Kill Bill: Vol. 1 - Not the best movie ever made, but the most enjoyable ride

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (Action, Crime)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu and Daryl Hannah

Disney / Buena Vista | 2003 | 111 min | Rated R | Released Sep 09, 2008

Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio:

English: LPCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, French: Dolby Digital 5.1

English: LPCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (less)

Subtitles:

English SDH, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish

English SDH, Spanish, Japanese, Cantonese, Korean (less)

Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 5/5

I’m a big fan of Chungking Express and remember reading that Quentin Tarantino cries when he watches it because he loves it so much. That’s how I feel when I watch the two Kill Bill movies. Within three minutes, I hear Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) and I’m transported into another world. It reminds me of what I'm in for. Every choice that Tarantino makes, from story, to dialogue and music, is absolutely perfect. I feel like he made this film with me in mind.

Uma Thurman was born to play the role of The Bride. I’m still not sure how she managed to keep a straight face as she spoke the dialogue.

It took me five years to bother seeing Kill Bill because I don't embrace things with senseless violence. The movie suggests extreme violence, but shows hardly any of it, just the result. The cuts are convincing and have the same effect as if you had seen the violent acts. I expected Thurman to prance around with a samurai sword, hacking people to pieces. In fact, she pretty much does, but there's so much more to the story.

First of all, she makes me care. Her back story makes her actions seem justified, but I also feel pity for O-Ren Ishii (Liu) when we see what happened to her when she was a child (brilliantly portrayed anime style). The film uses a number of tricks such as stills, black and white, slow motion, silhouettes, changing aspect ratios, and extreme close-ups. The pacing, humor, drama and action all seem to be woven together perfectly.

Kill Bill is a simple story of revenge. We learn in the opening scene that The Bride was shot in the head at her wedding rehearsal and spent four years in a coma as a result. The story isn’t linear, so the first person we see her kill is actually second on her Death List. Although it reveals that she successfully killed O-Ren Ishii by showing a line through her name, none of the tension is lost when we are shown their epic battle.

We see The Bride recover from her coma and visit Japan in search of O-Ren Ishii. There’s a great scene involving Sonny Chiba and we eventually see The Bride hunt down O-Ren Ishii and her minions. The showdown is approximately an hour long and it’s intense. Thurman looks like she can handle a sword and stunt double Zoe Bell handles the more difficult scenes.

It’s hard to think about the film without using the word perfect. The battle involves dozens of fighters as The Bride hacks her way through the obstacles standing between her and O-Ren Ishii. The contrast between those scenes and the final fight is stunning. Instead of being surrounded by a noisy mob, The Bride and O-Ren fight in a quiet setting. It’s a very effective transition.

I always watch Kill Bill Vol. 2 after seeing Vol. 1 and think of it as one long film. If you think that the characters feel incomplete, the concluding volume fleshes them out and makes them seem a lot more real. This first installment contains most of the action and fans of that genre should be happy with the result.

Video Quality 5/5

Kill Bill Vol. 1 looks fantastic on Blu-ray, even though it was released in 2008. Detail is strong throughout, whether the image is in color or black and white. Colors are rich and accurate and black levels won’t disappoint. I detected slight aliasing in one scene, but the overall presentation makes the film one of the best-looking live action films yet released on Blu-ray.

Audio Quality 5/5

The lossless English: LPCM 5.1 mix matches the excellent video quality. There’s a lot going on and it’s all separated well and presented accurately. Whether it’s the sound of swords clashing during the intense battle scenes, dialogue, feet crunching on cereal, or Daryl Hannah whistling the theme from Twisted Nerve, you’ll hear everything clearly.

Special Features 2/5

The extras are all presented in standard definition:

The Making of Kill Bill (22 minutes) – A decent feature with Tarantino and some of the cast and crew.

The 5, 6, 7, 8s Musical Performances (6 minutes) – Two songs from the band featured in the film.

Trailers – Six trailers for Tarantino’s films.

