolanis 6 months ago 3
Comment removed
Neurolanis 6 months ago
LEAVE MATTHEW ALOOOOONE! YOU'RE LUCKY HE EVEN REVIEWS FOR YOU BASTARDS!
LevvyVision 6 months ago
@confusedmatthewI just thought of a good nickname you can call Pai Mei in Part 2: Closeup McBeardstroke.
Killermike2178 6 months ago
I don't like the kill bill movies all that much, I never did. I just think they're both wildly unbalanced. One is excessive blood and gore with odd, jarring choices in character development and back story, and the other is a lot of exposition with barely any action. For those of you who love the movies though, I will always give credit for the excellent soundtracks.
garamonde 6 months ago
Disliked. You just don't GET it, Matthew, and I'm not going to bother to explain. KB is AWESOME - BOTH of 'em.
Foebane72 6 months ago
@Foebane72
Kill Bill Vol. 1 was sucked so hard I'll probably never watch the second one.
sanjurosama 4 months ago
@sanjurosama I didn't care for Vol. 1 the first time I saw it, either. But I would still highly recommend Vol. 2. Great dialogue, and actual character analysis, something the first volume lacked, but lacked for a reason: That was not what it was supposed to be about. Vol. 1 is all about the vengence and epic fight scenes. Then Vol. 2 comes in and poses some interesting questions that make the Kill Bill story REAL, questioning the Bride's actions that lead up to her attempted murder.
winginater 3 months ago
Good review, ConfusedMatthew...
=)
joel1975 6 months ago
I'm starting to think there is something wrong with you, first you didn't like 2001, then The Incredibles and now Kill Bill II. Movies that are universally regarded as some of the best ever made. Maybe it's not actually the movies that are bad, but rather you who can't look beyond the tip of you nose. And actually the scene with Bud's employer does give us an insight into Bud's character, he was once a fearsome warrior, now he's a drunk who can't even meet on time or knows what days he works.
hurin11000 6 months ago
I asked on the forum, but you haven't responded:
Is there a reason why the discussion pages for this review are locked? Heck, could it just be locked for me, for some reason?
trlkly 6 months ago
Matthew I think you missed the point about these films they aren't as much about the bride herself but rather bill and his organisation and give insight in how they came to be(and how they got destroyed). Don't think of the bride as the main character and I think you will enjoy the movie better. She is only a device which gives us a way of achieving that, even the training scene with that marshal arts teacher is only there to show us how all of them trained and what they all went through.
Gemasted 6 months ago
@Gemasted If that was Tarantino's intent, he screwed up even more. That isn't how the revenge genre works. The person seeking revenge is always the protagonist. If he wanted to buck with even that tradition, he'd have to go much farther. Ironically, he'd have to show even less of Ball's character. And he'd have to flesh out every bad guy, not just Liu's character.
In fact, you'd pretty much need Bill to be in the first movie, and detail everything from his point of view.
trlkly 6 months ago
Vol. 1 was a great film. It was exactly what it promised. A cheesy revenge flick with lots of fighting and homages.
The second one was pure BS, as Matthew pointed out in his review, the pacing is just wretched and it is filled to the brim with boring BORING scenes.
The fight with Bill is retarded in how anti-climactic it is. I hope Matthew continues to destroy this abomination of a film(Vol. 2).
Archedgar 6 months ago
You know what Matthew you are one of the most unpatient internet critic I've ever seen. Tarantino is showing us Bud at work to show what kind of life he's living since his days as an assassin. Plus it's a little thing called character development. Oh the movie is not boring at all. The dialogue is top notch.
PS: Matthew not only do The Lion King fans want you buried alive. But every fan of all the movies you've given a negative review want you buried alive.
o2theh 6 months ago 2
@o2theh Says the person who continues watching his reviews.
And I wouldn't be bragging about the fact that your fandom is so irrational that you'd rather bury someone alive than accept criticism.
trlkly 6 months ago
@trlkly I continue watching his reviews because well I'm a fan of alot of his reviews. Oh and btw about the whole burying him alive thing I was just responding to his statement about The Lion King fans wanting him buried alive. I was just joking. For fuck sakes! Can anyone take a joke anymore?
o2theh 6 months ago
Vol 1 at least had some cool action, but man I hated this film. Maybe even more than Matthew because I really didn't cared for the buried alive scene.
buc555 6 months ago
I don't get why you're bitching about the scene with Budd at work and saying it was useless. It was to show how much his life sucks now, compared to before when he was an assassin.
kamdan2011 6 months ago
I guess Matthew is confused about character development. Bud is shown being humiliated by his boss to establish character: he has fallen to the point where he puts up with that. The Viper hit squad assassin was so damaged by his work that now he can.t assert himself at all. Once again, what Matthew can't understand, doesn't exist.
