‘Kill Bill Vol. 1’ is modern masterpiece

Evan Marmol

“Kill Bill Vol. 1” is an exceptional amalgam of the fascinating

elements of Japanese animation, acrobatics, and Quentin Tarantino’s

unique flair for the narrative. Tarantino’s ability to engross his

audience by transforming mundane conversations into remarkably pithy

banter and inventive dialogue is an unmistakable trademark of his

films. Combining those aspects with the bewitching Uma Thurman, the

lovely Lucy Lu and Vivica Fox is a formula for a consummate box

office success.

This revenge thriller pits Uma Thurman against a group of trained

assassins that have betrayed her, ostensibly killed her unborn child,

and left her for dead. Her demise, though, is averted by her sheer

will to survive and avenge herself. As a trained assassin and the

factor of surprise at her disposal, Thurman metes out revenge in

lethal doses against her adversaries. The goal is to dispatch those

who have deceived her including the entitled Bill.

This flick is rated-R for hefty portions spewing gore,

decapitations and just about every type of violence ad nauseam. The

copious amounts of gore are derivative of the Japanese Anime style

that Tarantino is emulating, and can actually be comical at times.

Every aspect of the movie fits well in a formula that absorbs the

audience into a world of comic book proportions.

As a cliff hanger, “Kill Bill Vol. 1” leaves its audience

impatient and yearning for the next installment. Any person that

enjoys action movies, Quentin Tarantino flicks, or something novel in

what is becoming an industry of copy-cats, will certainly relish this

masterpiece.

‘Rundown’ is non-stop funny

“The Rundown” never relents, never even slows-down, as the

standout comedy of the season.

The mammoth, bulging, rippling mass of muscle Dwayne “The Rock”

Johnson establishes himself as more than just a spectacle of size in

this flick. In “The Rundown” Johnson portrays an out of sorts debt

collector that simply wants out of the game. This sensitive giant’s

freedom hinges on the whims of his boss. If he performs the seemingly

simple task of retrieving his boss’s son from the armpit of Brazil

his slate will be clean.

This city boy debt collector quickly bights off more than he can

chew. He is ensnared and beset by a ruthless warlord (Christopher

Walken), a duplicitous barmaid (Rosario Dawson), guerrilla warfare,

and misbehaving monkeys. Worst of all, is his tousled quarry (Sean

William Scott), a double-dealing miscreant that leads Johnson from

mishap to mishap.

This adrenalin-charged romp may be derivative, threadbare, and

formulaic, but if it works don’t fix it. The plot can be flat-footed,

and the narrative does drag its feet a bit, but this is all

interspersed with innovative fight sequences and laugh-out-loud

humor. No matter what you are expecting out of this movie, it will

exceed those expectations. “The Rundown” is a fun popcorn flick that

requires little thought and leaves you smiling.

* EVAN MARMOL is Laguna Beach resident. He graduated from UC

Irvine with a degree in psychology and social behavior.