‘Bill 2’ manages to kill momentum

Evan Marmol

The pundits who have dubbed “Kill Bill Vol. 2” as Quentin Tarantino’s

Magnus Opus have duped you. I feel as if someone has riffled through

my pockets and rummaged through my mind and stolen the price of

admission and precious hours from my life. If the momentum, and

mind-boggling acrobatics, or the stupendously choreographic action

sequences beguiled you in the first installment, prepare to be put in

a sedated stupor in this lackluster sequel.

To my utter dismay, this film is a test of the viewer’s endurance

to Tarantino’s pretentious dialogue, consisting primarily of drivel

and pseudo-intellectual detritus. On the other hand, if your idea of

a good film is watching a willowy, and gorgeous blond (Uma Thurman)

prattle on incessantly and occasionally trouble herself by doing

something amusing, then this is your movie.

The narrative follows the title, a rampaging martial arts expert

seeking revenge on a man named Bill (David Carradine). During her

copiously gory crusade she encounters impediments including another

vicious beauty (Daryl Hannah). If this soporific, and wafer-thin,

plot does not keep you awake, then you might miss the few action

scenes that are much shorter and barely resemble the intensity of its

predecessor. This flick could have easily been reduced to 20 minutes

and added to “Kill Bill Vol. 1,” at a saving of time and money.

To be honest, this film is only an innuendo of the first.

Tarantino’s script is fatuous, vapid and lacking his signature wry

grit. Instead, this film feels like a pathetic attempt at emulating

what Tarantino could do on the worst of his days. The performances

were adequate, but the vacuity of the plot renders the actors

virtually unnoticeable. This is, by far, is one of the most inane,

pedantic, and boorish films ever made; worst of all is its

inconsistency with the first installment which was nothing short of a

cinematic masterpiece.

Denzel Washington

sets movie on fire

Denzel Washington’s (Creasy) performance in “Man on Fire”

absolutely ignites the silver screen. This is the revenge thriller of

the season.

The gist is quite simple. A washed-up alcoholic drifter, who is

also 16-year vet with extensive counter terrorist experience, is

employed as the body guard for a lovely young woman (Dakota Fanning).

His employment is necessary due to a spate of kidnappings occurring

in Mexico City.

This laconic vet first spurns the overtures of the young woman,

but eventually Creasy lets his defenses down and a friendship

blossoms. Slowly Creasy finds purpose beyond his past transgressions

of massacring insurgents and finds the girl’s verve infectious. It is

when she is kidnapped, and he is left for dead, he finds himself

embroiled in a conspiracy which forces his hand back to violence.

The film is built on the metaphor of the futility of confining

one’s inherent emotions. Creasy’s prevailing emotion is rage, a

relentless conflagration that consumes everyone and everything in his

path. His manner of retribution is both gruesome and merciless. The

violence is as inventive as it is graphic. In Creasy’s mind, everyone

that is linked to this kidnapping deserves nothing more than an

excruciating demise.

Denzel Washington is always a pleasure to observe in action and

Dakota Fanning plays opposite him superbly. This tandem, in

combination with the performances by pop sensation Marc Anthony and

Christopher Walken, truly qualifies as an All-Star cast. This is a

lengthy flick, but it is momentum built and never ceases to fail to

amaze. Plot twists enrich this film providing a narrative that is

complemented by the violence, and not overwhelmed by it. Enjoy the

movie, but make sure to take a potty break before hand, because you

will not want to miss one single moment.

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

Irvine with a degree in psychology and social behavior. He can be

reached at evan_marmol@hotmail.com.