 The 4th Film by Quentin Tarantino. The acclaimed fourth film from groundbreaking writer andidirector Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown) Kill Bill Volume 1 stars Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction), Lucy Liu (Charlie's Angels, Chicago) and Vivica A. Fox (Two Can Play That Game)in an astonishing, action-packed thriller about brutal betrayal and an epic vendetta! Four years after taking a bullet in the head at her own wedding, The Bride (Thurman) emerges from a coma and decides it's time for payback...with a vengeance! Having been gunned down by her former boss (David Carradine) and his deadly squad of intenational assassins, it's a kill-or-be killed fights she doesn't start but is determined to fishish! Loaded with explosive action and outrageous humor, it's a must-see motion picture that has critics everywhere raving!  Editor's Note: Quentin Tarantino returns to the director's chair with KILL BILL after a six-year hiatus. The movie proves once again that he is a hyperactive visionary and the master of cinematic coolness. Split into two volumes by Miramax in order to ensure that Tarantino's vision would not be compromised (and presumably to sell more tickets), KILL BILL: VOL. 1 tells the first half of the sprawling story, which is quite simple at first glance. A female assassin, referred to as "The Bride" (Uma Thurman), is attacked on her wedding day. Dead are her soon-to-be husband and unborn child. However, she doesn't die. Four years later, she wakes up from a coma looking for revenge. Although her ultimate target is her former boss, Bill (David Carradine), it's quite clear that The Bride is saving the best for last. And before she can track him down, she must methodically take out the minions who ruined her life. VOLUME 1's targets include Vernita Green/Copperhead (Vivica A. Fox), Sofie Fatale (Julie Dreyfus), and the heartless O-Ren Ishii/Cottonmouth (Lucy Liu). Using a blessed sword handmade by Hattori Hanzo (Sonny Chiba), The Bride begins her relentless assault. Turning up the style and energy levels that he kept under a threshold with 1997's JACKIE BROWN, Tarantino's obvious glee and reverence for the underground kung fu action pictures of the '70s, and Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, makes for a stunning visual spectacle. Employing split screens, slow-motion, an anime sequence, and his trademark ultra-hip musical selections, Tarantino's film dares viewers to be unimpressed. Storyline: The lead character, called 'The Bride,' was a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, led by her lover 'Bill.' Upon realizing she was pregnant with Bill's child, 'The Bride' decided to escape her life as a killer. She fled to Texas, met a young man, who, on the day of their wedding rehearsal was gunned down by an angry and jealous Bill (with the assistance of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad). Four years later, 'The Bride' wakes from a coma, and discovers her baby is gone. She, then, decides to seek revenge upon the five people who destroyed her life and killed her baby. The saga of Kill Bill Volume I begins. Written by JD Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Ben Williams on September 4, 2008 -- Just utter the name "Quentin Tarantino" in a grouping of film fans, and you are bound to get a wide range of opinions. Some find the controversial director to be derivative while others think of him as exploiting violence in his films. Of course, there are those that fancy him as the greatest auteur of the era. Whatever your opinion of Tarantino might be, it's hard to argue with the pure entertainment value that he brings to cinemas. I've always been a fan of Tarantino's work and the two Kill Bill films are two of my favorites. One thing is for sure when dealing with a Tarantino flick: he's never afraid to put exactly what he wants on screen. Kill Bill is one wild ride. The film begins with our pregnant heroine, The Bride (Uma Thurman), being gunned down on her wedding day by Bill (David Carradine), her boss and leader of the appropriately named "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad," or more simply, "DiVAS." The Bride miraculously survives her injuries that day, but upon awakening from a coma four years later, she discovers that she has lost her baby. This sets into motion the entire plot of Kill Bill as The Bride sets off on a killing spree that spans the entire globe as she hunts down and kills every member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Heads will, literally, roll. The strength of Kill Bill lies in the film's exceptional performances and elaborate set pieces. Take for example the extraordinary fight scene that takes place in a sequence of the film called "Showdown at House of Blue Leaves." This scene runs approximately 20 minutes as The Bride battles a seemingly endless supply of villains. With hundreds of extras, highly choreographed sword fighting and martial arts, pauses for dialog and dramatic punch as well as beautiful and artistic cinematography by Robert Richardson, this scene is a truly stunning artistic achievement. It's rare to see such care given to an action scene and it is clear that there was at least as much of an emphasis on creating beautifully framed shots as there was the fight choreography. Diversity is also on display in Kill Bill. Earlier in the film is a scene where The Bride strolls into a small sushi joint in Okinawa and has an intriguing and beautifully acted exchange with a man who tries to teach her how to speak Japanese. Most "action movies" fail miserably in smaller scenes such as these. In Kill Bill these smaller scenes make the film and add a depth of character and tone to the over all scope of the film. The ability to balance the smaller, quieter moments with the over the top action spectacle is what makes Quentin Tarantino a master filmmaker in my book. No discussion on Kill Bill would be complete without mentioning the wonderful music Mr. Tarantino chose for the film. For whatever reason, he always seems to pick some extraordinary and seldom heard songs for his soundtracks and Kill Bill has some of the most interesting choices he's ever made. Any flick that can effectively use Zamfir, master of the pan flute, along side Isaac Hayes, Bernard Herrmann, Ennio Morricone and a whole slew of different Japanese pop tunes is getting into extremely unique territory, to say the least. Kill Bill has a certain sound to it that is often imitated but never matched. What can I say? Kill Bill is a fantastic movie and is always a hell of a lot of fun to kick back and enjoy. Chances are, there's something in this film for everyone. Unless, of course, you can't handle the extreme gore - - and this is one bloody movie. If you've never seen Kill Bill, I can't imagine a better way to experience this film for the first time than on Blu-ray. Highly Recommended! Kill Bill is just plain fun. It's gory, over the top, brilliantly acted and surprisingly poignant. I've enjoyed the film for years and have eagerly been awaiting its release on Blu-ray. Disney hasn't disappointed - - they've delivered a stunning, reference grade transfer that is as close to film as anything I've yet seen on Blu-ray. The film's fantastic uncompressed PCM 5.1 soundtrack is completely enveloping and packs a punch that matches this set's stunning picture quality. Kill Bill is a must-own title on Blu-ray and comes with my absolute highest recommendation! Cast Notes: Uma Thurman (The Bride), Lucy Liu (O-Ren Ishii), Vivica A. Fox (Vernita Green), Daryl Hannah (Elle Driver), David Carradine (Bill), Michael Madsen (Budd), Julie Dreyfus (Sofie Fatale), Chiaki Kuriyama (Go Go Yubari), Sonny Chiba (Hattori Hanzo), Chia Hui Liu (Johnny Mo [as Gordon Liu]), Michael Parks (Sheriff Earl McGraw), Michael Bowen (Buck), Jun Kunimura (Boss Tanaka), Kenji Ohba (Bald Guy [Sushi Shop] [as Kenji Oba]), Yuki Kazamatsuri (Restaurant Owner). IMDb Rating (07/24/14): 8.2/10 from 532,979 users Top 250: #168 IMDb Rating (06/29/09): 8.2/10 from 196,586 users Top 250: #142
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