This is far from a flawless movie but then again, the movie was also obviously aiming for something else. It's simply meant to entertain and to be sort of a throwback to the golden era of old fashioned, Asian, Kung Fu flicks. And I must say, it works out well enough as such.

It's obvious this was a labor of love for RZA and for co-writer/producer Eli Roth, who share a passion and understanding for the genre. You could say this is the foremost thing that lets the movie work out. It doesn't quite feel like a millions of dollars budgeted movie, that attempts to be a deliberately bad and silly Kung Fu flick at time but rather it feels like a quality movie that's paying homage to the genre, by not just nodding at it but also by doing plenty of original genre related stuff of its own.

It's actually a pretty detailed movie, both visually as story-wise. This might sound strange, since the actual story can get quite messy and simplistic at times. But this actually is something that's very consistent with the genre. Even the best genre examples 'suffer' from this and movies such as this mostly thrive on its characters, fight scenes and everything else that is leading up to its, always inevitable, finale.

I can definitely see how its story and storytelling in particular could bother people but you have to keep in mind that nothing about this movie is going to be air tight and not everything is going to make sense or explained into detail. It's just a movie in a genre that forces you to just go along with things and don't question things too much. After all, it relies on a silly premise and the laws of physics don't apply to this movie neither.

Having said all of that; this clearly still isn't the best thing the genre has to offer. The fight scenes looked cool enough but there aren't always shot that well, for example. Not sure if it was the editing or the directing but something often felt lacking about it.

Another thing that bothered me was the fact that this movie featured too many different characters in it. It tried to do and tell too much, while the story itself really didn't need any of that. It probably had everything to do with it that the movie its first initial cut was about 4 hours long and the movie got trimmed down heavily after that. The movie instead is now trying to put too much into 95 minutes, making things feel a bit messy and rushed. It really should had focused on one main character and one main character alone, to make things at least a bit more involving and easier- as well as more pleasant, to follow.

I still definitely liked the movie good enough for its silliness and all of the entertainment it had to offer, even though I actually still think they could and should had pushed things a bit further at times. It wasn't a punishment to watch so to speak and I could even say about it that it's a movie I probably would watch again at one point. But be aware though, it's clearly a movie that's not just for everybody.

7/10

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Can't claim this is a bad movie but it also has very little going on in it.

Not that it really matters all too much though. After all, this movie obviously is aimed toward young children and young girls in particular. I'm mostly talking about 10 and below. They will love the fairy- and other fluffy animal characters in the fantasy world and enjoy the movie for not having anything too complicated or serious in it. The movie doesn't even have a villain or a true 'conflict', that is present throughout the entire movie in it.

It makes this movie a pretty simple one really and is the foremost reason why it also feels as one that has very little going on in it. Things don't even seem all that well thought through really. The whole reason why Tinker Bell and Periwinkle aren't allowed to see each other seems very trivial and flimsy. Sure, I can sort of understand why they can't enter each others world but why can't they just meet at the border from time to time, while each of them stays at their own side. And surely it shouldn't be a problem at all for them to spend a few minutes at each others world, without doing any damage to anyone or anything. But of course I'm now thinking things through too hard and taking this movie far too serious. Again, it shouldn't matter all too much for a young girl, who watches this, that the story isn't anything all that solid.

And it's a Disney production, so of course it has some quality and plenty of know-how behind it. Visually and storytelling-wise there is also very little wrong with the movie. It's obviously a low budget production but the CG animations are most definitely more than acceptable.

It's no big surprise I wasn't too fond of this movie but no young girl is going to care about this and rightfully so. It remains a perfectly fun and charming little movie for them and that in the end is all what really matters.

5/10

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In feudal China, a blacksmith who makes weapons for a small village is put in the position where he must defend himself and his fellow villagers. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: RZA

Starring: Russell Crowe, Cung Le, Lucy Liu and others

Current release date: November 2, 2012

In feudal China, a blacksmith who makes weapons for a small village is put in the position where he must defend himself and his fellow villagers. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: RZA

Starring: Russell Crowe, Jamie Chung, Lucy Liu and others

Current release date: 2012

(Review originally written at 23 January 2007)

It's a well made and constructed movie that entertains and again perfectly blends several styles into one unique movie

Unfortunately the movie is not as good as "Kill Bill: Vol. 1". "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" was a way more entertaining because it was way more crazy mixture of style and because of that also very unpredictable and overwhelming. "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" spends more time on the story development and the emotional aspects of it. It perhaps makes "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" a better constructed and build up movie but I still prefer the more entertaining approach of "Kill Bill: Vol. 1". In that regard "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" perhaps was a bit disappointing to watch but in this particular case that doesn't mean it was a bad movie.

