Kill Bill 2

We watched the movie last night at "Uncle B's" place. He has a big screen Hi-Def TV. I really hadn't felt that much urgency to see the movie, for two reasons. The first one was good, and I liked it, but it was awfully violent. Over the summer, at the lakehouse, the children (between 4-10) put Kill Bill 1 into the DVD player and watched it, like, twice. I thought it was inappropriate for kids, but their parents apparently did not. Eventually, someone said "look, kids, turn that crap off. Watch Finding Nemo or something*."

But after having that long bloody violent murder porn on the TV forever, and having seen it in random moments as I walked through, frowning at the rapt attention on the little faces of the five and eight year olds, and not seeing it all the way through so you get caught up in the narrative, I did think that it was a. kinda gross b. not something I really enjoyed.

So the other reason I wasn't really looking forward to watching the sequel was Mary Ann Johanson's review of it. I don't always agree with the Flick Filosopher... but often, her reviews make me go "Oh! Yeah! That's what I couldn't put my finger on about that movie that vaguely annoyed me." So her review was not positive, and she got a lot of flack in her reader mail**, which made me realize that Kill Bill 2 was one of those kinds of movies. You know, the ones that rabid fans are not going to hear any critique of but which might have a weakness here or there that a critical eye could find disturbing....

Anyway. What was my final opinion? I liked the second movie better than the first. I thought the lesser level of ultra violence was better, made for a much more interesting movie. I was disturbed by the range of viciousness to weepy tears that Uma Thurman went through. There seemed to be something about women's "innate emotional state" in that--you just can't trust a woman, it seems to imply, cause you never know when she'll go from cuddling your kid while watching a movie to pounding your heart into stopping. I liked the sepia scene at the beginning where we see more about the "wedding" and what "The Bride" was up to. I liked the scenes with the "Master" martial arts guy, the way he kept flipping his beard up in a sort of parody of himself. All in all, it was a movie to see. Just not more than once for me. (Hey! That rhymed!) Extra bonus!

But I'm really glad we didn't watch the first one again, which had been the initial plan. Not only am I not up for that many sheer hours of sitting in front of the soul-sucking device known as TV, but watching that much gore disguised as "empowerment" just doesn't appeal to me. I agree with Johansen that it's NOT a feminist movie, despite having strong female characters. I like it that women can explore every range of morality-- that in itself is feminist-- but it's not something that improves the condition of women just because there are women in it.

Anyway. There's my two cents. And since it's Sunday, and I like you, I'll give it to you for half off-- the new low low price of 1 cent only, payable by check, major credit cards, or aluminum can recycling tickets.

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*and yes, I would prefer a fifteenth showing of Nemo to either of these two "superhip" movies. "Just keep swimming swimming swimming." "Ooooh. I wish I spoke whale." Gets me every. single. time! Did I ever mention that in the "Which Finding Nemo character are you" quiz I come out as Dory? Yes. I think I did.

**now with added snarkiness for your dietary needs....