As I said at the start of this review, Kill Bill is so good that I’m close to tears within three minutes. It’s full of action and thrills, good music, and some of the funniest dialogue I have ever heard. I find myself watching both parts more than anything else in my collection and love every moment each time I give it a spin. It’s guaranteed to make me grin for four hours. If you like action and intelligent humor, I challenge you to name a better movie.

Overall score 5/5

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Directed by David Yates

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith

Warner Bros. | 2011 | 130 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Jul 15, 2011 (Theaters)

The Film 4.5/5

I’m a fan of the Harry Potter franchise. I have read all of the books and own the first seven movies. My favorite in the series is the Prisoner of Azkaban, while I rate Deathly Hallows Part 1 as the weakest entry.

It seems that Part 1 moves slowly and contains too many insignificant scenes. In contrast, this final installment feels a little rushed. It runs about two hours before the credits start to roll and tries to cram in the final showdown, while tying up as many loose ends as possible. Some of the threads are resolved using rather clumsy exposition and deserved more screen time. My final quibble involves the use of quick cuts to increase the sense of action. The story was good enough to do that on its own and I didn’t feel that it was necessary to turn some of the scenes into something resembling Bourne.

Although the movie isn’t perfect, it’s still a fine way to end a thoroughly enjoyable franchise.

I can’t imagine that this final entry will be seen by many people who avoided the first seven movies, and that’s a good thing. The story picks up right where Part 1 ended and introduces us to many of the characters from the first seven movies. It wouldn’t have much impact as a standalone movie and it’s not supposed to. I’m interested in seeing the two final parts together to see whether Part 1 works better. In fact, I’ll watch all eight movies when the final Blu-ray is released.

The story follows Harry, Ron and Hermione in their search for the remaining horcruxes. The first hunt is a spectacular affair which is heavy on the special effects and action. I’m aware that many viewers will not have read the books, so I’m not going to spoil anything. If you read the final book, you’ll be aware of which sequence I’m referring to. 

For anyone who complained about the absence of scenes involving Hogwarts in Part 1, much of the action takes place at the school in this concluding part. What struck me is how different Hogwarts looked when we were first introduced to the world of Harry Potter. Gone are the vibrant colors and whimsical interactions with ghosts or paintings. Instead, be prepared to enter a dark setting. I mean that literally as the setting is extremely dim for about 95 percent of the movie; think Gotham City for a comparison.

Another thing that I noticed is how much the acting has improved. The main characters were around 11 years old when the franchise was born, so they are about 21 now. Radcliffe held his own in scenes involving some of the best British character actors of their generation. Watson and Grint played their parts well, and it’s a tribute to the original casting that the franchise has developed as well as it has.

It should be noted how important some of the supporting actors are to the success of the franchise. Can you imagine anyone other than Alan Rickman as Snape? His story is one of the most interesting in the series and sees a fitting conclusion. I’m also fond of Maggie Smith’s portrayal of McGonagall and love her role in the final installment. You’ll see actors that have appeared infrequently given a little recognition, and they deserve it.

I watched the movie with a large audience made up of children and adults into their sixties. Although the sense of evil was always present and the setting was dark, the audience found plenty of scenes worthy of laughter. It’s a truly entertaining movie.

The movie might have improved if 30 minutes were added so that everything felt less rushed, but it could have affected the tension if we were given more chances to breathe. The sense of scale reminded me of some of the battles seen in Lord of the Rings. Replace Voldemort’s minions with orcs, and there were quite a few similarities.

Fans of the Harry Potter franchise, and I am among them, will be pleased with the way everything is wrapped up. After a disappointment in Part 1, the conclusion was worthy of the story created in the first seven movies. To see who lives, who dies, and what happens to the survivors, you’ll have to check it out for yourself. I thoroughly recommend the experience.

The Blu-ray release should be spectacular, despite the grim setting. The explosions and battle scenes will rock your home theater.

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Salt: Delivers exactly what you would expect

Salt (action, crime, mystery)

Directed by Phillip Noyce

Starring Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor

Sony Pictures | 2010 | 101 min | Unrated | Released Dec 21, 2010

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

English: Dolby Digital 2.0

French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

BD-Live

The Film 4/5

Salt is full of action and includes an air of mystery. The opening scene takes us back two years and we see Evelyn Salt (Jolie) interrogated in North Korea. She’s in pretty bad shape after being beaten, but refuses to talk, even when a tube is forced down her throat and gasoline is poured in. She’s eventually released as part of a prisoner exchange and returns to work as a CIA agent. This all happens at the start of the movie and sets up what is to come.

