Kill Bill: Vol. 1

The fourth film from director Quentin Tarantino is well worth the wait. An ode to the B-movie martial arts flicks that are near and dear to the director, this is perhaps the best looking film ever produced for the genre. Uma Thurman is award worthy as The Bride/Black Mamba, an accomplished fighting machine who is wronged on her wedding day, put into a four year coma and awakens with revenge on her mind. The Bill that will allegedly be killed in Volume 2 (to be released this coming February) is played by David Carradine, not seen but heard in this installment. Super violent (blood geysers actually shoot from decapitated bodies) and exquisitely staged, the film is remarkable to look at. Tarantino shows that he has no problem with a production of epic proportion, and he proves that his mild obsession with Uma has its advantages. Lucy Liu is incredible in the film’s final battle sequence, and the movie also features a stunning anime short. Volume 2 can’t come fast enough.