The Kill Bill Movie by Quentin Tarantino is a great Sonny Chiba Tribute and an Amazing Revenge Flick

Not that the actual Kung Fu in the Kill Bill movie is even close to any Classic Kung Fu movie but you really see Quentin's love of all Classics. He really tributes the 1970's Samurai Cinema for Kill Bill Volume 1.

From many sources it's said that Quentin used the 1973 classic Samurai film "Lady Snowblood" and "Lone Wolf and Cub" (shout out to Ray Farmer) as the template for this movie. But I think he takes a little of all the great 70's chanbara films really.

Not to mention the journey Angela Mao's character made in Broaken Oath . Even though that is a Chinese revenge flick.

The Japanese were epic for making movies where the lead character, who could be male or female, goes on a violent rampage of revenge. Which explains why Volume 1 is much more violent than Kill Bill Volume 2.

The dialogue in Kill Bill Volume 1 is also kept in line with classic Samurai Cinema. Which I enjoyed a lot.

But let me get a little into the movie. I'm gonna keep it simple so as not to give away any of the fun surprises, if you are the only person left on the planet who hasn't seen this film.

Uma Thurman plays the lead character 'The Bride' and we learn throughout the film that she was beaten to death by the Deadly Vipers at her own wedding and she was pregnant. She obviously didn't die as the vipers had hoped and the Kill Bill movie Volume 1 is exactly that, The Bride's journey from recovery to clearing the way to Kill Bill.

We don't get to experience Bill in Volume 1 though, there is a list of the Deadly Vipers that The Bride chooses to exact revenge on first.

Starting with Vernita Green played by Vivica A. Fox. And after the flashback part of the movie we get to the meat of this film and that's The Bride's hunt for O-Ren Ishii in Japan, played by the lovely Lucy Liu from Charlie's Angels .

This means we get to go to Japan. But before she faces this mortal enemy The Bride goes to The Master Sword maker Hattori Hanzo played by the Legendary Sonny Chiba . He is the highlight of this movie for me. I loved him in "The Street Fighter". And consider him one of the top 10 of the top 100 Martial Artist movie stars of all time.

We don't get to see him do any martial arts in Kill Bill volume 1 but his acting is terrific. It reminds us that he truly is a great performer. He steals the movie with his scene and I'm sure Quentin wouldn't have had it any other way.

After the Bride has Hanzo make her a sword and brushes up her skills she sets off to find O-Ren. The Final portion of this movie is a gorgeous and gory battle to the end.

The music, style, cinematography, costumes, choreography and fighting (Uma didn't do too bad for a completely untrained actress) really worked well together to create the illusion of an awesome Samurai Battle.

I just loved this whole sequence from inside the restaurant to the face off in the back on the snow. A real rollercoaster ride of revenge.

The Bride leaves O-Ren's right hand woman alive to report back to Bill that she's comin' for him and Bill's voice is heard asking if The Bride knows that her daughter is still alive.

Juicy cliffhanger, which can be quickly satisfied by popping in Volume 2 immediately.

The Kill Bill movie Volume 1 satisfies any lover of Classic Japanese Samurai Films.

While Volume 2 satisfies a fan like me. A lover of Classic Kung Fu movies... so let me get to writing that page ASAP.

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