The final thing I’m going to reveal is an encounter with a Russian defector. She’s selected to interview him and discovers that there’s a plan underway to substitute certain Americans with Russians. They become sleepers who will eventually act on behalf of Russia. He informs any agents who might be listening that Evelyn Salt is the name of one such agent.

Salt has a decision to make. Which of her colleagues can she trust? Should she stay and answer the accusations? Would it be better to run and try to prevent other sleeper agents from fulfilling their purpose? She decides to run and most of her colleagues see it as an admission of guilt. We’re placed in her position and it’s one with no obvious solutions. It has the same feel as the Bourne movies, with confusion surrounding her identity.

The CIA isn’t happy that she evaded capture and sends agents to bring her back. This results in a huge chase scene in which Salt makes some unlikely decisions. If you’re a fan of action movies, this is where the story really takes off. The first chase scene happens on a highway and sees Salt making improbable leaps between moving vehicles to evade capture.

Jolie looks capable of making some of the jumps, and we see her continually revise her plan as she flees her pursuers. The story keeps us guessing about the level of her involvement and we can’t be sure what her motivations are. She’s resourceful and uses her intelligence in order to predict the moves of her pursuers and discover the motivations of the Russian group.

If you enjoy movies such as Taken, Wanted, Bourne or Die Hard, this is your kind of story. The first adrenalin rush comes early and we rarely have time to breathe. There is a plot, although it’s secondary to the action. This is a movie that entertains because of its pacing and spectacular chase scenes. There’s not a great deal of thought required, but you will see that everything makes some kind of sense if you think about what you have just seen. Well, it makes as much sense as the average James Bond movie.

If you want to see Jolie running around, climbing, jumping and engaging in hand-to-hand combat, grab your popcorn and enjoy the ride. The loose ends are tied up neatly and the conclusion is satisfying. The acting is convincing, although Jolie never has to show the range of emotion that she achieved in Changeling. Schreiber and Ejiofor are always good and both play their roles well.

Video Quality 5/5

It’s hard to fault the look of the movie. Colors appear natural and detail is strong. There’s a fine layer of grain and the picture has considerable pop. I felt like I was in the middle of the action. Sony has delivered another great transfer.

Audio Quality 5/5

There’s a lot happening on the screen and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track handles everything that’s thrown at it. Chase scenes sound incredible, while scenes involving explosions and gunfire have the appropriate impact. Dialogue doesn’t suffer either, and the surrounds are active throughout the duration of the movie. The score adds to the action scenes and completes the experience. You won’t have any complaints about the presentation.

Special Features 4.5/5

The additional features all appear in full HD.

Spy Cam: Picture-in-Picture – The movie includes three cuts and this feature is only available on the theatrical version.

Filmmakers’ Commentary

The Ultimate Female Action Hero (8:05) – Showing some of the stunts that Jolie performed.

The Real Agents (12:33) – Former spies talk about their experiences.

Spy Disguise: The Looks of Evelyn Salt (5:26) – A look at the various appearances Jolie used in the movie.

The Modern Master of the Political Thriller: Phillip Noyce (9:15) – Noyce explains why he has good insight into the life of a spy, and describes how he tries to capture the attention of the audience.

Salt: Declassified (29:47) – A thorough “making of” feature that goes into more depth about some of the things covered in the other features.

“The Treatment” Radio Interview with Phillip Noyce (27:12) – Elvis Mitchell interviews Noyce.

Previews

BD-Live

Salt is a well-crafted spy movie that’s heavy on the action, although there are a couple of twists in there too. Jolie looks the part and is convincing in her role and the supporting cast does a great job. If you want to be thrilled for 100 minutes without having to think too much, this will get the job done. The Blu-ray presentation is excellent and the special features contain a wealth of additional information if you’re curious.

