USA, 2004
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen

The second – longer – half of Quentin Tarantino’s epic grindhouse tribute is not as good as the first, but still a genre-hopping good time.

When we last left The Bride (Uma Thurman), she was in the middle of her post-coma revenge rampage, having successfully offed two of her former fellow assassins who betrayed her by attempting to kill her after leaving the business for wedded bliss. In Vol. 2, her to-kill list is down to three: Elle (Daryl Hannah), Budd (Michael Madsen) and, of course, old boss Bill (a lisping David
Carradine).

The opening sequence details – and I do mean details, as it is long and sluggishly paced – the church bloodbath that got The Bride so pissed off in the first place. Like an old Western, it’s shot in black and white. Subsequent chapters riff off other film styles; her cruel training with an Asian monk (Gordon Liu) is all on-the-cheap kung fu, a harrowing encounter with a coffin is psychological horror and the scenes involving Budd and Elle are all ‘70s drive-in exploitation. Even the opening and closing credits tip their hat to film noir.

So what to make of the film’s final chapter, in which The Bride finally comes face to face with Bill and finds the daughter she never knew? I suppose it’s Tarantino’s answer to Kramer vs. Kramer, with emphasis on the vs. Amidst all the soul searching and motherly love, the parents do find time to spar with razor-sharp swords. After all, Bill’s the kind of dad who believes Shogun Assassin is acceptable bedtime viewing for his little girl.

As adept as Thurman was at kicking ***censored*** in the first installment, I think she’s even better here. The girl gets a chance to actually act and pulls it off with an intense believability. Carradine doesn’t suck like I thought he would, but he’s no career-resurrecting find like Robert Forster was in Jackie Brown.

After an initial slow start, Vol. 2 kicks into high gear with punch and panache. Not only does it feel like a different movie than Vol. 1, it feels like five different movies. That’s because Tarantino adheres to the conventions of the various genres he loves within a chapter, and then runs with them.

Review by Rod Lott.