"Kill Bill Vol. 1"
by: Paolo Sardinas

Kung Fu films. Everybody knows them, everyone loves them. They're fun, entertaining, corny, cheesy, and the audio doesn't match. But hey, who cares? These movies are something that action movies lately have failed to do. They usually sacrifice good stories for mindless action. Kung Fu movies find a way to combine both, and you know what.. it works. Sadly not only are they not made as much anymore, they will probably never be as great. But then the movie gods gave us a nice little surprise. "Kill Bill Vol 1" is everything and more of what a Kung Fu movie is. It manages to be both thrilling but doesn't sacrifice a good story. Of course a movie of this magnitude can only be made by.. Quentin Tarantino.

The story revolves around a woman, well actually she used to be an assassin working for the late great David Carradine, but more on that later, who, on her wedding day, gets a hell of a surprise. It turns out the past she though she left behind acutally wasn't all that much in the past. Her old team have come back to deliever a nice heaping plate of revenge and massacre her friends. They even shot that black fellow who plays the piano. Now of course thinking that she was dead, they all go their separate ways and 3 years later she wakes up. It turns out she wasn't dead but actually in a coma. The film now shifts focuse over to her bloody rampage as she finds the ones who betrayed her and of course, "Kill Bill".

She is played by the beautiful Uma Thurman. Her real name is Bea, but we don't find that out till "Vol 2". Bill is her ex lover and hes the one who shot her in the head and managed to put her in a coma. Now it would be a stretch to say that the acting was the best ever, but it was pretty damn good. Thurman of course steals with her enthralling and entertaining performance. Late, great David Carradine also steals the show as Bill. Sucks to be Bill. The rest of the supporting cast, which also makes up her old team the "Deadly Viper Squad" consists of actors who bring on their "A game". Including Vivica A Fox, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, and Michael Madsen. Of course they all deliver spectacular performances.

All throught the movie there are various references to various movies. The "Shaw Scope" logo at the beginning, the film also incorporates many different elements of those old Kung Fu movies along with a bit of Spaghetti Westerns, and exploitation films. The main exploitation here is of course violence. The fight at the end between "The Bride" and "The Crazy 88" is absolutely mesmerizing. Truly an original scene.

As you can tell Taranino's homage to Kung Fu and Revenge films is a complete and total success. Filled with numerous film references, terrific acting, a script that never runs dry, and of course violence. That good old violence first associated with Tarantino flicks back with "Reservoir Dogs". The keeps you waiting in anticipation as to whats going to happen next. Because you can never get enough Kung Fu action. Relentless and entertaining "Vol 1" is almost a perfect film. Although it isn't perfect its almost there. But that yellow jumpsuit could never look better on anyone else. Grade: B+