HConstantine 6 months ago
@feskslog I do see where you are coming from. I happen to enjoyed other movies where people hated the talking scenes because I enjoyed those interactions. This scene just happen to do more for you then me. But I can see the scene from a different perspective. There was moment I felt brief pity for the guy, when he was being chewed out about the hat.
amberace 6 months ago
Actually, I kind of liked the second one more. Most of it is due to the fact that the second movie was not as over the top with violence. There's only one gruesome scene I can recall from Vol. 2: Thurman's character squishing that woman's eyeball. In the first film, that anime sequence, the whole fight with the crazy 88's, constant amputations and decapitations. Too much ridiculousness = not believable.
GooberGamer 6 months ago
@feskslog There are better ways to get that across. That was just painfully boring and I was not left caring about the character.
amberace 6 months ago
I kinda agree with Matthew on these movies. Vol 1 was kinda fun but I really didn't give a shit about the characters. Vol 2 on the other hand was really slow and dragged on for an eternity but I actually started getting interrested in the bride' character.
bladerunner951 6 months ago
I actually liked Kill Bill Vol. 2 way better than Vol. 1.
M3n747 6 months ago
@feskslog Then what was the point? And he clearly wasn't fired. He was put on unpaid leave until his boss told him to come back into work. There is a difference. If he was fired, he would have been out right told " Get out of here and never come back " or " You're fired. " Being told to wait for a phone call to come back to work is not being fired.
amberace 6 months ago
Bud getting chewed out at work in and of itself is fine, but it doesn't need to be that long. It's not all that funny, it's pretty badly acted, and I didn't even remember it until I watched this part of the review. Tarantino on autopilot.
TulseLuper 6 months ago
I like the new metthew face :)
pyradragon 6 months ago
Some scenes may have contributed nothing to the story or characters, but I liked them anyway. The "angry boss" scene was interesting to me because it showed an interaction between characters that subverted my previous judgement of Budd.
When you talk about the pace it's like you're saying, "Tarantino failed the pace test because there's a sudden shift from 5th gear to 1st". Maybe that was his intention. Any decision not based on the orthodox of film-making will annoy some but stimulate others.
EdwardWhelanPiano 6 months ago
I actually liked the scene with Bud at work. It showed a ruthless killer and skilled assassin (though they never physically show him assassinating anyone, probably because Michael Madsen is completely out of shape) being reduced to a small, powerless bitch being bossed around by a guy he would have beheaded in a split second in his previous life. Maybe it's off point, but I feel it does give some insight into who his character has become.
foodlovingpig 6 months ago 7
@foodlovingpig My problem is that In order to give us insight into who his character has BECOME, we first need to know who his character WAS. Tarantino gave Lucy Lu the four star treatment in back story and it didn't amount to a thing. If he had treated Bud with the same courtesy, this scene might actually have worked. But we didn't know Budd before he came to work, so it doesn't help us to get to know him now. He's just a guy that was late.
confusedmatthew 6 months ago
@confusedmatthew Matthew, I don't always agree with you 100%, but here I have too. That scene with Budd at work was pure bullshit and was just a huge wast of time.
Darthpsychonis 6 months ago
@confusedmatthew That's a good point. We don't know who he's become, but it still lets us know a bit about the small, insignificant man that he is. He sure as hell was someone bigger in his past, but like you said, we don't know much about his past other than that he was an assassin. It definitely would have been more effective had they shown us any amount of background for him outside of some passing dialog and a brief shot of him approaching the wedding chapel, but I still liked the scene.
foodlovingpig 6 months ago
Not agreeing with you on this films... I believe they are great, specially Vol 2... but, Tarantino is that way, you either love his work, or hate it... no middle ground. I know people that HATE pulp fiction!!! And that's so wrong I can't even begin to explain it.
By the way, WTF is your problem with Jackie Brown fool?? ;-) That flick is awesome and the most mature Quentin has ever being as a filmmaker!