"Kill Bill: Vol. 1" mostly mixed Asian cinema styles, "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" mostly uses a Western style. Of course the story alone of taking revenge always has been a popular generic concept for Westerns. The movie also uses some of the genre camera techniques and editing tricks and even adds in some cheesy dialog when two characters are standing across each other, ready to kill. Quentin Tarantino obviously did his homework again but what can I say, Western just isn't my favorite genre. Its style also makes the movie slow at times, so please don't expect another over-the-top going, non-stop spectacular, visual, gory, action spectacle that "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" was. Of course "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" also still features lots- and over-the-top action but it just didn't impressed as much, due to the different style and approach.

The movie features some great acting and dialog. Yes, this movie does feature some great typical Tarantino's dialog at times. Something I really missed in "Kill Bill: Vol. 1". Also the movie as whole, in terms of its style and build up, is perhaps more 'Tarantino-like' than "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" was. The story, again, is for part told non-linear and this time that style works out fully, unlike in "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" sometimes wasn't the case.

David Carradine is really superb as Bill! What a comeback for an actor! The same goes for Daryl Hannah by the way, lets please not forget her. David Carradine really steals the show in the movie and at times he even puts the main character, played by Uma Thurman, in the shadow. Also Michael Madsen was great and so was Sid Haig in a small but amusing role. The Samuel L. Jackson was also one of the highlights of the movie.

The movie is amazingly good looking and has a good visual style, also with the help of Robert Richardson's cinematography, obviously. Tarantino again successfully succeeds at mixing several styles of film-making into one unique great movie, with an own great one of a kind identity. Mission accomplished Mr. Tarantino!

There isn't as much blood spilled in this movie but yet the action does not disappoint. Like I said before, the emphasis of this movie is more put on its story and characters, rather than its action but still the action works out greatly in the movie. The movie features some highly memorable action sequences and also the ending does not disappoint.

A really great and unique movie, that could had been more entertaining and perhaps also better, had it been made more in the style of "Kill Bill: Vol. 1".

8/10

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(Review originally written at 10 January 2007)

This movie is a visual experience of different styles, all combined with also some trademark Tarantino elements.

The movie is obviously a case of style over substance. In essence the movie is just a basic revenge flick without too much depth or meaning. This however is exactly like how Tarantino intended it to be. "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" is simple, straightforward, completely over-the-top but above all beautifully shot and superbly directed. The movie its story comes totally secondary, as Tarantino used this movie as an experimental tool to mix several, mostly Asian cinema, styles together and blend it into one big visual experience of violence and unusual over-the-top looking sequences. His aim was style and with that this movie most certainly does not disappoint.

Always when looking at a Tarantino movie, it becomes obviously that he's a big movie buff and movie lover. Tarantino really shows his love for- and pays homage to Asian cinema and especially anime. Most notably of course in the animated segment (that is great by the way) but also in almost every action/fight sequence in the movie and its violence. It gives the movie its own unique style and an overall atmosphere of 'coolness'.

The violence is definitely brutal and straightforward, as gallons of blood are spilled in this movie. But all of the violence is done in such a, deliberately, over-the-top and fake looking way, that it becomes entertaining, rather than shocking or stomach turning. It even becomes poetically beautiful to watch at times. The action sequences are definitely the best parts of the movie and they are well choreographed and shot. When things get too graphic the movie simple conveniently switches to black & white or turns to other creative cinematic solutions.

The power of this movie is definitely in its visual style and overall style of directing. The movie uses different themes throughout the movie but yet the movie manages to create one big unique identity. The movie never feels incoherent or disjointed in its style or storytelling, though it all widely differs from each other at times. I think that this is mainly thanks to Tarantino's directing, who keeps the movie and different styles all on one and the same line. Visually the movie is also definitely helped by Robert Richardson fantastic cinematography, who should at least had been rewarded with an Oscar nomination for it.

The movie is filled with some big name actors, though not all play a significant part in the movie yet (see "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" for that). Uma Thurman is truly superb as the Bride and I can honestly say that this is her best role out of her career. She also was rewarded with a Golden Globe nomination for it. Also really superb in her role was Lucy Liu. Again, also her best role yet.

Not of all the trademark Tarantino elements work out well in the movie I definitely missed the typical trademark Tarantino dialog in this movie and for also for most part the trademark non-linear storytelling felled pointless and didn't really served a purpose for the story. It therefor really isn't Tarantino's best but it's definitely his most experimental and most visually orientated, style-full, splendid movie.

Unusual, over-the-top but strangely intriguing, entertaining and overall brilliant. Yet another Tarantino must-see!

9/10

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