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Kill Bill: Volume 2 Blu-ray Review |
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Kill Bill: Volume 2 Blu-ray
Disney / Buena Vista | 2004 | 136 mins | Rated R | Sep 09, 2008
Kill Bill: Volume 2 Blu-ray ReviewThe Bride returns and she's feeling a little chattierReviewed by Ben Williams, September 6, 2008 As Quentin Tarantino made his way through the production of what was originally planned to be a single Kill Bill film, it became painfully obvious that he had created enough footage for two full length movies. Tarantino wisely realized that he would be selling his story short by limiting it to one super-long film. Thus, Kill Bill as a two part story was born. This turned out to be somewhat of a happy accident as dividing the Kill Bill saga into two films allowed for him make two vastly different movies that give the entire series a more epic feel. After the cliffhanger ending of Kill Bill: Volume 1, Kill Bill: Volume 2 begins by introducing the second set of players from the "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. We'll finally get a look at the titular Bill (David Carradine), his lazy brother Budd (Michael Madsen) and Ellie Driver (Daryl Hannah), who was seen briefly in the first film. Most of the other players from the first flick will pop up in a flashback or two, but Kill Bill: Volume 2 is really more about The Bride's (Uma Thurman) checkered past as well as her motivations for leaving the world of professional assassins. While Kill Bill: Volume 2 has its fair share of action sequences, this is a film more focused on character development and dialog. Where Kill Bill: Volume 1 was exciting and action packed, Kill Bill: Volume 2 is the heart and center of the story.
I think many viewers of Kill Bill: Volume 2 were a bit taken back with how vastly different this film is from Volume 1. Tarantino really emphasizes character development and dialog here - - something that was there in the first film, but was overshadowed by all of the action sequences. Tarantino, once again, jumps around in time in Kill Bill: Volume 2. We travel back to The Bride's training sessions with martial arts master Pai Mei (Gordon Liu), an ornery old cuss with a strong dislike for Caucasians. The Pai Mei sequences are some of the most enjoyable in the film as The Bride spends years training and eventually winning his respect. We also experience some more tender moments as scenes involving Bill and The Bride focus on their romantic past. The Bride's quest for revenge is infinitely more powerful when we are given so much more information on who she really was as a person. She's not just some hell-bent killing machine, she's a real person who experienced fear, love and pride. Kill Bill: Volume 2, for me, has the feel of a western. The first half of the film takes place in the desert shouthwest and that choice of location adds to the decidedly western tone of the picture. The movie rolls along, zig-zagging forwards and backwards in time, while the plot steadily moves toward the eventual confrontation between Bill and The Bride. Upon viewing Kill Bill: Volume 2 for the first time, I half-way expected for Bill and the Bride to have a showdown in some abandoned old west town. Fortunately, that's not how the flick plays out, but it wouldn't have been much of a stretch for things to go that direction. Musically, Kill Bill: Volume 2 differs from the first film in its adherence to more traditional musical cues provided by Tarantino's good friend Robert Rodriguez. The change in musical style gives this film an entirely different feel from Volume 1. Kill Bill: Volume 2 is a fitting and wonderful end to a very compelling story. Don't hate it because it's not action-packed. Love it for its unique and stylistic approach to telling a very entertaining story. Highly recommended. Video  Disney / Miramax has given Kill Bill: Volume 2 the same high-quality treatment as Kill Bill: Volume 1. Presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1, Kill Bill: Volume 2 looks stunning. Disney has continued their use of the AVC Mpeg-4 compression codec and the film has been given plenty of room to breathe with a very high bitrate encode. Cinematographer Robert Richardson makes use of a variety of film stocks and filming techniques on the film and the results offer a breathtaking array of atmospheres and visual inventiveness. While not as off the wall as some of the techniques used in Kill Bill: Volume 1, Kill Bill: Volume 2 focuses more on high contrast black and white photography and gritty color cinematography. There is a fair amount of grain presented in this film and this Blu-ray encode handles it effortlessly, lending the movie a very natural and film-like look. Some of my favorite scenes in Kill Bill: Volume 2 are presented in black and white. The photography here is gorgeous with deep, inky blacks and copious shadow details. Color photography is also exceptionally rendered with vivid colors and earthy desert hues smoothly presented on-screen. Picture artifacts are non-existent and I didn't notice a trace of any of the horrible edge enhancement that plagued the film's previous DVD releases. Detail is also remarkable with fabric and skin textures perfectly realized. Disney has scored again with this masterful Blu-ray edition of Kill Bill: Volume 2. This is a reference grade transfer and should be in the collection of any serious film aficionado. Audio Kill Bill: Volume 2 features yet another superb Uncompressed PCM 5.1 soundtrack that is different in many ways from the stellar track featured on Kill Bill: Volume 1. While the first film proved to be a bombastic music and effects driven affair with an abundance of surround activity and bass response, Kill Bill: Volume 2 is a more subtle track. Since this film is significantly less action-oriented than its predecessor, there is quite a bit less extreme surround activity present. Dialog is the primary element of this track and it is flawlessly presented. Much like Kill Bill: Volume 1's explosive PCM track, this film's soundstage is exceptionally wide and creates an abundance of atmosphere. Of course, Kill Bill: Volume 2 has its fair share of action sequences in addition to the many dialog-driven scenes. The Bride's fight with Ellie Driver is particularly memorable as the two destroy a mobile home in the process of trying to kill one another. There is a tremendous amount of surround activity in this scene with bodies crashing through walls and the rich splintering sound of timber being torn to shreds. It's a terrific scene and stands as a stark contrast to the film's more subtle moments. All told, Kill Bill: Volume 2 is every bit as rich as the first film's soundtrack - - just not quite as flashy. Supplements  Much like the supplements included for Kill Bill: Volume 1, there's not much to this small set of extras included with Kill Bill: Volume 2. A short documentary makes for the most substantial extra - - it's nothing spectacular but does offer a few behind the scenes tidbits. There's also an odd musical performance called "Chingon" as well as a throwaway deleted scene. Final words Kill Bill: Volume 2 serves as the final installment of Quentin Tarantino's epic Kill Bill saga. Taking an abrupt turn from the frenetic action and relentless pace of the first film, Volume 2 settles down and allows the plot to progress at a more relaxed tempo. Character development is key in Kill Bill: Volume 2 and Tarantino has done a masterful job of breathing life into seemingly one-note personalities. On the video side of the equation, Disney has given Kill Bill: Volume 2 the royal treatment and this reference quality transfer is a true sight to behold. Audio is also expertly presented with an enveloping soundstage and occasional flourishes of action and excitement. Kill Bill: Volume 2 is an exceptional Blu-ray and comes with my highest recommendation! 
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