Overall Score 4.5/5

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Unstoppable: Dumb action, or characters with substance?

Unstoppable (action, drama, thriller)

Directed by Tony Scott

Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson

20th Century Fox | 2010 | 98 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Feb 15, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, Cantonese, French, Mandarin (Traditional), Portuguese, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

Digital copy

The Film 4/5 

After directing movies about planes, cars and a submarine, Tony Scott’s last two efforts have involved trains. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 used a train as a setting, but Scott goes a step further in Unstoppable, making a train one of the movies’ stars. Trains are big. Scott has Washington walk in front of a few at the start of the movie to show us just how big they are.

An irresponsible worker makes two mistakes that set events in motion, deciding to move a train without connecting the air brakes and then leaving the cabin to pull a lever at the side of the track. The train is moving too fast for him to get back on and pulls away under full power.

Will Colson (Pine) has been a conductor for four months. He reports to work and faces resentment from the older workers. They assume he’s inexperienced and think that younger, cheaper workers may be a threat to their own job security. He’s assigned to work with Frank Barnes (Washington), who has similar feelings. Colson makes a couple of mistakes and Barnes thinks his fears are justified.

The runaway train is initially thought to be a “coaster,” but it soon becomes clear that it’s under power and capable of traveling at approximately 70 mph. An early effort to board it fails, so a decision has to be made. Yard Master Connie Hooper (Dawson) suggests derailing it before it reaches populated areas. Her bosses disagree because they are worried about the financial cost.

Various other attempts fail to stop the train and it’s left to our heroes, Barnes and Colson, to try their own solution. They give chase in their train and plan to link up with the runaway and use their own brakes to stop it.

Other factors are also thrown into the mix. A group of children on a school trip are on a train on the same line as the runaway and the threat of a collision is high. The runaway is pulling half a mile of freight cars and several contain volatile chemicals. The track leads to a curve which has a speed limit of 15 mph and it’s close to a heavily populated town.

Just enough time is given to establishing the back stories of Barnes and Colson and it explains their motivations for chasing down the runaway. The tension builds throughout the second half of the movie and the action rarely allows us to take a breather. Failed attempts early in the story show us that our heroes are in danger if they continue the pursuit, but the alternative is a potentially huge disaster should the train derail.

The story doesn’t sound very complicated and it isn’t. The action takes center stage, but what did you expect? I found myself engaged throughout and the three main actors put in good performances. I’m rarely disappointed by Washington and I also liked Pine and Dawson here.

Video Quality 4.5/5

Unstoppable looks good on Blu-ray. Scott seems to have made some of the colors unnaturally bright, making everything stand out. The train in particular looks imposing with its red and yellow paintwork. Detail is excellent throughout and the print is clean. It felt like most of the action was taking place right in front of me.

Audio Quality 5/5

Nominated for a sound editing Oscar, Unstoppable sounds great too. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix places us in the middle of the action. Trains aren’t just big, they’re heavy. The track makes us aware of that with a pounding rumble that will give your sub a good workout. It’s backed up by the squeal of brakes and metal-on-metal. Dialogue comes across clearly and there’s plenty of supporting effects from the rears.

Special Features 3.5/5

The special features focus heavily on the technical aspects of making the movie. Scott goes into detail about how he likes shots to be real rather than CGI. They include:

Audio Commentary with Tony Scott.

Tracking the Story: Unstoppable Script Development with Scott and writer Mark Bomback.

The Fastest Track: Unleashing Unstoppable (30 minutes)

Derailed: Anatomy of a Scene (10 minutes)

Hanging Off the Train: Stunt Work (14 minutes)

On the Rails with the Director and Cast (13 minutes)

Trailer

Sneak Peaks

BD Live: Feeling the Heat – Unstoppable Pyrotechnics (3 minutes)

IMDb Live Lookup

Digital Copy

Overall score 4/5

Action movies can be dumb and full of clumsy exposition, but Unstoppable isn’t one of those movies. Scott has made a largely believable story which includes characters with a little depth. It has plenty of replay value because I have already watched it three times and it’s still an enjoyable ride. If you like movies such as Speed, you’ll probably get something out of this.

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