Kill Bill Vol 2 (2004)

Elevator Pitch: We look back at Vol 1, and see the rehearsal for the bride’s wedding at the Two Pines wedding chapel, and the massacre by the other members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. In her quest for revenge she has disposed of two members of the squad, and Bill warns Budd of her approach. As a result Budd is ready and shoots the Bride with rock salt, then anesthetises her and buries her alive in a graveyard. But the bride has been trained in the martial arts and may escape from the coffin. Meanwhile Budd gets Elle to visit him to buy the Bride’s sword. So, questions, what happens to Budd, what happens to Elle and can Beatrix, the bride get to Bill.

No sex or nudity, even when we visit a bar advertising “Fully Nude Girls”, but some drinking and snorting of cocaine. The presentation is episodic and not presented in chronological order. Hence we see Beatrix being trained in martial arts by Pai Mei in techniques later essential for her survival. There is a lot of interaction between Budd, Elle and Beatrix at a caravan out in the desert where Budd is bitten by a Black Mamba and Beatrix and Elle fight not quite to the death, but very gruesomely which might be the scene which made the film an 18 in UK. 

A View: As usual Taratino’s work was feted and Vol 2 was nominated for many awards, but did not actually win any except for some Stinkers. Some of us might wonder what the “Deadly Viper Assassination Squad” actually did apart from killing each other; who did they assassinate and why. But I always enjoy a revenge flick because basically we can understand what’s happening, even in Tarantino outings. So well worth a view even though it is just a bit slow at times. 

Additional Info: Cars. Like many other directors Tarantino for some reason favours the Volkswagen Karman Ghia, here driven by Beatrix. Outside Budd’s caravan is a rare De Tomaso Mangusta. It was not me who recognised it.