Kill Bill Vol.2

Released 23rd April 2004, Kill Bill Vol.2 is a direct follow up to 2003’s Kill Bill VoL.1. Whilst it makes sense, given the use of Volumes in the titles, it does mean that you can’t really watch Vol.2 without Vol.1; to the point that Vol.2 outright continues from ‘Chapter 5’ where Vol.1 left off by opening with ‘Chapter 6’. With that out of the way, this film manages to feel like its own film with a different approach to the grindhouse genre applied in Vol.1. The film continues to follow the Bride as she seeks out Bill to kill him (hence the name) however, whereas Bill was much more of a potentate in Vol.1, he is far more fleshed out this time around.

You know this film is different when we see David Carradine as Bill in the very first scene; a stark contrast to Vol.1 where Tarantino opted to not show his face at all. This is a stroke of genius however as it subverts the audience’s expectations by enabling you to become more familiar with Bill across the narrative. David manages to emulate a sense of wisdom whilst still conveying his sadistic nature through his distinguished voice and calm demeanour. Uma Thurman is better here than she was in Vol.1; an understandable feat given how much more personal the conflict gets in the final chapter. Michael Madsen & Daryl Hannah do well as Budd & Elle Driver, respectively. Although I must also give credit to Gordon Liu as Pai Mei; he truly excels in his exaggerated performance as a kung fu master.

Whilst not quite as iconic as Vol.1, the sound design and soundtrack still encapsulate the themes and energy of their respective scenes very well. The action here is still very engaging but it is also a lot more toned down and personal. Both to the characters individually and also to the relationships they have with one another. Also, the final chapter is so well done and may be one of the best endings to a Tarantino film. Overall whilst it comes to the expense of toned down action and sound scaping, Kill Bill Vol.2 earns this by using the extra leg room to build upon its enjoyable characters to create a sequel which, in my humble opinion, surpasses the quality of the original.