Quentin Tarantino - Ranking His Films From Worst To Best
4. Kill Bill Vol. 2
Its not as universally loved as Vol. 1, and despite initial critical acclaim its rarely cited as premium Tarantino, but Kill Bill Volume 2 is a classic film. Shorn largely of the out-right blood-and-guts gore of the first instalment (though there are still some great instances of it), Kill BiII 2 is a more sombre film, still frenetic and action-packed, but also a little gentler, a little more imbued with the touching moments of pathos that The Hateful Eight lacks.
Putting in her finest performance for Tarantino, Uma Thurman is arguably the best shes ever been here, retaining her badass-ery from Vol. 1, but also showing another side, too, one more humane and maternal, one which sees her finally seek out the titular Bill (David Carradine) only to spend an evening of playing old-lovers with him before actually doing what the title has always suggested. That long protracted scene is one of the best in all of Tarantino.
Yes, there are memorable action moments (the buried alive sequence is particularly impressive), but Kill Bill Vol. 2 stands alone in the Tarantino canon in that the violence - the vengeance - is only a means to an end. It's not hip, and nor is it played for laughs (like the car shooting in Pulp Fiction, for example). Instead, it's a necessary act, and while you get the impression that most of QTs characters are capable of violence long after the credits end, with The Bride, you dont shes Killed Bill, and thats all she ever really needed to do.