ComandoPadentro 6 months ago
@ComandoPadentro I disagree about either loving or hating QT's work. I loved Pulp Fiction, thought Reservoir Dogs was great, Jackie Brown was just okay, Death Proof was complete and utter shit, and Inglorious Basterds, while not terrible, did nothing for me and was really overrated. As for Kill Bill, I liked volume 1 simply for the action (like CM, i really didn't care about the Bride). Part 2 was a MASSIVE letdown
ElBombastico883 6 months ago
I can hardly remember watching part 2, but because of that long, long, loooooooong scene with Bud at his job, I'm pretty glad I can't remember.
kbomb13 6 months ago
This is the Kill Bill film I'm more familiar with, so I'm glad to see you giving insights into what bothered me so much about it. I do hope you explain how senseless the eye patch lady's actions are in the second film. It doesn't make sense even for the non-character that was BARELY established in these movies. It's a really pathetic attempt to keep the plot going.
Also, I can at least respect the second one better because it's more western oriented, where it BELONGS.
Bassbait 6 months ago
I can't imagine anyone not liking Jackie Brown. Hmm... What exactly were your problems with it?
TheBlackFandango 6 months ago
I have to disagree with you take on the "Bud's late for work" scene. Tarantino uses scenes like this for texture. I feel sympathy for Bud's situation (though not for Bud). He's got an asshole boss and isn't satisfied with his life. He feels put upon, and after seeing Bill, nostalgic. He's not a Ronin; more a Brigand. He fell from grace, and he wants to escape. I don't have a problem with the scene: Just that it's telling the wrong story.
Looking forward to the rest of the review.
nomnisang 6 months ago
PS: Can you open the Kill Bill subforum on your message board?
nomnisang 6 months ago
Enjoyed this, looking forward to part 2. it's a bit sad that the most intellectual stimulation one can receive in this world is from critiques of media, not media itself. Keep up the good work, of course.
NaturalTvventy 6 months ago
The reason why it wasn't one whole movie was because the studio thought the running time would be too long so they split it up
MrBonesaw1000 6 months ago
Apparently Tarantino wants to make a Kill Bill Vol 3......I'm a fan of Vol 1 and 2, but I don't see the point.
OmegaRattrap 6 months ago
@OmegaRattrap It would really be Kill Bill 2 if he did because these two were two haves of one whole.
buc555 6 months ago
Thanks for the videos. I really enjoy them.
GhostJang 6 months ago
The tone of this movie was so different from the first that it took me a few minutes to adjust. I thought the buried alive scene was well-done and the fight between Ellie and the Bride was a nice shift into the realistic.
GhostJang 6 months ago
I am very far from claustrophobic and the live burial chilled me also.
(I slightly preferred the second film though.)
handsomebrick 6 months ago
Are you going to review Lets Kill Hitler? I have been wishing for a Who review after all your Trek ones. It's about time!
And great review. I always forget it's in parts so when the To Be Continued pops up, I get all depressed.
dwcast25 6 months ago
I can't wait till you get to the bullshit ending, its up there with A.I. as one of the worst endings ever!
ElBombastico883 6 months ago
cuz of being dragged through glass by the rest of the movie, slowly and deliberately, the buried alive scene only served to roll my eyes. it was just another lonely place to ride out the movie and, still, learn nothing.
tho i did see the first in theaters, i thank god every day that i never saw the second there. its because of these movies that I avoid tarantino's work all together.
I'll never pay to see a single movie he makes cuz he shouldn't be rewarded for shitty diner-napkin writing.
bunnystick 6 months ago
@bunnystick I agree completely. My only point was that the scene on its own was very well done. It did - however - offer nothing to the film its self.
confusedmatthew 6 months ago
@bunnystick Did you ever see Pulp Fiction?
foodlovingpig 6 months ago
@foodlovingpig sure did.
bunnystick 6 months ago
You know, I always wait to watch your reviews until all the parts are out. I feel like if I can watch it all flowing from one part to another, I can understand and form an opinion on your points better. I'm waiting until all of Kill Bill Vol 2 is up before I start Vol 1. Can't wait to.
redsoxfan3418 6 months ago
YES YES FINALLY! THANK YOU MATTHEW!
XxServalcat24xX 6 months ago
I just can't wait for The Whole Bloody Affair to be released in the US on DVD/Blu-ray. Slightly more action in the Vol. 1 half, and that first opening with the Bride talking in the car is completely removed.
Killermike2178 6 months ago
although the first film was lacking in story and it was a bit all over the place i still really enjoyed, i cannot say the same for part 2.
monkeyman9119 6 months ago
@monkeyman9119 That seems to be a lot of peoples reaction. I get the feeling that I might have a few more advocates for my review of Part 2 than part 1.
confusedmatthew 6 months ago